Prime Rib - My Simple Formula

 Cooking a Rib Roast this Holiday season?  You can't go wrong with this formula.

These are my basic notes I have been using for rib-eye roasts for many years.  It always turns out perfect.  If you are cooking more than a 8 lb roast, these times will be less.  This formula only works for 3 lb to 7.5 lb roasts.

First of all, please do not freeze your roast, for any reason.  I see so many people doing this.  They find a good sale on a roast weeks before, so they buy it and freeze it.  They don't realize that the quality of the roast will never be the same.  They turned a prime rib in to a pot roast.  I even had a family member who would buy 1 week ahead and then freeze it, it would kill me!  By the time it fully freezes, it's time to thaw it out.  If you buy it weeks ahead, you can always dry age the roast, which would make it better anyway.  If you do not know how to dry age, then don't buy your roast early.

Always start buy taking the roast out of the fridge so it can get to room temperature.  I give mine 5 hours.  It will cook a lot more even.

Seasoning:  I put a stick of softened butter in a bowl with garlic (powder or fresh), black pepper, rosemary, and thyme.   Use a lot of the seasoning, as much as the butter will handle.  Spread it all over the roast.  Then top it with a good amount of kosher salt.

Pre-heat your oven to 475 degrees.  The total cook time will be 17.5 minutes x weight.  For example, a 6 pound prime rib will take 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Cook the beast for 20 minutes at 475, then reduce the temperature to 325.  The ending internal tempurature will be 125 to 130, however, the temp will read 115-120 when you first take it out of the oven.   Pull the roast out when the timer is done.  Lay foil on the top to keep it warm, but don't totally enclose it unless you want it at a higher ending temp. 

Let it rest for 20 minutes.

Notice the temp change.  

I like to slice my roast right in the glass pan, that allows the slice to fall into the wonderful drippings created by the "frosting" and of course the roast itself.

This formula also works for a New York roast.  Usually $2-3 less per pound.

Summary/recap:

-NEVER EVER FREEZE!
-Room temp. before cooking (leave out for 5+ hours depending on size)
-One stick of butter, mixed with a lot of garlic, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, Spread all over
-Sprinkle kosher salt to coat it
-17.5 minutes x weight at 325
-First 20 minutes at 475  - This will ensure perfect ending temp. (as long as roast is room temp to begin with)
-Ending internal temp should be 125 to 130, however temp will read 115-120 when you first take it out of the oven.  Tent with foil when you take it out.
-Let rest for at least 20 minutes, then slice.  Temp should now be 130-135 in center. 

A basic horseradish sauce:
2 - 3 T prepared horseradish
3 T mayonnaise
1 t dry mustard
Half cup sour cream