Standing Rib Roast is considered by many to be the best roast beef in the world. Also known as Prime Rib, it’s a beef cut that’s incredibly succulent with superior taste. This recipe uses a safe, simple but highly effective roasting method so the beef is blushing pink all the way through.
Top tip? Pull the beef out before the target internal temperature as the meat continues to cook as it rests, taking medium rare beef to medium. Otherwise, it overcooks while resting!
Standing Rib Roast – don’t make this mistake!
The biggest mistake people make with prime rib is not factoring in that beef continues to cook as it rests. So if you pull it out of the oven at 52°C / 125°F, the target temperature for medium rare, it will rise to 55°C / 130°F or more once rested which is medium. Ie not much blushing pink left!
So you must pull the beef out of the oven before your Target Temperature. Here is a table of the internal temperature of Prime Rib for varying levels of doneness.
Internal temperature of cooked prime rib
The internal temperature of prime rib will rise by around 4°C / 5 – 7°F while resting, so it needs to be pulled out of the oven before reaching the Target Internal Temperature for your desired level of doneness.
| Doneness | Pull temperature | Target Temp after rest |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 48°C/118°F | 51°C/124°F |
| Medium rare (recommended) | 50°C / 122°F | 54°C / 129°F |
| Medium | 53°C/127°F | 57°C / 135°F |
| Medium well done | 55°C/131°F | 59°C/138°F |
| Well done | Never! | n/a |
Target Temperature after resting – this is the internal temperature for each level of doneness, after resting.
Pull Temperature – this is the target internal temperature when you take it out of the oven, and it is lower than the Target Temperature to achieve the level of doneness you desire. The temperature rises when the beef is resting. If you take the beef out of the oven at the Target Temp, then by the time the beef has rested it will be beyond what you wanted.
Prime Rib – simply the best
There’s no question – the Standing Rib Roast is the creme de la creme of roasts. Also known as Prime Rib, this is THE roast beef with superior flavour, texture and juiciness above all other cuts of beef.
It’s certainly not an economical cut. It’s an investment worthy of special occasions when gathering with like minded people who will appreciate that moment when you slice through the deep golden, garlic studded crust, those people in your life who will clap their hands with glee at the sight of the rose pink flesh, knowing that it’s going to taste as incredibly juicy as it looks…..
Prepare yourself for the ultimate roast beef experience – complete with a gorgeous Red Wine Sauce, a side of Parish Mash and Garlic Sautéed Spinach!!
Safe, highly effective cooking method
A quick blast in a hot oven for 20 minutes, then 1.5 hours at a lower temperature. This yields a roast that’s evenly cooked all throughout to the doneness of your choice (medium rare for me!), with a deep golden crust.
This method is safe and highly effective, with the benefits of a long slow cook but far quicker to make.
Roasting at a lower temperature is better than a Hard & Fast quick roast because it cooks more evenly throughout (no overcooked outer ring!), there’s less risk of overcooking and the fat will melt to make the meat even juicier.
How to choose the best standing rib roast
I know I’m stating the obvious here, but the better the beef, the better the eating experience. 🙂
TIP: If your budget doesn’t stretch to Prime Rib, use my Roast Beef Marinade to make the most of economical roast beef cuts!
America – If you’re in the States, the USDA has made it easy for you by grading prime rib: Prime (the best), followed by Choice then Select. The grading is largely based on the fat marbling and taste.
Here in Australia, we don’t have a consistent grading system. But what I can say for sure is that if you want a good quality standing rib roast, skip the supermarket and head to your local butcher. Grass fed or grain fed comes down to personal choice.
Grain fed typically has better marbling and therefore a richer, fattier flavour. Grass fed is usually less fatty but people (me included!) believe the flavour of the beef to be richer, more full of flavour and the meat to be more tender.
If you want top shelf, opt for dry aged beef. You’ll pay serious dollars for it – but it’s worth it!
The standing rib roast pictured above and below and used in the recipe video has been prepared the standard way we do it here in Australia: the fat cap trimmed and the bones scraped clean for presentation.
