James Kenji Lopez-Alt
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Reverse-Sear Prime Rib
🕑 Added 2023-12-23 04:53:23 +0000 UTCCheck out my Definitive Guide to Prime Rib here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/food-lab-guide-to-prime-rib.html
Is there anything more truly beautiful than a perfect prime rib? A deep brown crust crackling with salt and fat, sliced open to reveal a juicy pink center that extends from edge to edge. When you see such a roast in front of you, everything else—the argument you had with your sister over mashed potatoes, the red wine stain on the carpet, the enticingly crisp bowl of roast potatoes, even the plaintive look of the dog staring up with a please sir, can I have a bone? face—disappears as you become lost in a mental vortex of juicy meat, crisp fat, and drippings. The reverse-sear is the best way to get there.
NOTES: This recipe works for prime rib roasts of any size from two ribs to six ribs. Plan on one pound of bone-in roast per guest. (Each rib adds one and a half to two pounds to the roast.) For best results, use a dry-aged prime-grade or grass-fed roast. To improve the crust, allow the roast to air-dry, uncovered, on a rack in the refrigerator overnight before roasting. Seasoning with salt up to a day in advance will help the seasoning penetrate the meat more deeply. If, after step 1, your timing is off, and your roast is ready long before your guests are, reheat the roast by placing it in a 200°F (93°C) oven for 45 minutes before you continue with step 2.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 standing rib roast (prime rib), 3 to 12 pounds (1.3 to 5.4kg; see note above)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Season roast generously with salt and pepper. Place roast, fat-cap-up, on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least overnight and up to 6 days.
2. About 6 hours before serving: Preheat oven to 225°F (55°C). Place the tray with the roast into the oven and cook until center of roast registers 110 to 115°F (43-46°C) on an instant-read thermometer for rare, or 120°F (46°C) for medium This will take around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Monitor the beef as it cooks and adjust the oven temperature accordingly.
2. Remove roast from oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Place in a warm spot in the kitchen and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat oven to highest possible temperature setting, 500 to 550°F (260 to 288°C). 3. Ten minutes before guests are ready to be served, remove foil, place roast back in hot oven, and cook until well browned and crisp on the exterior, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, carve, and serve immediately.
Comments
Evan Shuster
Does the Breville Joule Oven go up to 500? Online it says 480 (or does 480 plus the convection and size give it plenty of heat)
Padraic Renaghan
A 4lb 2-rib roast took 2½ hours to get to 115ºF. So as Kenji says, keep an eye on the temperature and adjust as needed. I think at that small size, and thus thin, the cooking from all angles overwhelmes the idea that cooking time does not vary with size 😉
Ricky
Kind of off topic but for holiday roast I was looking at beef Wellington recipes and was wondering if I could just through mushrooms in my dehydrator to make the duxelle vs pan frying. Or use dehydrated mushrooms that are slightly reconstituted.
James Kenji Lopez-Alt
Hey there - I apologize if I'm too late to answer, but generally they all take about the same time as they're roughly cylindrical in shape and only extend in length, not girth, so heat penetrates at roughly the same rate as long as the roast is cut thick enough so that heat penetration from the ends doesn't affect it unduly.
James Kenji Lopez-Alt
I prefer a reverse-sear to sous vide because you develop better roasty flavors and render exterior fat better. Sous vide is foolproof but the fat ends up a little mushier and less rendered.
Robert Downes
I was considering doing the ATK sous vide method. How d you think that compares to this method for both ease and quality?
CB
I know the thermometer will be the true guide for when to pull it, but for general timing purposes, do all roasts 2-6 ribs really fall in that 3.5-4.5 hr time range? Have a 5 rib (10#) roast and don’t want to end up pushing dinner back because my initial roast took longer than anticipated. Any broader guidelines by weight?
Jim Heckler
I just got an stf waygu tenderloin - was supposed to be 4.5 pounds it’s 7 (massive). Any tips how to handle one that big and a light sear. Other question is can you get rare and medium from same cut or should I cut a section off for the higher temp folks. Thanks and Merry Christmas. Btw been doing your spatchcock herb mayo birds last 2 years on 15-17 heritage birds and best turkeys ever
Zack A
They get pretty expensive if they're dry aged. I paid around $200 for a similar one a few years back that wasn't dry aged. A prime rib is definitely something to budget for.
Angel
Did that Prime Rib really cost $269? :)
Scott Brophy
Great video as always. Right after I watched it I binged a couple of old Good Eats episodes for whatever reason. In S5 E4 - Family Roast, Alton’s butcher says ‘prime rib must come from prime beef, otherwise it’s just a standing rib roast.’ I wonder if the definition changed in the last 20 years or if it’s just one of those things that people will never agree on. Either way, that’s a damn good looking piece of meat and I can’t wait to cook one myself!
Tim Chen
So the amount of salt you add per square inch is the same on the exterior of a prime rib as a ribeye? How come? Isn’t there much more meat to season and to brine on the prime rib?
