There are many different options on what temperature and how much time to use when cooking prime

rib roast. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you do not want to overcook it. No matter what cooking temperatures and times you use, it is most important that you watch for doneness by checking it with a thermometer to be sure it is not getting too done. The information below provides you with one good method of cooking a prime rib. Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the prime rib roast, prepared as shown above, on one of the lower racks of the preheated oven. Cook the roast for 15 minutes with the oven on 450F. This will sear the outer surface and provide for a crispy exterior. After cooking for 15 minutes at 450F, turn the oven down to 325F. Do not open the oven. Cook at 325F for approximately 11 to 13 minutes per pound. See the chart below for estimated cooking times. 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time remove the prime rib roast from the oven and check the internal temperature. For the roast to be rare the internal temperature should be 120F to 125F but remove from the oven when it is 115F to 120F and allow to stand for 20 minutes. During this time the temperature will rise about another 5 to 10 degrees. If you want the prime rib to be done medium-rare, return it to the oven and cook a little longer. Check temperature in 15 minutes. Remove when temperature reaches 125F. Do not overcook. Note: The doneness temperatures stated above and below are traditional temperatures used for cooking prime rib but are not recommended by the USDA. See Beef Doneness for more information on beef cooking temperatures. Remove from the oven and loosely tent aluminum foil over the prime rib and allow it to sit for at least 20 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute through the meat. After the prime rib has rested it will be ready to carve and serve. See Carving Prime Rib below.

Estimated Cooking Times Based on cooking for 15 minutes @ 450F and then turning down to 325F to finish cooking.

The cooking times below are approximate times only. Check doneness with a thermometer to be sure the prime rib is cooked properly. No. of Ribs / Approximate Weight Estimated Cooking Time/Temperature Rare Medium Rare 3 Ribs 6 to 8 lbs. 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hrs 120 - 125F 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hrs 130 - 135F 4 Ribs 8.5 to 10 lbs. 1 1/2 to 2 hrs 120 - 125F 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hrs 130 - 135F 5 Ribs 10.5 to 13 lbs. 2 to 2 1/2 hrs 120 - 125F 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hrs 130 - 135F 6 Ribs 14 to 16 lbs. 2 1/2 to 3 hrs 120 - 125F 3 to 3 1/2 hrs 130 - 135F 7 Ribs 16.5 to 18 lbs. 3 to 3 1/2 hrs 120 - 125F 3 1/2 to 4 hrs 130 - 135F Checking Doneness of the Prime Rib Watching for proper doneness is very important when cooking prime rib. The best manner in which to do this is to check the roast's temperature. A meat thermometer can be inserted in the prime rib before placing it in the oven but it may be hard to read the temperature closely at the end of cooking time. An instant thermometer works very well because you can insert the thermometer towards the end of the cooking time and get an accurate reading in about 15 seconds.

The temperature you cook the meat to will depend on how you want your prime rib done. Prime rib is generally cooked to rare or medium-rare. Cooking it more than

that will start to result in too much of the roast being overcooked. Keep in mind when cooking the prime rib until it is rare will result in the outer slices being done closer to medium-rare. Cooking the roast until it is medium-rare will result in the outer slices being done closer to medium. See the charts below for different levels of doneness temperatures and how they appear visually. Prime Rib Cooking Temperatures The chart below shows the temperatures of the different doneness levels of the prime rib and how it will look visually at those levels. Doneness / Temperature Visual Doneness Rare 120 - 125F The center is red with it turning pink towards the outer edge. Medium-Rare 130 - 135F The center is dark pink with the meat beginning to turn light brown towards the outer edge. Medium 140 - 145F The center is a light pink with more of the meat turning brown towards the outer edges. Medium-Well 150 - 155F The center is light brown with the meat darkening towards the outer edges. Well Done 160 & up All the meat is evenly brown. Carving Prime Rib If you had the chine bones and rib bones cut from the prime rib when you purchased it, carving is very simple. If you did not, the bones will need to be removed before carving. Remove the chine bones with one cut across the bottom of the roast. Then remove the rib bones by cutting parallel along the rib bones, cutting them away from the meat. Do not discard the bones. There is sure to be someone who will enjoy eating the delicious meat from these bones. The information below shows how easy it is to carve the prime rib if the bones were cut off by the butcher or meat department when it was purchased. Place the prime rib roast on a cutting board and cut the strings that are holding the bones to the meat.

Remove the string and separate the bones from the meat and set aside. Keep the bones for someone who will enjoy eating the meat from the bones. Lay the prime rib roast on the cutting board with the rib bone side down. Cut slices across the grain of the roast to desired thickness. Slices are generally cut 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Only cut the number of slices you will be serving from the roast. This will keep the leftover meat more moist for the next time it is served. Prime Rib Serving Suggestions Prime rib is good served with most any side dishes you desire. A traditional side that is served with prime rib is Yorkshire pudding. This dish is made with some of the drippings from the roast so is a great accompaniment to the prime rib. A horseradish cream sauce is a popular condiment served with prime rib and of course, the Au Jus juice is most often drizzled over the meat when served. The recipes and preparation of these serving suggestions are shown below. Au Jus Juice The Au Jus is prepared from the drippings produced while the prime rib is cooking. Pour off the fat from the drippings and discard or set aside to be used for the Yorkshire pudding. If there are a lot of juices along with the fat, using a gravy separator works well to separate the fat from the juices. If there are juices from the drippings, pour the juices only back into the roasting pan. Discard all but 1/2 cup of the fat if making Yorkshire pudding. Add 1/2 cup of beef broth to the roasting pan and cook over medium heat. Stir and deglaze sides and bottom of the roasting pan to get all the browned pieces to add flavor to the juice. Bring the juices to a boil and cook until it is slightly reduced to intensify the flavor. Cook for approximately 2 minutes. Season the juice with salt and pepper to desired taste. Pour Au Jus into a gravy bowl and drizzle over the prime rib when serving. Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients:

* 1 c. milk * 2 eggs * 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1 c. flour * 1/2 c. drippings from the prime rib roast (can use melted butter)

Prepare the pudding while the prime rib is set aside resting. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pan drippings from the roast. Beat these ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Preheat the oven to 450F. Pour the pan drippings in a 9 inch square baking pan. Place in the preheated oven to heat drippings for approximately 5 minutes. Drippings should be very hot. Remove the baking pan from the oven and pour in the pudding batter but do not stir. Place back in the oven and turn oven temperature down to 350F.

Bake the pudding for approximately 30 minutes until it has puffed and turned golden brown. Carve the prime rib while the Yorkshire pudding is baking. When the pudding is done, cut into squares and serve with the prime rib.