Prime Rib Roast

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Gather the ingredients.

2. Step 2

   The night before you are going to cook the prime rib, unwrap the roast and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator. This will dry out the surface, which makes it easier to get a nice brown color on the roast.

3. Step 3

   Three hours before you want to begin cooking, take the roast out of the fridge and place it on a cutting board at room temperature.

4. Step 4

   Half an hour before you start roasting, preheat your oven to 450 F and season the roast generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Step 5

   When you're ready to cook, set the roast in a roasting pan with a rack , fat-side up for a boneless prime rib. Or for a bone-in prime rib, skip the roasting rack and just set the roast bone-side down in the roasting pan.

6. Step 6

   Insert a meat thermometer or a digital probe thermometer into the deepest part of the meat, being careful not to hit bone. If you're using a digital probe thermometer, set it to alert you when the meat hits 120 F.

7. Step 7

   Roast for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 F and roast until the meat's internal temperature reaches 120 F, which will be another 1 to 3 1/2 hours, depending on the size of your roast.

8. Step 8

   When the prime rib hits 120 F, take it out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board and cover it with foil. Leave the thermometer in. You're going to want to rest the meat for 30 to 45 minutes, during which time the temperature will continue rising to around 130 F, which is perfect medium-rare and then drop back down to 120 F.

9. Step 9

   When it hits 120 F, it's fully rested and ready to slice and serve.

10. Step 10

    Try pairing it with a simple au jus recipe you can make while the meat is resting, or a creamy horseradish sauce. Also, feel free to serve it with a variety of delicious sides .