01 of 05
Cooking the Roast Cold
Cooking cold meat is one of the biggest cooking mistakes there is because chilled meat needs to spend more time exposed to the heat, causing the outer parts of it to overcook. With prime rib, this mistake is amplified many times because of how massive the roast is. This extra weight means it takes a while to come to room temperature.
The problems that occur if you fail to let your prime rib come to room temperature will vary depending on which cooking technique you use. With the closed-door method, the weight-to-cooking-time ratio won't work if the prime rib starts ice-cold, and you'll end up taking it out of the oven too early. With the traditional method, you'll simply end up with an overcooked roast.
Start on the right foot by letting your prime rib sit at room temperature for a full 3 hours before roasting it.
02 of 05
Worrying About Seasoning
Yes, it's important to season your prime rib, but worrying about whether to season it the night before or three hours before—or even right before it goes in the oven—is not a good use of your cooking bandwidth. The fact is that no amount of seasonings you apply to the surface (including soaking in a marinade) are going to penetrate beyond about 2 millimeters into that massive roast. (This is why people inject brine into roasts.)
In fact, the longer the salt sits on the surface of the meat, the more moisture will get sucked out of it, which is the complete opposite of what you want. So by all means, salt and pepper generously, but you only need enough on the surface to season every bite, including the non-edge sections.
Just don't lose sleep about it. The most logical time to season your prime rib is at some point during the 3 hours you have it sitting on your counter coming to room temperature.
03 of 05
Overcooking the Prime Rib
See AlsoHow to Cook Prime RibPrime rib comes from the rib primal cut, which is the second-most tender of all the cuts of beef (after the tenderloin). That's why prime rib is so expensive: it's a huge piece of extremely good beef. Therefore, it's important not to cook it beyond medium-rare. Going past that temperature means the roast will no longer be tender.
This is not to say that you shouldn't cook your beef any way you like, but if you prefer your beef roasted medium, medium-well or well-done, you may want to consider cuts other than prime rib—perhaps a sirloin or a rump roast, for instance. You'll save at least $50, and you won't be missing out on the tenderness.
04 of 05
Poking the Prime Rib Full of Holes
The different levels of doneness are measured by temperature and medium-rare is defined as a peak temperature of 135 F. (You'll wait for it to cool to 120 F before slicing it, but more on that below.) But that doesn't mean you should determine doneness by taking repeated measurements using an instant-read thermometer. It's a prime rib, not a pincushion!
Fortunately, there are better methods. The standard prime rib roasting technique employs a probe thermometer that you insert into the meat and leave in while it cooks. When it reaches your target temperature, it's done, and you take the roast out of the oven, having only poked one hole in it. Even better is the closed-door method, which doesn't require a thermometer at all.
Remember, prime rib should be tender and juicy. Poking it full of holes causes those juices to leak out. Don't do it!
How Long Should You Cook Prime Rib?
The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your roast and the oven temperature, so it's best to gauge doneness by temperature. For a medium-rare roast (which is recommended!) cook your roast to an internal temperature of 130F - 135F.
At an oven temperature of 325F - 350F, estimate 13 to 15 minutes per pound for medium rare.
Continue to 5 of 5 below
05 of 05
Not Resting the Prime Rib
Letting your prime rib sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes before slicing it is called resting it, and resting your prime rib helps ensure it will be as juicy as possible. When you roast a piece of meat in a very hot oven, the juices from the outer regions flee toward the center of the roast. The heat causes the proteins in the meat to contract, which literally squeezes the juices out of the cells. Slicing into the meat right away will just cause all those juices to come spilling out onto your cutting board.
If you let the meat cool to 120 to 125 F, those juices are reabsorbed into their cells, and when you slice it, very little juice actually escapes, which means each bite will be as moist as possible. If you're using one of the traditional methods with a probe thermometer, simply leave the probe in after you take the meat out of the oven. When the temperature dips to at least 125 F, go ahead and slice. The beauty of the closed-door method is that it requires barely any resting at all. Same with the slow-roast method.
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FAQs
The 5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Prime Rib? ›
How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? The secret to restaurant-style prime rib is cooking the meat super slow at low temperatures. I recommend cooking prime rib at no higher than 200 degrees F. This cooks the meat very slowly, turning the fat into butter and rendering the proteins juicy and soft.
