Restaurant style prime rib recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? ›

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? The secret to restaurant-style prime rib is cooking the meat super slow at low temperatures. I recommend cooking prime rib at no higher than 200 degrees F. This cooks the meat very slowly, turning the fat into butter and rendering the proteins juicy and soft.

When you're shopping for prime rib, ask for a standing rib roast. That's the name you'll see at the butcher counter. The standing rib roast unsurprisingly comes from the rib section of the cow.

If you are looking for a prime rib roast that is easiest for carving, ask your butcher for a “chef style” prime rib roast. The ribs have been carved away from the roast and then tied back on with butcher twine. Now when you go to serve your roast, simply remove the butcher twine and the ribs fall away from the roast.

This is one of the most expensive cuts of beef, especially if you seek out a higher USDA grade cut of meat. Make sure you're getting the tender and evenly cooked results you want by using a slow and low roasting method that requires only your home oven and a few pieces of kitchen equipment.

The salt helps trap the heat to better cook the prime rib. “It conducts the heat and seals it,” says Betz.

Overcooking the Prime Rib

That's why prime rib is so expensive: it's a huge piece of extremely good beef. Therefore, it's important not to cook it beyond medium-rare. Going past that temperature means the roast will no longer be tender.

However, the prime rib typically contains more bone and fat, which might give it a slight edge over the eye in terms of flavor. Bone-in ribeye, though, also benefits from the natural flavoring that comes from being cooked with the bone, so its flavor doesn't stray far from the prime rib.

While there are no standardized names for the various portion sizes of prime rib, a bone-in chop is often referred to as the King cut, while a boneless version is called the Queen cut, and thin slices are known as English cut (as mentioned above).

In the end, the thicker crust that we got from the final sear was not worth the vast swaths of rosy pink meat that were lost. We recommend a low, slow cook preceded by a good sear. Whatever crust you may get from the final sear is just not worth the risk to the rest of this exquisite cut of meat.

Dry-brining the prime rib the day before roasting means every bite is flavorful, and slow-roasting at a low temperature followed by a high-heat sear ensures a delicious medium-rare doneness throughout with a savory herb crust.

What is the most important thing to do before roasting a prime rib roast? ›

Remove the beef roast from the refrigerator 3 hours before you start to cook it. Sprinkle it with salt all over and let it sit, loosely wrapped in butcher paper. Roasts should be brought close to room temperature before they go into the oven to ensure more even cooking.

“USDA Prime” – top 8% of all US beef (a bit harder to find), heavy marbling that is evenly distributed. “USDA Choice” – moderate marbling and is a high-quality option that is available in most supermarkets. “Select” – value-priced, less marbling, potentially less tender and juicy.

Heat the oven to 250°F with the rack in the lower middle position. Cook for 4 to 5 hours or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the roast is 125-130°F for medium-rare prime rib, or 135-140°F for medium. Take out the roast and tent it with foil.

Start by cooking your prime rib at 500°F for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 325° F and cook for 10-12 min per pound for rare, or 13-14 min per pound for medium rare, or 14-15 min per pound for medium well.

There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts. “People go for either egg white or baking soda as they are both alkaline ingredients.

Aim for 115 to 120°F for medium rare (125 to 130°F after resting), or 125 to 130°F for medium (135 to 140°F after resting).

Sous Vide Cooking: Restaurants often use the sous vide cooking method to prepare prime ribs. Sous vide involves vacuum-sealing the meat and cooking it in a water bath at a precise temperature for an extended period.