Prime rib is a wonderful meat that adds unmatched elegance to a meal. It is not hard to make with our prime rib recipe, even though it requires attention during cooking. The meat comes out tender, moist, and extremely flavorful. It is the perfect main dish for Christmas or New Year's dinners, or any meal that calls for an extra special entrée. The following prime rib cooking instructions are foolproof; print them out and enjoy a wonderful prime rib dinner!
1. Make sure you have a good meat thermometer, you'll need it to be sure your roast has reached the desired cooked temperature.
Prime rib is traditionally served as a juicy, rare piece of meat. Rare meats measure in at 120 degrees F to 125 degrees F with a bright red center that grows slightly pinkish towards the exterior.
2. The roast needs to be at room temperature to make sure it cooks evenly. Let it sit out for up to 2 hours right before you are ready to roast it.
3. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
4. Use paper towels to pat the roast dry.
5. Rub butter on the cut ends of the roast.
6. Rub the roast with kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, making sure to cover all the meat.
7. Make a series of ½ inch deep slits all over the top of the roast as well as the sides.
8. Place the roast in a heavy metal roasting pan, bone-side down.
9. Cook according to the chart below:
Cooking Time for Rare (120°) 3 Ribs, 7 to 8 lbs. 15 minutes at 450°, Then 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours at 325° |
10. Every half hour or so, baste the ends of the roast with the drippings. Use the meat thermometer about 30 minutes before the end of the roasting time. Make sure to insert it in the thickest part of the meat, not touching the fat or bone.
When the internal temperature reaches 120°, remove roast from the oven and cover with foil. If you remove a prime rib from the oven when the temperature is over 125°, it will be way too dry and overdone.
11. Let the roast sit for twenty to thirty minutes. It will continue to cook during this time, reaching a temperature of about 125° to 130°. This resting period allows the juices and flavors to permeate the roast.
12. Rare meats measure in at 120° to 125° with a bright red center that grows slightly pinkish towards the exterior. Use a long, sharp knife to carve the prime rib roast.
Can My Kids Help Me Make Prime Rib?
If you're making prime rib for the holidays, you may want your kids to give you a hand. Cooking with your kids for the holidays will make many special memories between all of you. If you're wondering if your kids can help you with this recipe, the answer is that it depends.
Very young children can't easily help with this recipe. They may be able to help you gather ingredients and rub butter on the cut ends of the prime rib, but beyond that there may not be much they can do. Young children shouldn't be around hot food or hot surfaces, as they are clumsy and may not know how to act around them. They also shouldn't handle raw meat, as they don't know not to touch their face or put their fingers in the mouth after doing so.
Older children can help you rub the prime rib down, cut slits in it, put it in the oven, and take it out. You should be the one to check the internal temperature, as you'll know how to do this. You can teach your children how to read a meat thermometer while preparing this recipe! Of course, make sure you supervise your children while they handle any hot food or surfaces, or while they use sharp utensils. If your kids are going to touch the rib, they should know to immediately wash their hands with warm water and soap for at least 30 seconds after handling raw meat. Teach them about cross-contamination, and why it's important to keep in mind.
If you keep all of this in mind, you can definitely have your kids help you out with this recipe. Making a holiday dinner together will give you all fond memories to look back on, and it will establish a new tradition that you can continue as your kids grow. Enjoy!