PRIME RIB ROAST

Turkey sales began this week, marking the official start of the holiday season. While this holiday season may not look like that of years past, we do hope that your homes will still be filled with laughter, love, and plenty of delicious, home cooked meals.

To help, we’ll be putting together a short primer (pun intended), on some of our favorite holiday meals and suggested cooking techniques. There are many ways to prepare and cook a prime rib roast. Below is what we think to be the easiest and best route, but we encourage you to season and adjust this recipe as you desire to make it yours.

A couple notes:

  • All whole rib loins have 7 ribs. Each rib contains enough meat for 2 - 2.5 people, making a whole loin suitable for 14 - 17 people. The smaller the rib roast, the less cooking time required, but generally speaking, they will take between 1.5 and 3.5 hours.

  • Please remember that no two ovens are the same! We encourage you to adjust the time and temperature as needed for your oven.

  • Using a meat thermometer is the only way to know when you meat is cooked properly and to your liking.  Rain Shadow recipes will never include a ‘time per pound’ chart, as they tend to be inaccurate and misleading. Use your eyes, nose, and thermometer as guides.

  • Roasts continue to cook after they are removed from the oven, so please don’t wait until your meat is overcooked to remove it from the oven.

  • Terminology: A classic prime rib roast is one in which the rib meat is still attached to the rib bones. A golden lion rib roast is one where the meat has been removed from the bones and then tied back together with butchers twine.

You will need:

Prime Rib Roast (1 rib per 2 - 2.5 people), ask your butcher how many ribs they suggest for your party size

Salt, Pepper, Olive oil

Optional: Herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory), Garlic, Horseradish*

*we love a thick coating of horseradish and black pepper

Equipment: Roasting pan and rack, oven, meat thermometer, cutting board, knife for carving.


Remove the roast from the refrigerator at least two hours before you plan to cook it so it can come to room temperature. This allows the meat to cook evenly. While out of the fridge, liberally season the roast with salt, pepper, olive oil and any other seasonings you’re using. Remember that this is a large piece of meat, so be generous with the salt.

Preheat an oven to 450°F.  Place the seasoned roast on roasting pan, using a rack if possible.  Place the roast in the oven until it starts to brown on the surface.  At this point turn the oven down to 350°F, or even lower to 300°F if you have the time.  Rotate the roasting pan every 30 minutes or so to achieve even browning and cooking.

The only way to truly know when any meat is done is by using a meat thermometer.  When testing, make sure you’re taking the temperature of the meat from the very center of the roast.

Rare rib roast: pull from the oven at 125°F.

Medium-rare to medium: Between 130°F to 140°F

Medium: Between 140°F - 145°F

Once you’ve removed the roast from the oven, let rest for at least 30 minutes covered loosely with foil. If you need to hold it for longer, move it to a warm area and place a kitchen towel over the foil.  A whole roast will stay warm for 2 hours this way. Trust us - the longer you let it rest the better. 

If the bones have not already been cut away, run your knife down the inside of the rib bones and cut all the way down until the bones are completely removed. Place the roast on a cutting board and slice to your liking. To separate the remaining rib bones, cut between the ribs. Be sure to give one to your favorite person at the table, and save one for yourself; how the remaining ribs are shared is up to you. 

Enjoy!