Prime Rib Recipe
I don’t know about you, but there are some years when I just feel like doing something other than turkey of ham for the holidays.
If you grew up like I did, you might be wondering what other choices are there? You see no way out of this holiday rut…
To be honest though, there are a lot of great go-tos for your holiday main course that don’t involve reinventing the whole meal. Wild game is always a good option. Or maybe a roast.
But I have to admit that one of my most favorite holiday turkey alternatives is prime rib.
It is the choicest of beef cuts. It is called prime, after all. Rich, tender, elegant– but still the utmost of traditional family dishes– it harkens back to the golden days of those large family Sunday dinners.
So come holiday time, prime rib might just be that perfect traditional, but unexpected, main dish you’ve been looking for to grace your family table.
Holiday Prime Rib (feeds 7-9)
This recipe hits all the right notes. It’s a traditional alternative to turkey and uses the flavors of the season.
A good prime rib has bright red meat, some nice marbling, and a layer of white fat- no more than one inch. The bones should be cut away and tied to the bottom of the roast with kitchen string. (The bones are important. They add flavor while cooking.) You may have to ask the butcher for this cut.
Ingredients
- 5lb. standing rib roast or rib-eye roast
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3-4 tsp salt
- 3-4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 C olive oil
- Beef stock, warmed
Procedure:
-Remove chilled roast from the refrigerator about 3 hours before you want to cook it. Prime rib should be at room temperature when cooked.
-Don’t trim the fat! That fat is what makes a prime rib juicy and tender. Keep it on for cooking.
-Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit when you are ready to begin.
-Finely chop the rosemary, thyme and garlic.
-Add the herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper to the olive oil. Mix together.
-Place the prime rib in a roasting pan bone side down and fat side up. Pour about ¼ inch of beef stock in the bottom of the pan. Besides the fat, this also keeps the prime rib from drying out while cooking.
-Rub the olive oil and herb mixture on the top and sides of the prime rib and put it in the oven.
-Cook at 500 degrees for 15 minutes to brown the outside.
-Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and cook 15 minutes for every pound. For 5lb, expect to cook 1 hour and 15 minutes for a medium rare prime rib. Prime rib is usually not cooked past medium.
-Use a meat thermometer to test the prime rib after 30-45 minutes of cook time. A medium prime rib should read 125-135 degrees on the thermometer. Baste with a little of the stock after you check the temp each time (every 20-30min).
-When it has reached the proper temperature, take the prime rib from the oven and place it on a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes.
-Cut away the strings holding the roast together and remove the ribs from the bottom. (The bones can be kept to make great stock. I feed mine to my dog. After all, he needs a holiday meal too.)
-Carve the prime rib in thin slices across the grain of the meat to serve. Your family will love this delicious classic with all of their favorite holiday side dishes!
Holiday Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 5 lb. standing rib roast or ribeye roast
- 4 sprigs Thyme finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs Rosemary finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3-4 tsp salt
- 3-4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 C olive oil
- beef stock warmed
Instructions
- Remove chilled roast from the refrigerator about 3 hours before cooking. Should be at room temperature when cooked.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper to the olive oil in a small bowl or measuring cup. Mix together.
- Place prime rib in a roasting pan bone side down and fat side up. Pour about ¼ inch of beef stock in the bottom of the pan.
- Rub the olive oil and herb mixture on the top and sides of the prime rib and put it in the oven.
- Cook at 500 degrees for 15 minutes to brown the outside.
- Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and cook 15 minutes for every pound. For 5lb, 1 hour and 15 minutes for a medium rare prime rib or until it reads 125-135 degrees on a meat thermometer.
- Use a meat thermometer to test the prime rib after 30-45 minutes of cook time. Baste with a little of the stock after you check the temp each time (every 20-30 min).
- When it has reached the proper temperature, take the prime rib from the oven and place it on a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut away the strings holding the roast together and remove the ribs from the bottom.
- Carve the prime rib in thin slices across the grain of the meat to serve.
***Pin this recipe here.***
Looking for other great holiday ideas? Check out these ASD favorites!
Bacon, Cranberries, Walnuts, and Collards Stuffed Tenderloin
Southern Cranberries & Cheddar Skillet Dip
The Mini Natchitoches Meat Pie
I adore this post! Happy Thanksgiving to the Pirtle family!!!
This looks like a fabulous recipe. We always do a traditional English Christmas Dinner with Prime Rib & Yorkshire Pudding. There’s a famous restaurant in Houston that is known for their prime rib and we have the rub recipe that we’ve used year after year. I think I might try to incorporate both this Christmas!
Thanks gals! Traditional English Christmas– that is a very cool tradition. I love it! Happy Thanksgiving to you both! <3
Hi Stacey, I don’t see an option to print this yummy Prime Rib recipe?
Hi, Linda!
We had a couple of snags when we did some techy stuff on the back end of our website. It looks like this recipe was a victim of one of those snags! I am so sorry! However, I went right in and fixed it as soon as I saw your message. There should be a printable recipe card in the post now. I hope you enjoy this Prime Rib recipe for Christmas! Let me know how you love it!