The foil: Some butchers will sell the standing rib roast with foil wrapped around the bones. It’s to stop the bones from browning, for presentation purposes only. It looks striking to have a dark brown crust, the pink meat and a white bone. If the beef comes with it, I leave it on. But I don’t do it myself.
How the beef is cut – Bone in / off / tied back on
This recipe will work fine whether bone in or out, or tied back on. But I’m a firm believer that anything cooked with the bone is juicier, so the thought of roasting a prime rib without the bone never crossed my mind.
Plus – I just think it looks grand with the bone in! And isn’t chewing the meat off the bone the best bit?? 😉
In the States, you’ll find some butchers remove the bone then tie it back on. Here in Australia, you’d have to ask for a special order to have the bone cut out.
The meat itself is so incredibly juicy (with the added bonus of the garlic herb butter!), I really doubt you’d notice a difference. So use what you can get, or whatever your personal preference is!
Ingredients you need
When you invest in a good piece of beef, you don’t need to do much to it.
But then again, a good slathering of Herb and Garlic Butter certainly doesn’t do any harm! 😂
Using softened rather than melted butter works much better because the garlic and herb bits stick to the skin, creating a terrific golden herb and garlic crust!
Feel free to switch the herbs to what you have / prefer. Also, dried herbs work too!
How to make standing rib roast
After slathering the beef with butter, blast it for 20 minutes in a hot oven to get the crust going, then roast in a relatively low oven of 120°C/250°F for a further 1.5 hours before resting for 20 to 30 minutes.
With this method, the high temperature creates a crust quickly, sealing the juices in. Then we turn the temperature down to roast it slowly and evenly so it’s blushing pink all the way through, rather than ending up with a thick overcooked band around the outside of the beef.
Target an internal temperature of 51°C / 123.8°F when taking it out of the oven (medium rare, recommended) which will rise to 56-58°C / 133-136.4°F after resting for perfect medium rare. See chart below for other doneness.
There are recipes “out there” that opt to use an even lower temperature and roast for up to 10 hours. This method cooks the prime rib so slowly that it’s evenly pink from edge to edge, then seared at the end to form a thin dark crust.
We actually prefer to have the textural contrast of a thin layer of cooked beef on the outer edge of the beef. It’s still 90% pink and cooked to medium rare throughout!
Never skip the 20 minute rest, essential to let the meat juices redistribute. If you don’t rest, the meat juice will run everywhere when you slice it = not as juicy.
Target internal temperature
Remember, as I explained at the very top, pull the beef out of the oven before your final Target Temperature as the internal temperature will continue to rise at it rests for 20 minutes. If you pull the beef out of the oven when it is already medium rare (56°C / 133°F), it will be medium after it rests – barely any blushing pink left!
| Doneness | Pull Temp out of oven | Target Temp after rest |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 49°C/120.2°F | 53°C/127.4°F |
| Medium rare (recommended) | 51°C / 123.8°F | 56°C / 133°F |
| Medium | 55°C/131°F | 60°C / 140°F |
| Medium well done | 59°C / 138.2°F | 65°C / 149°F |
| Well done | Never! | n/a |
Why I roast on a bed of onion, garlic & herbs
I like to roast my standing rib on a bed of onion, garlic and herbs which serves three purposes:
Elevates the beef off the base to encourage more even cooking;
Stops the drippings from burning (smokes out oven + can’t make a sauce from drippings); and
Adds more flavour to the drippings that is then used to make a sauce for the prime rib.
Key tip: take out of fridge 2 hours prior
A standing rib roast is a formidable hunk of meat so to encourage even cooking, I like to take it out of the fridge 2 or even 3 hours prior to cooking.
By reducing the chill in the beef, this prevents the beef from cooking such that you end up with a very thick layer of overcooked beef on the outside and a small circle of pink perfect cooked beef in the middle.
Sauce for Prime Rib – Red Wine Sauce
The drippings from the beef left in the pan are loaded with flavour and begging to be used for a sauce!
