The Perfect Prime Rib & Baked Potatoes

Being a pleasant success with my family on Valentine’s Day this past week, I decided I’d share this recipe with you all to enjoy at home. Cooking a perfect Prime Rib is not very hard, but does require a bit of math, and of course – patience. Here is my recipe for Dry-Aged / Non-Aged Prime Rib, and the Perfect Baked Potato that is not only soft and creamy on the inside, but crispy and edible on the outside.

( How to Choose The Perfect Cut )

Consider how many people you are cooking for, and remember that one rib should feed 2 people. (In my case, I was cooking for about 4 people, so I got a 2 rib roast)
Ask for the Bone-In cut, so that the bone will give the meat more flavor as it roasts. A Boneless cut is fine, but will most likely have a little less fat, and may not be as flavorful as the Bone-In portion. (In this recipe, I used a Bone-In rib roast)
Ask for the First Cut (or the ‘Loin End’), a smaller cut towards the back of the roast that will give you more meat for your dollar. (In this recipe, I used the First Cut)
And lastly – this step is optional – ask your butcher if he has any cuts that are Dry-Aged, as Dry-Aged meats will have a much softer, buttery texture to them after being cooked. This option can be quite expensive, and a little harder to come by – but will definitely be worth it in the end. If you’re willing to wait, however – you could also Dry Age a regular Rib Roast in your own home instead. (Here, I used a Dry-Aged Prime Rib, but no worries – recipe would still remain the same for non-aged meats as well.)

( How to Determine Cook Time in Phase 1 )

Take the total weight of your Prime Rib, and multiply it by 5.
This will be your Cook Time for Phase 1.
You will cook your meat at 450 degrees (F) for this amount of time. (Here, we multiplied our 3.03 lb rib by 5, and got a cook time of 15-16 minutes)

( How to Determine Cook Time in Phase 2 )

For 2 ribs (3-4 lbs) cook time is 60-90 minutes.
For 3 ribs (5-8 lbs) cook time will be 1hr 45min – 2hr
For 4 ribs (9-10.5 lbs) cook time will be 2hr 15min – 2hr 30min
For 5 ribs (11-13 lbs) cook time will be 2hr 45min – 3min
For 6 ribs (14-16 lbs) cook time will be 3hr – 3hr 15min
OR – for a perfect medium rare – shut off the oven, and don’t open it for 2 hours. Let it cook in the heat as it reduces.

( How to Determine Temperature in Phase 2 )

For Rare – set to 120 – 125 degrees (F) (Or just shut your oven off and don’t open it until Cook Time 2 is over, which is what we did)
For Medium Rare – set to 130 – 135 degrees (F)
For Medium – set to 140 – 145 degrees (F)
For Medium Well – set to 150 – 155 degrees (F)
For Well Done – set to 160 – 170 degrees (F)

( How to Choose The Perfect Cut

( How to Season your Prime Rib )

{ Dry Aged Prime Rib | On Rack | Seasoned | Buttered }

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees (F)
Let the meat sit and warm to room temperature for approximately 2 hours.
With string, tie the meat horizontally, rib by rib, parallel to the bone. This will keep its’ shape as it cooks, and when you’re ready to carve.
After setting your rib on top of a rack in a roasting pan – liberally season your meat with salt and pepper.
Cut a few slits along individual areas of the fat, and insert a clove of garlic in each slit.
In a bowl, mix 1 cup of butter, 2 tablespoons of chopped rosemary, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of Herbs de Provence, and mix together.
Slather the mixture all over each side of the meat.
Place a few sprigs of Thyme on top of the seasoned meat before placing it in the oven.

( Cooking Your Prime Rib! )

{ Prime Rib in the Oven | Seasoned Baking Botatoes }

Place your seasoned prime rib into the oven when it reaches 450 degrees (F). Set your timer to the amount of time that you calculated earlier for Phase 1. (Here, we cooked our 3.03 lb prime rib for 16 minutes for the first phase)
As soon as Phase 1 is over, immediately reduce the heat to the temperature you calculated earlier for Phase 2, and set the timer for Phase 2. (Here, we shut off the oven, put in our seasoned baked potatoes, and let it sit in the heat for 90 minutes.)

( Baked Potatoes )

This is by far my favorite way to make baked potatoes. It requires no poking, no nuking, no foil, and not only makes the inside soft and creamy – but the outside crispy, and edible as well. Trust me – this is the best way to make a perfect baked potato. It may take a bit longer, but it will come out wonderfully if you can wait.

Season your baked potatoes with olive oil and salt.
Place in a baking pan. (Yup, that’s it!).
Place the pan in the oven with your meat immediately after Phase 1 is over, and let it sit in the heat for 1hr 30 during Phase 2.

{ Straight Out of the Oven | First Carved Slice }

( Making the Sauces )

Au Jus Sauce

Take off the meat rack from the roasting pan, and drain excess oil. Keep the scrapings at the bottom.
Place the pan over medium heat.
Add 2 table spoons of Flour, and stir with the scrapings to create a Rue.
Add about 2 cups of Beef Broth, and bring to boil.
(Optional: add a few tablespoons of a dry red wine, or whatever you’re having with your meat.)
Reduce heat to simmer.

Horseradish Cream (Mix together the following ingredients)

8 oz. of Sour Cream
2 tablespoons of Horseradish
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon of Hot Sauce

{ Served on a Warm Plate | Au Jus & Horseradish Cream | Finished Product }

Another tip is to let the meat sit for at least 10 minutes before serving, otherwise all the juice will fall out!

And last but not least – don’t forget to serve that wonderful slice of meat on a warm platter! Microwave your dish before plating, pour a nice glass of red wine – and enjoy!

( Good Luck! )