How to Cook Prime Rib

Cooking prime rib, or standing rib roast, might seem complicated, but it's actually super easy. DebbiSmirnoff/Getty Images

Prime rib is perhaps the best cut of beef; it's marbled with fat so it's juicy and tender with incredibly rich flavor. It's traditionally served during the holidays or for special occasions and is often referred to as the "king" of beef cuts [source: Simply Recipes].

It's also one of the most expensive, and averages more than $10 a pound (a full rack includes seven ribs and can easily serve 14 to 16 people). But it's also very easy to cook, so it's worth the money. It's known as a standing rib roast because all you really have to do is stand the roast on the bones in a roasting pan and cook it.

The best way to cook a prime rib is to start with your oven on a high temperature so the outside of the roast browns quickly. Then you can reduce the temperature so the roast cooks low and slow and reaches the desired internal temperature (see sidebar). The only tool you will really need is a meat thermometer.

Salting and seasoning the prime rib before it goes into the oven is really all you have to do, other than check its internal temperature during the cooking process.

Jeff R Clow/Getty Images

Here's how to cook your roast:

You can also cook your roast in a convection oven. It will help the roast cook faster, but the convection fan will also make it much easier for the roast to dry out and overcook. So, if you simply must use a convection oven to cook your roast, use caution and watch the meat carefully. Use your meat thermometer to continuously monitor its internal temperature so you don't overcook it.

Originally Published: Jun 21, 2011