Red wine and beef is a classic flavour combination so that’s what I’ve gone with here. Essentially, we’re making a red wine jus by rapidly simmering beef broth and red wine in the same skillet the beef was roasted in until it reduces down into an intense flavoured, highly savoury sauce.
I like my sauces to have a syrupy consistency so I add a bit of cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken it. But this is optional – most red wine jus are not thickened, they are quite runny sauces.
What to serve with Prime Rib
For a high-end restaurant experience, you can’t go past Paris Mash(pictured below) – ultra rich and creamy mashed potato! Potatoes au gratin is an elegant French potato side option that’s ideal for making ahead. Otherwise, rich and creamy Cauliflower Cheese is a British roast dinner classic! For greens, Garlic Sautéed Spinach pairs exceptionally well with Prime Rib and is a Classic Steakhouse side!
Here are a few more options:
Classic Side Dishes for Standing Rib Roast
Just imagine that moment, when you carve up thick slices of this Standing Rib Roast that’s almost impossibly juicy, blushing pink on the inside with that salty, buttery, herb and garlic crust….
It’s so unbelievably tender, and it’s so perfect you know you could eat the whole thing plain…. But THEN, you add a drizzle of that incredible Red Wine Sauce…..
There. Are. No. Words. It’s almost as perfect as a meal gets. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Beef Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib)
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg / 5 lb standing rib roast / prime rib , bone in (Note 1)
- 1 onion , unpeeled, quartered (brown, yellow, white)
- 1 head of garlic , unpeeled, halved horizontally
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 3 sprigs rosemary
Garlic Herb Butter:
- 150g/ 10 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 5 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Red Wine Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth/stock , low salt
- 2 1/2 cups dry red wine (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch (optional, Note 3)
Instructions
Prepare Beef
- Bring Beef to room temp: Take beef out of the fridge 2 – 3 hours before cooking to bring to room temp (key tip for even cooking). Pat dry with paper towel.
- Preheat oven to 240°C/460°F (220°C fan). Adjust shelf so beef will be sitting in the middle of the oven.
- Garlic Herb Butter: Mix together.
- Roasting bed: Place onion, garlic and herbs in a heavy based oven proof skillet (or use a roasting pan).
- Slather 1: Spread a thin layer of butter on the underside of the beef (ie the bone side). Place beef on onion etc, butter side down. Spread about 2/3 of the butter on the top and sides (reserve some for Slather 2).
- Hot oven: Roast 20 minutes.
- Slather 2: Remove, spread over remaining butter. Turn oven down to 120°C/250°F (100°C fan).
- Slow roast: Roast for a further 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the juices in the pan, until the internal temperature is 51°C / 123.8°F in the centre (for medium rare, Note 4). Start checking the internal temp early.
- Rest: Transfer beef to plate. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 20 – 30 minutes. Internal temperature will rise to 56-58°C / 133-136.4°F (which is medium rare).
- Slice beef and serve with Sauce! For a classic high-end Steakhouse experience, serve with Paris Mash and Garlic Sautéed Spinach.
Red Wine Sauce:
- Place skillet with onion and garlic left in it on the stove over high heat. Add wine and beef stock, rapidly simmer for 10 minutes until it reduces by 2/3 or so, down to 1 1/2 cups or liquid.
- Lower heat to medium. Mix cornflour with 2 tbsp water. Drizzle in half and stir. Sauce will thicken in 1 minute or so. Add more cornflour water mixture if you want it thicker.
- Strain into bowl, pour into sauce jug.
Recipe Notes:
| Doneness | Pull Temp out of oven |
Target Temp after rest |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 49°C/120.2°F | 53°C/127.4°F |
| Medium rare (recommended) | 51°C / 123.8°F | 56°C / 133°F |
| Medium | 55°C/131°F | 60°C / 140°F |
| Medium well done | 59°C / 138.2°F | 65°C / 149°F |
| Well done | Never! | n/a |
- Pull temp is the temperature at which it should be removed from the oven;
- Target temp is the final temperature of the beef for each level of doneness, to which the beef will rise after resting for 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 30 November 2018. Post reviewed regularly and updated if necessary. Last updated December 2021. No change to recipe – this is a master recipe loved by many so I wouldn’t dare!