How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? ›How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? The secret to restaurant-style prime rib is cooking the meat super slow at low temperatures. I recommend cooking prime rib at no higher than 200 degrees F. This cooks the meat very slowly, turning the fat into butter and rendering the proteins juicy and soft.
What is the most important thing to do before roasting a prime rib roast? ›Rule #7: Season Well, and Season in Advance. For best results, salt your prime rib on all surfaces with kosher salt at least 45 minutes before you start cooking it, and preferably the day before, leaving it in the fridge uncovered overnight. Initially, the salt will draw out some moisture and end up dissolving in it.
Is it better to cook prime rib at 325 or 350? ›Start by cooking your prime rib at 500°F for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 325° F and cook for 10-12 min per pound for rare, or 13-14 min per pound for medium rare, or 14-15 min per pound for medium well. A meat thermometer is essential to ensure you cook it perfectly!
What is the 500 rule for prime rib? ›Prime Rib Tips
Here is the formula: Multiply the exact weight times 5 minutes. For me it was 5.35 x 5 = 26.75 minutes, which we round up to 27. You'll cook your room-temperature prime rib at 500 degrees F for exactly that many minutes.
Brown the roast at 500°F (or as high as your oven will go) for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 325°F to finish roasting: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Roast in the oven until the thermometer registers 115°F for rare or 120° for medium rare, and 130°F for medium.
Should you rub a prime rib the night before? ›Putting a dry rub on too early increases the likelihood of it being washed off or knocked loose before you get the beef cooked. Aside from seasoning mixes designed to go on up to one day before cooking for brining purposes, you'll only want the dry rub on the Prime Rib in time for the start of cooking.
Why do you salt prime rib before cooking? ›The salt helps trap the heat to better cook the prime rib. “It conducts the heat and seals it,” says Betz.
How long to cook a 5 lb prime rib at 250 degrees? ›Place in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the temperature on the oven down to 250°F and continue to cook the prime rib for 12-15 minutes per pound of meat, or until the internal temperature reaches 122°F for medium rare. The internal temperature will continue to rise 5-10 degrees as you rest the meat.
Should you oil prime rib before cooking? ›Rub the prime rib with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, herbs and garlic powder. Rub this mixture onto the prime rib. Place the prime rib in a roasting pan, fat-side up, and insert an ovenproof meat thermometer so the tip is centered in the thickest part of the roast.
Is it better to sear prime rib first or last? ›
Searing is an important part of roasting a prime rib. Searing the roast first will kill the surface bacteria, which is a nice touch, especially when you are roasting at lower temperatures.
How long should prime rib sit out before roasting? ›Pull the rib roast out of the fridge and let temper on the counter for three hours. USDA guidelines requires food not be held above 33°F (1°C) for more than 4 hours. A three-hour rest on the counter is well within time constraints.
Should you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan when cooking prime rib? ›Placing the oven rack too high up will cause your roast to brown too quickly and burn! After 30 minutes in the oven, add a ½ cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. The key is to allow the onions to brown and caramelize while roasting, but not to burn and smoke in the fat.
Do you cook prime rib covered or uncovered? ›Do you cover prime rib roast when cooking? You can cover rib roast when cooking after searing it to help it retain some of its moisture, but it's not necessary. For the best results, leave the roast uncovered until you remove it from the oven or grill and place it at room temperature for resting.
How long to cook 6 lb prime rib at 350 degrees? ›- Medium-rare: 15 to 20 minutes per pound.
- Medium: 20 to 25 minutes per pound.
- Medium-well: 25 to 30 minutes per pound.
Prime rib has a large “eye” of meat in the center, which is juicy, tender, and marbled with fat. This eye has a fat-marbled muscle around it, and the whole thing is surrounded by a thick cap of fat. This means that prime rib is tender, juicy, and extremely flavorful because the muscles aren't heavily used.
What is the best way to get prime rib cooked? ›Oven-searing is by far the easiest method for cooking rib roast, and it reduces the risk of overcooking. Oven-searing means to start cooking the roast in a very hot oven, then reduce the temperature for the duration of the roasting process.
Why is my prime rib always tough? ›Overcooking the Prime Rib
That's why prime rib is so expensive: it's a huge piece of extremely good beef. Therefore, it's important not to cook it beyond medium-rare. Going past that temperature means the roast will no longer be tender.
The Benefits of Slow Roasting
First, slow roasting produces a Prime Rib that is tender, juicy, and has evenly cooked meat.