Prime Rib Recipe (Standing Rib Roast)

Three years after starting my cooking journey, I FINALLY felt comfortable enough to make a “fancy” Prime Rib dinner. And now that I’ve actually done it, I wish I hadn’t waited so long! My worst fear was wasting money on an expensive cut of meat only to ruin it. But it turns out prime rib is surprisingly not as intimidating as it sounds!

CHOOSING YOUR BEEF

For this prime rib recipe, the cut of meat you’ll be buying is called a “rib roast” or “standing rib roast.” It can be sold with the bone-in or out and graded differently depending on its quality. In the United States, there are up to 8 different grades of beef. But to keep things simple, I’m only going to talk about the most common cuts that you will most likely encounter in grocery stores. These include Prime, Choice, and Select.

Prime – The highest quality cut of meat. It’s also the most expensive per pound AND the hardest to find. It yields incredibly tender, juicy meat when cooked.

Choice – Also high quality but with less fat content than Prime making it slightly less juicy. It still yields tender meat when cooked. It’s also widely available in grocery stores making it more affordable than Prime.

Select – This is considered the lowest quality of meat. The meat might be tougher when cooked since there isn’t enough natural juices to keep it tenderized. But it’s a lot cheaper allowing you to buy a larger rib roast to feed more people.

Choosing your cut of meat depends on several factors such as availability, budget, how many people you’re feeding, etc. I can tell you that I’ve made this prime rib recipe with Choice grade meat and it was perfectly delicious. The meat was so tender and there was plenty of flavorful juices surrounding each cut. In reality, the cooking method is what makes all the difference no matter what grade of meat you choose.

PREPARING THE PRIME RIB

The cut of meat itself usually adds so much juicy flavor that you’ll only need a simple combination of ingredients for the rest of the recipe. I like to start by placing the rib roast on a bed of onions and garlic cloves. This not only adds flavor but it also helps to lift the roast up for more even heat distribution when baking. Afterwards, you’ll prepare a simple garlic butter mixture that will be slathered all over the prime rib before baking it.

BAKING THE PRIME RIB

When it comes time to bake the prime rib, you’ll be cooking it in two different sessions:

• First, you’ll do a quick bake session at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. The high temperature for a short amount of time creates a nice brown layer all around the prime rib without overcooking it.

• The second bake session will be at a lower oven temperature of 250 degrees. But the bake time will vary depending on what doneness you prefer your meat. I’ve compiled a quick list of cook times below that will help you determine how long to cook the prime rib:
  • 1 hour = *Rare*
  • 1 hour 15 minutes = *Medium Rare*
  • 1 hour 30 minutes – *Medium*
  • 1 hour 45 minutes = *Medium Well*
  • 2 hours = *Well done*

Now that you know the basics of cooking a delicious Prime Rib dinner, I hope you’ll all be brave enough to give it a try!  If I can do it, anyone can. 😉 Read on to see the full list of ingredients and directions for this Prime Rib Recipe. Enjoy!

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TRY ONE OF THESE SHOW STOPPING DINNER IDEAS NEXT!

1. Garlic, Steak & Potato Foil Packs
2. Oven-Baked Corned Beef with Vegetables
3. Steak and Veggie Stir Fry

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