This holiday prime rib roast recipe really takes me back! On the most special occasions, my mom and dad would make reservations for us at Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills, California. I have only been a few times, but it is quite the experience! You feel like royalty when the valet parks your car. They check your coat at the front, and you sip sparkly champagne while you wait for your table.
Once at your table, they serve you the most exquisite meal! The chef cuts the prime rib right in front of you, and they serve you all the Yorkshire pudding you can eat! But my favorite part is when the quartet of Christmas carolers come to your table and sing your favorite song. I can almost hear their voices now!
Unfortunately, Knoxville is a long way from Beverly Hills. But holidays still call for a special meal! So, I tried to recreate this holiday prime rib roast in my own kitchen. Surprisingly, this is a really easy piece of meat to cook!
How to Season a Holiday Prime Rib Roast
When it comes to seasoning a holiday prime rib roast (or any large piece of meat, for that matter), I try to keep it simple. Kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil will be your best friends!
For this 7-pound roast, I used about 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and rubbed all the sides with my fingers. Then, I pressed in enough Kosher salt and black pepper until I felt the meat was evenly coated.
Rosemary, thyme, and oregano are also herbs you may want to consider when seasoning your prime rib.
For this holiday prime rib roast recipe, you will need a roasting pan that keeps the meat raised off the bottom. You’ll want to catch all those beautiful juices, but you need air to circulate around it so that all the sides cook evenly.
If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can use a large disposable foil tin and prop the roast on top of four rolled up foil balls.
Make sure you place the holiday prime rib roast in the pan with the fat side on top.
This is really important because all those glorious juices and flavors will drip down into the meat while it is cooking.
You definitely don’t want to spend a lot of money on a pretty prime rib only for it to be dry and tasteless!
Cooking Your Holiday Prime Rib Roast
Preparing a holiday prime rib roast is simpler than you might think as long as you follow a few key steps. Let’s start with getting the oven ready for this mouthwatering centerpiece.
Step 1: Preparing the Oven
Generally speaking, prime ribs need to cook for 13-14 minutes per pound. I had a 7-pound prime rib, so if you do the math, that is between 91-98 minutes (roughly an hour and a half).
First, heat the oven to 500 degrees. Cook the prime rib for 15 minutes at this temperature and then turn it down to 325 degrees for the remainder of the time your prime rib needs to roast.
While the meat is cooking, I like to get the platter ready. I keep my decorations simple and usually just pick parsley I have growing in the garden.
Step 2: Checking Doneness with a Meat Thermometer
You will definitely want to have a meat thermometer handy for checking the prime rib.
I highly recommend getting a digital meat thermometer since the readouts on manual thermometers are often hard to see and need calibration.
When you think your holiday prime rib roast is about 15 minutes from being done, take it out and insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Push it all the way to the center.
- Rare (mostly pink inside) prime rib: 120-125 degrees.
- Medium (some pink in the center) rare: 130-135 degrees.
- Well done (no pink): 140-145 degrees.
Keep in mind that the internal temperature of the prime rib will continue to rise another 10 degrees as it rests out of the oven. If you want a medium rare prime rib like me, take the roast out when it is about 120 degrees.
Step 3: Resting Your Prime Rib
It is super important that you let holiday prime rib roast rest once you pull it out of the oven. All you have to do is tent the roasting pan with foil and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Letting the prime rib rest allows all the juices to settle inside the meat rather than running all over a plate.
This usually is the perfect time to finish my creamy Yukon Gold mashed potatoes or turn up the oven temperature and pop in some fluffy yeast rolls.
Step 4: Cutting and Serving
Once your holiday prime rib roast has rested and it’s sitting on its pretty platter, it’s time to cut and serve! This is always when my husband happens to show up in the kitchen. How does he know?!?!
Since Dan was in there, I put him to work by sharpening my carving knife!
Make sure your knife is longer than the roast and is nice and sharp. I use my Global Santoku Knife on occasions such as these.
Simply decide how thick you want a slice, then pull the knife toward you, only cutting about an inch deep. Then go back to where you started, cut another inch or two deep, and pull the knife toward you again. Continue this process until the slice is nearly removed.
Not everyone is a fan of beef, and that’s okay! If you’re hosting Christmas or planning a special dinner, you might enjoy trying my Tuscan-style roasted turkey, which is always a crowd-pleaser. Another delicious option is my Coca-Cola-glazed holiday ham, or you can keep it lighter with oven-baked salmon with tartar sauce.
For versatile and easy side dishes, consider my 10-minute roasted asparagus, something fresh and simple to complement the main course. My roasted red potatoes or vegetable medley is perfect if you’re looking for robust flavors, and the Crockpot cherry and chickpea salad adds a sweet and tangy twist to your spread.
If this recipe caught your eye, don’t forget to pin it for later or share it with your friends on Facebook. Happy cooking, y’all!
