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Want to make the absolute best out of your expensive Prime Rib Roast? This EASY method results in a tender, flavorful roast that practically cooks itself while you relax with guests. This is our absolute favorite Prime Rib Roast Recipe!
Does cooking something so expensive scare you? I feel your fear. I have experienced that fear. And cooked through it. This recipe and cooking method work together to make your special dinner a hit with family and friends.
Easy Prime Rib Roast
Nothing intimidates me MORE than cooking an expensive cut of beef. I know I only get one shot to make it taste delicious. And I can’t afford to screw it up. Especially with the price of beef these days.
So, believe me when I say I have done my testing and my research, and I think after years of cooking rib roasts for Thanksgiving and Christmas, this is by far the superior method. Leaving you time to enjoy your special day with your loved ones.
What you need to make this Easy Rib Roast
Not ONLY is this roast absolutely delicious, but it is also completely easy. The only hard part is believing that it will cook so easily.
- prime rib roast, standing rib roast, rib roast at room temperature
- garlic, I used the garlic paste in a tube, you can use fresh cloves
- fresh roasting herbs, a little packet I bought, but you can use a sprig of rosemary, a handful of thyme, and a bit of Italian Parsley-the whole thing weighed 1/2 ounce
- light olive oil or avocado oil
- salt
- pepper
- heavy roasting pan
- foil for tenting when done
- good carving board
- a sharp knife
- small bowl
Prime Rib for Thanksgiving??
I used to make a turkey every year for Thanksgiving, just like everyone else. But then, one year, I had my husband grab a small turkey from the store. When I opened it on Thanksgiving morning, it had petrified in the bag.
He went back to the store at 8 a.m. with said putrid turkey. But they had no thawed turkeys on Thanksgiving, and I had a house full of people on their way over. They offered him a rib roast instead. (And yes, we paid the difference in price; I wouldn’t expect not to.)
I threw it in the oven following the instructions on the package, and my house was filled with sooty smoke from the fat scorching on the bottom of the pan. I had very little experience cooking prime rib roasts because of the price.
Always learning
Fast forward several years, and I have tried so many methods to keep the little bit of fat that drips off the roast from scorching to no avail. That was until I was pursuing a James Beard cookbook that described 4 methods for cooking a standing rib roast.
One was called the ‘Searing Method’. The gist of it was that you start the roast in a very HOT oven and then reduce the heat and cook it on low for just 12 minutes per pound for rare and 14-15 minutes to medium.
Then, let it rest for 10 minutes before carving, which will bring the temperature up by about 10-15 degrees. Generally, the opposite of the Reverse Sear Method everyone seems to love. I had to give it a try. Right?
The method is a true winner
It’s the best for a couple of reasons.
- The roast I cooked was done in just about 3 hours; yours will vary depending on the size of your roast. The method and times are the same for any size rib roast you’re cooking
- There was no smoke. The intense heat of the oven at first causes the fat cap on the roast to render slightly. But not just a drip or two, which is what caused the scorching when roasting it the whole time at a lower temperature. It renders enough to bubble away merrily in the bottom of the pan.
- At the higher temperature, the herb and garlic mixture starts to form a lovely crispy crust all over the roast without the garlic slipping off and burning as well.
Finished Rib Roast Temperatures
For rare roast beef look for an internal temperature of 115° with an instant-read digital thermometer. This will increase by 10°-15° degrees while resting for a for finished temperature of 130°.
For medium rare roast look for an internal temperature 125° to 130° for medium. It will increase to 140°-145° after resting.
What to serve with a Rib Roast
We LOVE to serve prime rib with Blackened Shrimp. They’re SO easy to make and if, for some weird reason, a guest doesn’t want beef they can enjoy seafood instead!
Whipped Potatoes are the CLASSIC sidedish, and mine are the best. But you can use any mashed potato recipe you like. Or make them in the Instant Pot.
Sweet Potato Casserole, yes! Even if you’re not serving a turkey you can make a sweet potato casserole. This one starts with BAKED sweet potatoes and the flavor is just fantastic!
Quick Dutch Oven Bread. Dinner rolls are fine, more than fun but Dutch Oven Bread is just a step up. Classic crispy, tearable bread, make it before you make the roast.
Old Fashioned Pecan Pie (No Corn Syrup!) I feel like I don’t need to say anymore here. This pie speaks for itself.
Got Leftovers?
I bet you do! Store them in Pyrex containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use them in any beefy recipe you like.
Easy Rib Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or other high smoke point heat
- 3 TBSP garlic paste in the tube, or grind 3 garlic cloves to a paste
- 1 pack Roasting Herbs 1/2 ounce pack or a sprig of rosemary, thyme, and Italian parsley
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 pound Rib Roast at room temperature
on the bone, or cut off and tied back on,
Instructions
- mix together oil and garlic paste
- remove the herbs from their woody stems and finely mince the fresh herbs
- mix the herbs into the oil and garlic
- pat the roast dry with paper towels
- lay the roast on a sheet of parchment
- rub the roast all over with the garlic herb paste
- let the roast rest with the herb paste for at least 30 minutes, if you can leave it resting for 2 hours that's better but shoot for a minimum of 30 minutes
- preheat the oven to 450°
- place the roast on the ribs in the roasting pan
- place in the oven and roast it at 450° for 30 minutes
- reduce the heat to 325° and then roast for 12 minutes per pound for rare, 14-15 minutes for medium, check for doneness according to your preferred finished temperature rare 120°-125°medium 140°
- once it reaches your preferred doneness remove it from the oven and tent it with foil for 10-20 minutes to let it rest, you can take it out of the pan to a carving board or leave it in the pan
- when rested carve slices of beef and arrange the slices on a serving platter and serve immediately