Best of Sunday Supper Roasts
For fellow roast lovers….
Life of Dozer
Is it juicy Dozer??? Is it???
I made your standing Rib Roast(Prime Rib) and it was absolutely delicious and your instructions were so easy to follow, I am big fan. Merry Christmas and a happy New year to you and your family.
I’m so happy you loved it! Happy holidays Floyd!
I made it for Sunday dinner this past week. Your new website is a lot easier for my 75 year old eyes the receipes are a lot easier to see.
Thanks
Thanks so much Frank, I really appreciate the feedback!
Hey, hey, hey…love your new redesign of your new website…
almost as much as the great and easy-to-understand recipes you provide regularly!!!
So glad you love it Allan!
Can you use this recipe for a 5lb boneless rib eye roast? Adjustments? Thank you for the lovely recipe!
Hi Deborah, yes you could!
what I don’t understand is how you would make the sauce out of onion peels. It says to slice the whole onion peel and all but doesn’t mention straining the peels out
Hi Brenda! Just to come back on this – the other reason is that keeping the skin on holds the onion and garlic together better so the beef stays elevated off the base of the pan and encourages more even cooking. If it was unpeeled, they just collapse into mush so quickly! And yep, the sauce gets strained at the end! 🙂 N x
Hi Brenda – Step 3 advises to strain the sauce. Using the whole onion brings the most flavour (and lets be honest, no one likes peeling onions!)
Nagi, I am excited to try this roast for Christmas Dinner! Where can I find the recipe for Paris Mash and Garlic Spinach? I’m thinking they would be a great choice for side dishes. Thanks so much!
They’re coming today Melanie! I will link them to this recipe once I publish them 🙂 N x
Thank You
Also interested. Making this for christmas and definitely want the spinach and mash
Melanie / Janice and Brian – I finally published them!! So sorry for the delay, I got distracted with bugs with the new website launch. I have linked them in the recipe – and also here they are! They are perfect pairings with Prime Rib 🙂
https://promotown.info/paris-mash-creamy-mashed-potato/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/garlic-sauteed-spinach/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Wow – Thank you Nagi from Glasgow, Scotland. I have tried fast roasting and very low slow roasting, but this is the way forward for me. Just made this for dinner and it was wonderful. I was nervous, as always when trying a new method with such an expensive cut of meat, but I needn’t have worried. I used my meat thermometer and it was perfect. No big grey outer ring like when fast roasting or hanging around for 6 hours hours for low slow roasting. Thank-you so much
AWESOME!!! I’m so pleased to hear that Davina, thank you for sharing your feedback! I know what you mean about being nervous, I used to be so nervous too but now with experience, I know to trust my meat thermometer 🙂 So glad you loved it! N x
Hello Nagi, you say a hot oven, how hot is hot? I have a 10 lb Prime Rib ordered for Christmas and I am doing it on my Kamado grille to smoke it some. Any consideration is appreciated!
Sincerely, Bob from Rhode Island
I can’t stop staring at this. I keep trying to lick it off the screen, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Very frustrating. LOL. I absolutely LOVE a prime rib but haven’t tried cooking one myself yet. I love the garlic butter you slathered on. Looks just incredible!
We need smell-a-vision! Or… Taste-a-vision!
Hi Nagi,
I was wondering if you’ve considered making a post of your top cooking supplies (utensils, pots and pans etc) necessary for the home cook? The holidays are coming up and since I’ve been getting more into cooking, I want to add a few things I don’t have to my list!
Thanks!
Hi Meredith! I hadn’t, I thought that might bit a bit mundane for most people but given you’ve asked for it, I’ll do it soon! As quickly as possible so you can get in for the holiday sales! 🙂 N x
Thank you!!
