Reverse Sear Prime Rib Recipe
Learn how to Reverse Sear Prime Rib to get an evenly cooked interior and a perfectly browned crust. Slow-roasting standing rib roast using this low and slow cooking method produces better control over doneness, resulting in a perfectly cooked prime rib at your preferred doneness level.
Servings: 8 people
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 pound bone-in prime rib silver skin and any excess fat removed, tied*
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt*
- 1 tablespoon black pepper coarsely ground
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- A day before you are planning to cook your prime rib, place a wire rack on a sheet pan. Place the meat on top and dry it on all sides using paper towels. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of kosher salt over the entire rib roast, firmly pressing to adhere.
- Place it in the fridge, uncovered, overnight, or for up to 48 hours.
- Two hours prior to roasting, remove your prime rib from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the prime rib seasoning by mixing together the black pepper, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Mix until fully combined.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (121°C)
- Dry the prime rib thoroughly with paper towels on all sides. Rub it with the prepared seasoning mixture on all sides, pressing down firmly to ensure that it adheres to the meat. Ensure that the meat is on the wire rack with the fat side (aka fat cap) up.
- Slow roast the beef in the oven for 3 to 3 ½ hours until it reaches your desired doneness. It is best to use a meat thermometer (*please read the note below for more information) for foolproof results. We recommend cooking it until it reaches 115 degrees F (46 °C) for medium rare. Keep in mind that it will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven with the help of carry-over cooking.
- Remove the standing rib roast from the oven, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes (and no more than 45 minutes) on the counter.
- While the meat is resting, turn the oven temperature up to 550 degrees F. (288 °C) If preferred, make prime rib au jus while the prime rib is resting.
- Transfer the meat to the now-preheated oven and let it roast for 5 minutes or until a nice crust is formed. We recommend keeping a close eye on it during this time to avoid burning the crust of the meat.
- Once the cooking time is completed, you can enjoy it right away. There is no need to let it rest. To carve, cut the meat off the bone using a serrated (or a very sharp) knife, following the curve of the rib and slicing against the grain to your desired thickness. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Yield & Serving Size: We found that a 7-pound (3175 g.)uncooked bone-in prime rib weighed about 4 1/2 pounds (2041 g.) after it was cooked (and the bone was removed). It gave us about eight 1/2-inch slices of prime rib per serving, with each slice weighing about ~ 9 ounces (227 g.)
- Tying: If the butcher does not already tie your meat, you can easily do it yourself. Simply line up your string at the center of your prime rib so that it lies between the innermost bones. Then, wrap the string around the body of your meat and double-knot it close to the flesh. From there, you can tie 2-4 more strings (depending on the size and weight of your ribeye roast), moving outward from the beef’s center until you secure the entire cut in a uniform shape.
- Salt: We used Diamond kosher salt in this recipe. If you are using Morton kosher salt, use half the amount.
- Herbs: You can also use dried herbs, but if you decide to do so, we recommend using 1 1/2 teaspoons of the dried version (of each herb.)
- Placement of the probe: If you are using a meat thermometer with a probe, insert it into the center of the roast (the thickest part of the meat) lengthwise, approaching from the side, ensuring that it doesn't hit any of the bones. Do not remove it until you are ready to carve the meat so that the juices will stay in the meat. If you do not own one, you can check the temperature using a meat thermometer periodically.
- A word on using butter/oil in this recipe: During our recipe testing, we tried a few versions of this recipe that used melted butter as an extra basting layer on the prime rib. In all, we found that the recipe did not benefit from a coating of butter as it already had a healthy amount of fat on it. Plus, during the high heat searing, the top crust that was coated with butter burned. Therefore, if you want to use oil, we recommend using a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as ghee (i.e., clarified butter), avocado oil, or canola oil. We recommend using 4-5 tablespoons of oil for 7 pounds of bone in prime rib.
- Store: Let the meat come down to room temperature. Once cooled, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Reheat: To reheat sliced prime rib, place it in a low-temperature oven (about 300 degrees F.) until warmed through. The heating process should take around 5-7 minutes, though the timing will vary depending on the thickness of your slices and how you like the doneness of your prime rib. No matter your personal preference, be sure to keep a close eye on your meat, as the heating process happens quickly.
- Freeze: We highly recommend freezing without slicing the beef to protect against freezer burn and retain as much juice as possible. To do so, bring your meat to room temperature and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap as further protection against freezer damage. You can then store your wrapped meat in the freezer for up to a month and thaw it in the fridge overnight when ready to eat.
Nutrition
Calories: 1189kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 106g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 46g | Cholesterol: 240mg | Sodium: 1922mg | Potassium: 903mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.02g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 6mg
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