“Health and appetite impart the sweetness to sugar, bread, and meat” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
How to cook prime rib is a skill most people don’t have.
A good standing Prime Rib is a delicacy — tender, buttery meat served bone-in in dramatic fashion. No other part of your meal will come close to the glory of the standing Prime Rib, if properly prepared.
It is time to stop being afraid of Prime Rib and to embrace its majesty. Preparing a good Prime Rib doesn’t have to be an all-day affair . . . in fact, for most dinner tables, the size of Prime Rib neccessary to fill your stomachs takes less than two hours to cook. Here’s a step by step breakdown of the Prime Rib process.
First, determine what size Prime Rib you and your dinner guests require. When most people think of Prime Rib, they think of the “full, standing” version — “full” refers to a full seven rib setup, and “standing” just means that the Prime Rib is served “bone in” and can therefore stand on its own.
The thing about the full size seven bone Prime Rib is — that’s enough meat to feed fifteen or sixteen people. You and your dinner party probably needs something a bit smaller. Here’s an easy way to determine what size of Prime RIb to prepare:
- 6 guests – 3 rib roast
- 8 guests – 4 rib roast
- 10 guests – 5 rib roast
- 12 guests – 6 rib roas
- 14 guests – 7 rib roast
How to Cook Prime Rib
Now that you’ve determined what size you want, head to your butcher and ask him if he knows where you can get any dry-aged Prime Rib at the size you need. The butcher may have it himself, or may be able to tell you where to go to get it. Obviously, a dry aged roast will cost you more, but if you have the money, the difference is absolutely worth it>
Tell your butcher you’re looking for a roast from the small end toward the back of the rib cage. This cut is sometimes called the “first cut” or the “loin end”, and knowing your butcher lingo will help you get the best roast for your money. The reason you want meat from this side is that the meat from this part of the animal is more lean.
One warning — don’t waste your money on a boneless rib roast. The bones add flavor to the meat, and take away some of the spectacle of the meal. Also, don’t buy less than a 3 rib roast — that would just be a thick bony steak and would require a different cooking and serving method.
Bring your rib roast home and immediately trim any fat in excess of one inch from around the roast. You must leave that one inch covering of fat to protect and baste the meat during cooking.
After trimming, let your roast stand at room temperature, covered, for at least two hours. Do not try to cook a cold rib roast.
If your butcher didn’t tie your rib roast for you, you must do this yourself. An untied rib roast will “pull away” from itself, fall apart, and cook unevenly. Tie the roast at both ends, running twine parallel to the bone.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the rib roast dry and smear the “cut ends” of the rib roast with butter. This will keep the otherwise rough ends moist and delicious.
Place your rib roast “bone down” (fat side up) in a sturdy stainless steel pan at least three inches deep to catch the drippings — the drippings make for an awesome gravy.
Sear the rib roast in the very hot oven for fifteen minutes before turning down the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for the rest of your cooking time. How do you know how long too cook your rib roast? Fifteen minutes per pound should do the trick, although you should cook the meat to your own personal level of doneness.
Don’t forget to baste the cut ends of your rib roast every 30 minutes with drippings from the pan.
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