The Best (Easiest) Prime Rib, Ever.

I’d like to start this (long overdue) blog post by reminding everyone that I used to hate beef. Just chicken and fish for this girl.

I don’t even–just, no.

Basically, I’ve come a loOoOong way in the past few years. And usually I’ll tell you there’s no good reason to alternate cases in words like we did in 2002, but THIS is a good reason.

Today, I’m proud to say I know my meats. And the king of all meats, prime rib, is obviously one of my favorites. Who’s with me?

I only started cooking my own prime rib in the past year or so, when Connor and I had to spend all of the holidays alone. I’m a firm believer that every holiday (except Thanksgiving, but I have a very strict menu for that day too) should involve a rare prime rib roast: Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, Easter (Ham? Ya, right.) and any special occasion in-between where I can scrounge up the cash to splurge at the meat market.

Cooking prime rib for the first time is pretty intimidating–I mean, it costs an arm and a leg so you can’t really afford to screw it up. But I promise you it’s so easy…there are just a few things you should know before you start.

1. You’ll get a million questions, probably. I haven’t purchased prime rib at the butcher without having to answer every question in the book. It’s only until they feel confident enough that I can cook it myself that they finally offer to sell it to me. Yes, I’m sure I want boneless. Yep, two pounds. No, don’t cut it in half, I’ll cook it whole. Yes sir, just one sibling. My mother’s maiden name? Lee. Ya happy?

2. The cooking method goes against every food safety process you’ve ever learned. I worked in a restaurant. I know what the “danger zone” is and unless you want E. coli, you should avoid it at all costs. Did I also mention I like my beef super rare? And watching me consume it is comparable to Shenzi on the Lion King.

3. Do not ruin this meal with unworthy wine, condiments or by over-seasoning. You just bought $40+ of meat. You can splurge a little on something better than Yellowtail. And invest in real horseradish. If the container says Heinz, Kraft or contains more ingredients than horseradish, vinegar and salt, PUT IT BACK. Also, if you put ketchup on this you’re dead to me.

I repeat, dead.

MAKES: 2 SERVINGS
PREP: 15 MINUTES
TOTAL: 2 1/2 HOURS

YOU’LL NEED:

• 2 lb boneless prime rib—get 1 lb per person if you want leftovers.
• Spices of your choice
• Au jus, horseradish, etc. for serving
• Roasting pan with rack

HERE’S HOW

1. The night before, unwrap the prime rib and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator. This will dry out the surface and help it brown while cooking.
2. About 3-4 hours prior to cooking, take the prime rib out of the refrigerator and let it sit until it reaches room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 500°. Season the prime rib (I use salt, pepper and garlic).
4. Multiply the weight of your prime rib by 5 to get the cooking time. If you are making a 2 lb roast, you’ll cook for 10-12 minutes, depending how rare you like your roast. I like mine bloody, but it’s your world I guess.
5. Set the prime rib on a roasting pan with a rack, fat-side up. Cook using the cooking time calculated above.
6. After the cooking time is up, turn the oven off and walk away. Do not open the oven door for any reason. Let the roast cook for an additional 2 hours.
7. When there’s about 30 minutes left, start making the au jus. Serve.

I think my husband looks forward to this meal, but I get excited enough for the both of us. It’s really that good. The outside is crispy, the inside is pink just how I like it…and there’s leftovers in the fridge for some steak sandwiches tomorrow. Let’s face it, knowing what’s for dinner gets me through the day. And that’s totally fine with me.