Prime Rib Rub - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What's a good rub for a 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.

Step 1: Season Overnight

This is a hefty cut of meat. Because of its density, it requires extra time for the salt in your seasoning to penetrate deep into the roast. The day before you plan to cook, you should generously season it with salt and pepper (and we mean generously).

Let it REST, As with most meat, you want to let it rest after cooking to allow the juices to settle in the meat, making it juicier and more tender. If you cut into your roast without letting it rest, the juices will rush out then the meat will be chewy. Cut meat across the grain.

2. Prepare the Rub. You can season the roast a day in advance, but no later than 2 hours before cooking time. The seasoning needs time to flavor the meat while it's raw.

Use Olive Oil Instead

If you are searing a roast with butter before or after cooking it, it is more likely to burn due to its low smoke point. Instead, David Rose recommends home cooks use olive oil or grapeseed oil to lessen any chance of the roast charring.

You'll cook the prime rib low and slow in the oven, then crank up the heat at the end to achieve a crisp outside. This method has several advantages: the prime rib loses less juice to the bottom of the roasting pan and it cooks evenly all the way through.

Prime rib is at its best cooked rare or medium rare — it should not be cooked past medium (140°F) or all the fat will melt out of the meat, leaving it tough, dry, and chewy. After the prime rib is cooked, make sure to let it rest for 30 minutes for the meat to reabsorb all the delicious juices before carving.

Prime rib should be roasted bone down, so that the layer of fat goes on top to slowly baste the meat as it roasts. The bones also form a natural roasting rack!

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.

Is it better to cook prime rib at 325 or 350? ›

Cooking prime rib per pound can vary based on different factors such as desired doneness, oven temperature, and the specific cut of meat. As a general guideline: - For rare: Cook at 325°F (163°C) for about 15-20 minutes per pound.

Dry Brine for Prime Rib

If you choose to do a dry brine, salt the meat at least 48 hours before you plan to cook, and leave it in your refrigerator until an hour before cooking.

What's the Best Cut of Prime Rib? The first cut (sometimes labeled the small end or the loin end) comes from the hind of the standing rib roast near the loin. It's more expensive and generally regarded as the best cut because it has less connective tissue than the second cut and therefore is more tender.

Heat the oven to 250°F with the rack in the lower middle position. Cook for 4 to 5 hours or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the roast is 125-130°F for medium-rare prime rib, or 135-140°F for medium. Take out the roast and tent it with foil.

It's milk. Here's why:

But the acid in milk is so mild that you can soak beef in it long enough to tenderize it effectively, without damaging the proteins on the surface. The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins.

Look for marbling in the meat, which is the white flecks of fat running through it. This will ensure that your steak is juicy and flavorful. Next, use a lot of kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme to season your steak. What should I look for when buying a prime rib roast?

Rub the Prime Rib with Oil and Garlic: Given the fattiness of this cut of meat, you can actually skip using the olive oil, but then you should also skip the fresh garlic. Make the Prime Rib Rub: In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning and rub it into the roast.

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.