Preparing Prime Rib

First, you will need to know how many people you plan for your Prime Rib meal. A rule of thumb is one rib for every two people. I recently prepared one for six people, so I bought a roast with three large ribs, weighing just over 7 pounds. There was more than enough and in fact, there was enough left over for another two meals for my husband and me.

For a succulent, juicy prime rib, don't be afraid to handle it. It should be at room temperature - this can be achieved by taking the meat out of the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours prior to placing in the oven. I often prepare my roast ahead of time, place in the refrigerator, then all I have to do is take it out 2 to 3 hours before cooking and attend to other things while it sits on the kitchen counter and warms up to room temperature. You will need a rub of some kind to give your roast flavor. One of my favorites is a mixture of olive oil, crushed garlic, ground fresh rosemary, coarse sea salt and coarsely ground pepper. I make a paste of these ingredients and literally rub it over the entire piece of meat, the thicker, the better. For a three rib roast I used 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of crushed garlic, 4 sprigs of ground rosemary leaves (without the stems), 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. If fresh rosemary is not available, you can use dried rosemary, found in the herb and spice section of the grocery store.

Place the roast, ribs down, on an oven-safe pan (deep enough to catch the drippings) and place on a centered rack in the oven after preheating to 400 degrees. Time the roast for 25 minutes. At the end of 25 minutes, lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and time for 12-14 minutes per pound for rare, 15-17 for medium, or 18-22 minutes for well done.

When ready, remove the roast from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes before carving. While waiting for the roast to rest, place drippings in a bowl and remove as much of the fat as possible. Serve the remaining drippings with the prime rib. A horserdish sauce is especially good with the prime rib.