Prime Rib Oven Roast Beef

Photograph of prepared roast, ready for the oven.

The long dry brining allows the flavour to penetrate the meat and produces a crispier crust.

Photograph of cooked roast, ready for eating.

The high temperature searing at the end provides a nice crust without overcooking the meat inside.

The low temperature roasting ensures uniform cooking of the meat throughout the roast. It also means that most of the juices remain inside the roast, not in the drip tray. An added bonus is that oven gloves aren't required except for the browning step.

Do not rely on time. Testing the internal temperature is essential for determining when to remove it from the oven.

Notes:

Actual temperature varies between ovens. I set mine to 165°F, but yours might work better at a different setting. Too low means it will take longer to cook all the way through. That won't affect the quality of the meat; it's only a problem if it delays dinner. Too high means it will finish sooner, but the outer layers might be overcooked.

Optionally, the rib section can be removed before dry brining, cutting close to the bones. The roast can then be cooked, fat side up, sitting on top of the rib section. This ensures more even cooking of the meat next to the bone, and makes carving much easier.

Preparation

On the morning of the day before cooking (or earlier):

  1. Thoroughly dry the surface of the Prime Rib Roast with paper towels.
  2. Rub the entire surface with Koshering Salt.
  3. Place the roast on a rack on a foil-lined baking sheet.
  4. Place it in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 24 hours (or several days).

Cooking day morning:

  1. Rub the meat with Olive Oil, Black Pepper, and Koshering Salt.
  2. Return roast to rack on tray, with bone-side down.

Cooking

  1. Set oven to 150–175°F.
  2. Insert remote thermometer probe into roast.
  3. Place roast on middle rack of oven.
  4. Cook until internal temperature reaches 125°F, approximately 6 hours, but it could be a little less or a lot more.

Finishing

  1. Remove roast from oven, and probe from roast.
  2. Loosely tent roast with foil, and let rest in a warm place for 30–90 minutes.
  3. Pre-heat oven to 500–550°F.
  4. Remove foil tent, and place roast into oven until browned (5–10 minutes).

Serve

Remove from rack and tray, then carve and serve immediately, with: