Prime rib is one of our favorite Christmas roasted meats. I usually roast a 6 lbs standing prime rib for Christmas if it’s just my family. If we have guests from out of town I will roast two prime rib cuts of about 6 lbs each and if the guests don’t like prime rib, then I roast a turkey or pernil (pork meat).
Buying Prime Rib
I am lucky that my grocery store sells prime rib for the Holidays every year. They do a great job in cutting, packing and stringing the prime rib. Since I’m a bit squeamish myself to do the cutting or cleaning the meat from the fat or cutting the bottom layer with the ribs from the meat, I’m very happy the butchers from the meat department at my store do the whole preparation already.
So the only thing that’s left for me to figure out is how big of a standing prime rib do I buy?
Rule of thumb for prime rib is that for every 1 rib bone you can feed 2 people. So i purchased a 3 bone prime rib that weighed about 6 pounds. That provided a plentiful serving for my family of 4, plus leftovers which I made this Beef Barley soup with.
Make sure you know the difference between USDA Choice and USDA Prime. USDA prime has more marbling (evenly distributed) and it’s a bit more rare to find, which makes it even more expensive than the USDA choice.
I tend to pick a cut with a bit of fat cap, I don’t like it when it’s completely removed. The fat helps to keep the meat moist as it is roasting.
Pro-Tip: Use a meat thermometer when roasting prime rib. Since all prime rib have different shapes and sizes, the timing to get that perfect prime rib roast might vary slightly and a meat thermometer would help you cook it to perfection!
Seasoning Standing Prime Rib
I apply a two layer seasoning to raw prime rib before roasting.
First layer is simply sea salt and black pepper. Be very generous and apply the seasoning on all sides after you have patted dry the meat. Let the salt and black pepper really absorb as you let the meat just stand for half an hour or so.
Seasoned Standing Prime Rib
Once the prime rib has been standing at room temperature, seasoned for about half an hour, then I prepare the herbed butter. Usually I mix 1 stick of softened butter with herbs, garlic and any seasonings of choice.
Then I apply the herbed butter all over the meat, on all sides. Use a brush to spread the butter evenly and place the prime rib (bone side down) over a rack. Usually I add some veggies in the tray below the rack.
I make sure oven is preheated to 475 degrees F at least 15 minutes before adding the roast in. You want the oven to be really hot so it can create a natural sear of the prime rib. Roast at high heat for about 20 minutes or until a nice crust has formed.
As fat is melting, the high heat might make it smoke so keep the air vent on and monitor closely. I feel the veggies in the tray under the roast help a little bit in avoiding the smoke as they mix with the fat dripping from the prime rib.
After 20 minutes, lower oven temperature to 300 degrees F. This is where it gets a bit tricky based on shape and size (and weight) of the prime rib you’re roasting.
Since I usually buy about 6 lbs (about 3 rib bones in) I know that I have to let my prime rib roast about 1.5 hrs at 300 degrees F then check with meat thermometer to achieve desired doneness.
Internal temperature needs to read:
- 120 degrees F for rare
- 130 degrees F for medium rare
- 140 degrees F for medium
Once you have achieved the desired internal temperature, turn oven off, get the roasting tray with the rack and prime rib out and cover it up for about 15-20 minutes. You don’t want to touch it or carve it during this time. This is when all the flavors and juices redistribute and make the roast just perfect!!
Before you carve the prime rib, remove the string and the rib bones. Place the meat on a cutting board and slice it to desired thinness.
Serving Suggestions
Everyone I know has their favorite way of serving prime rib. However, most times you’ll see some kind of roasted potatoes, or potatoes au gratin or mashed potatoes with gravy as a side dish. Also, sauteed green beans or asparagus compliment the flavors of this dish really well.
This last Christmas I served our prime rib with roasted potatoes, green beans salad and gravy.
Standing Prime Rib for The Holidays
Equipment
- 1 baking tray with rack
- 1 brush
- 1 carving knife
Ingredients
- 6 lbs prime rib about 3 rib bones
- 2 tbsps sea salt
- 1 tbsp freshly grated black pepper
- 1 stick butter
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 0.5 tsp paprika
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 rosemary twigs remove leaves and chop them thinly
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 red onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery ribs
Instructions
- Take the roast out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before you'll roast it. At the half hour mark, pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper thoroughly on all sides. Let it sit for the other half hour.
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
- Soften butter and mix with minced garlic and the rest of the herbs and seasonings.
- Apply the herbed butter to prime rib all over with a brush.
- Peel and slice the onion and carrots. Chop the celery in big chunks. Add all the veggies in the baking tray. Place the rack on top of veggies and add the prime rib over the rack.
- Place the baking tray in the preheated oven for 20 minutes to sear the beef in high temperature. Then lower the heat to 300 degrees F and let the beef roast for about 1.5 hrs.
- Check at that point with a meat thermometer. Estimated temperatures I go by are as follows: 120 for rare, 130 for medium rare and 140 for medium.
- Once you achieve the desired internal temperature, remove the whole baking tray from oven. Turn oven off. Cover the prime rib for about 20 minutes.
- Then remove string and rib bones from the bottom and slice as desired. Serve with your favorite side dishes and enjoy the Holidays:).
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you would like to save this recipe for the next Holiday season, please pin one of the pictures from this post to your boards in Pinterest so you can easily retrieve this recipe for later. Let me know in comments if you have any questions!
Thank you for reading my blog and my recipes, it means the world to me and my family:).
Additional Beef Recipes
Here are some additional recipes you might enjoy:
- Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Dressing
- Cast Iron Chuck Steak
- Sirloin Steak
- Mediterranean Beef Kebabs
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