Roast Prime Rib of Beef

Roast Prime Rib of Beef

WELCOME  GARDNER  NEWS  READERS

Some years back my Father “out-lawed” turkey on the Christmas day dinner table.  He tolerated it at Thanksgiving, but that was about all he could take.  So, prime rib became our special treat at Christmas, compliments of Dad.  Christmas morning you would find him preparing to load the prime rib into his “set it and forget it” machine!  It was perfect every time.  Sadly, we lost my Father just before the holidays last year and I have eagerly taken on the job of roasting the prime rib. 

When purchasing your prime rib, have a conversation with your butcher!  Let them know your plans and the number of people you will be serving.  Our Gardner Price Chopper has one of the most friendly and knowledgeable meat departments I have ever dealt with.  I consider them “my butcher” and quite regularly take advantage of their expertise.  I requested a 10 pound, bone-in prime rib (bones are the key to great flavor).  “My butcher” indicated that they could cut the meat from the bone and tie it back onto the bone for roasting.  Wow … one less step for me and no extra charge.  

My butcher had this prime rib trimmed and tied ... saved me some time!

To satisfy government home economists, the Beef council tells us that rare beef means an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.  Well, that is if you like well done and very dry meat.  If you like moist, rosy meat (yes I do), rare begins at 120 degrees F and starts to become medium rare at 125 to 130 degrees F.  

This chart is only a guide  … you need to use an accurate meat thermometer and start taking the temperatures one half hour before the end of the estimated roasting time. 

	Approximate Weight	Oven Temperature	Total Estimated Time Only	Meat Thermometer Reading (Rare)
2 ribs	4  to 5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	60 to 70 minutes	120 degrees F
3 ribs	7 to 8.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours	120 degrees F
4 ribs	9 to 10.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours	120 degrees F
5 ribs	11 to 13.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours	120 degrees F
6 ribs	14 to 16 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	3 to 3 1/4 hours	120 degrees F
7 ribs	16 to 18.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	3 1/4 to 4 hours	120 degrees F

 

Beef Roast Cooking Temperatures
Rare	120 to 125 degrees F	center is bright red, pinkish toward the exterior portion
Medium Rare	130 to 135 degrees F	center is very pink, slightly brown toward the exterior portion
Medium	140 to 145 degrees F	center is light pink, outer portion is brown
Medium Well	150 to 155 degrees F	not pink
Well Done	160 degrees F and above	steak is uniformly brown throughout

I got a lot of great information and the charts from a wonderful site ….
What’s Cooking  America

Room Temperature:  To cook evenly, the roast must not be cold – let it stand at room temperature, loosely covered, for about 2 hours.  If you do not let the roast come to room temperature it will not cook evenly and you’ll end up with well-done slices on the ends and raw meat in the center.  

Seasoning:  In a zip lock bag mix together the following:  5 cloves of garlic chopped, ½ cup of prepared horseradish, ½ cup of course salt, ¼ cup of ground black pepper and ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Massage this mixture generously over the entire roast.  (I do this when I first take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature.)

Ready to roast!

Roasting: Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Place the roast, ribs down, in a roasting pan. The rib bones are a natural rack; you won’t need a metal one.

Sear the rib roast for 15 minutes at the higher oven temperature (450 degrees F.), then turn the oven to the lower temperature (325 degrees F.) for the rest of the cooking time.

About 1/2 hour before the estimated end of the roasting time, begin checking the internal temperature (use a good instant-read digital meat thermometer). Internal temperature, not time, is the best test for doneness.  Insert your meat thermometer so the tip is in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat or touching bone. Remember, the rib roast will continue to cook as it sets.  I wanted medium prime rib so I took the roast out of the oven when the temperature reached 135 degrees.  I let it set 30 minutes (while my popovers were baking) and the temperature rose to 142 degrees.  So, pay attention to how long you let the cooked prime rib roast sit in relation to your desired level of doneness.

Cooked perfectly to medium -- center light pink and outer portion is brown.

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