How To Cook A Prime Rib For Christmas In 6 Easy Steps

It’s safe to say Christmas 2020 won’t be the holiday everyone imagined this year, meaning that the traditional mouth-watering dishes some are used to eating each year after the presents are unwrapped are going to have to be made solo for the first time.

For Christmas dinner, that means that those who want to have either a turkey, a ham or a prime rib roast will need to roll up their sleeves and get to work in the kitchen—maybe even for the first time. Luckily, like cocktails, eggnog and cookies, there are certainly plenty of helpful recipes out there that will make it easier to enjoy your traditional holiday feast (and have some leftovers). Check out this easy recipe for Prime Rib (via Simply Recipes).

You will need the following items:

Ingredients:

• One standing rib roast, 3-7 ribs, with bones cut away from the roast and tied back with kitchen string
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment:

• Large roasting pan
• Digital thermometer

Roast Prep:

Before cooking, you need to properly prepare your roast to ensure it cooks properly. Start by removing the roast from the refrigerator three hours before starting to cook. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit, loosely wrapped in the butcher paper. It should get close to room temperature before cooking.

If the roast has not already been properly prepared by a butcher, cut the bones away from the meat and tie them back onto the roast with kitchen string, which allows for the roast to stand on the bones while cooking and also makes it easier to carve later on.

Step-by-Step Recipe:

1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with more salt and pepper. Place the roast fat side up and bones side down in a roasting pan, and insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part, making sure it doesn’t touch a bone.

2. Brown the roast at 500 degrees F in the oven for 15 minutes.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and continue cooking, allowing for 11-2 minutes per pound for rare doneness and 13-15 minutes per pound for medium-rare.

4. Roast in oven until thermometer registers 115 degrees F for rare or 120-130 degrees F for medium. Check the temp an hour before you expect the roast to be done, and if cooking too quickly, lower oven temperature to 200 degrees F.

5. Once the roast is at the proper temperature, remove it from the oven and place it on a carving board. Cover it with foil and let it rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.

6. When ready to serve, cut away the strings and remove the bones, then carve.

Oven Cook Times:

Cook time can vary on all kinds of meats depending on size, including rib roast, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service advises the following times for roasts.

• 4-6 lb. Bone-In roast: 23-25 minutes per pound
• 4-6 lb. Boneless roast: 28-33 minutes per pound