Hi Nagi. I love the look of this standing rib roast, but haven’t yet tried it, although will certainly do so. Perhaps I am showing my ignorance, but what is the best way to divide it into portions per serve when entertaining? Given it serves say 6-8 people, but the roast has 4 portions (bones) would you carve each portion between the bones and then divide again? Will people fight over the bone portion, or do you do this prior to serving so no issues 🙂
We make everyone draw straws. *She deadpans – and fails* 😂 What I tend to do is to cut a boneless slice in between each bone-in slice. I curve in slightly for the bone-in slices because if you cut directly down then the bone in slice can sometimes be much thicker than the boneless slice – just depends on the spacing between each bone. But yes, people over here fight over bone….. we all want to chew on the bone!!! N x
Omg N! What is this tease day! 😂
I haven’t eaten prime rib in so long! I have never made it cuz it’s so expensive and I was afraid to mess it up…but it’s. so. darn. good! The video made my mouth water now! 😋
I think chocolate decadence would be the perfect dessert after this delicious melt in your mouth prime rib!
Dozer is one lucky dog!
Have a great weekend resting up N! J x
All you need is a thermometer…. if you have that, you can’t fail! N x
I just licked my screen.
Seriously.
I wished I lived in Australia so I could stand outside your house and take in the amazing smells that must emanate from inside!
I’ve long followed this same method for roasting a rib roast which I read about in Bruce Aidells Complete Meat Book. I prefer it to the low and slow method because of the charred crust it produces.
Thank you so much for the delicious pictures! And thank you so so much for the pictures of Dozer! They always bring a smile to my face!
You’re so welcome Rose! I love that you enjoy seeing Dozer – shamelessly sharing cute pics of him is one of the reasons I enjoy what I do so much! 😂
Hi Nagi,
In one of your recipes a long time ago you mentioned what type of hot pot prefer using.. Would you mind letting us know again?
Thanks!
Hi Kathleen! Hot pot??? Do you mean the skillet I am using in this, or a pot for a different recipe?? 🙂 N x PS If it’s the skillet used in this recipe, it’s a Lodge Cast Iron skillet which I love, it’s a bargain to buy, and it retains heat so well and it’s virtually non stick 🙂 N x
That looks amazing, my all time favourite meal….a must have though is sky high beautiful Yorkshire Pudding and I am in heaven.
My all time best roast beef dinner memory is at the Browns Hotel in London. It was a special treat that my boss took me out for with some colleagues. I will NEVER forget how amazing it was! N x
Sue…. I was sooo tempted to include that in this post!!! I LOVE YORKSHIRE PUDS!!!!
I wish you would post a Yorkshire pudding recipe to go with this. We make ours as one pudding rather than the individual ones.
I was going to! I just ran out of time because I ended up making this so many times 🙂 I love Yorkshire pudding, my brother has a ripper recipe!!! But we do individual ones. I will try his recipe making one big one! Why do you prefer one big one?? N x
we prefer the big one because that is the way our mother always did it. Tradition!! Go ahead and post the “ripper recipe”!
Hi Dozer what self control over the meat!! it would be done and gone if I did that to luca😂😂
Great prime rib recipe. .there is a book called ROASTING BY BARBARA KAFKA. .has great roasting info..but I do prefer your recipe Nagi tks xo🍷👍
Ha! You reckon he would’ve lunged and tried to escape?? 😂
Hi Nagi, this looks wonderful. I love the butter you make, and the idea of the veggies under the roast. I will definitely incorporate those when I make my Christmas roast. I learned a different technique for roasting that is totally foolproof, as it’s based on the exact weight of the roast.
To calculate your cooking time, multiply the exact weight of the roast by 5. Round the resulting number to the nearest whole number. The rib is cooked at 500 degrees F for exactly that many minutes. For example, for a 6 pound roast: 6×5=30, so cooking time is 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and wait 2 hours before opening the oven door. Remove the prime rib and slice into the most perfectly medium-rare meat you’ve ever seen
Since roast has already been resting, no further resting is needed. I would then make the sauce, slice and serve. YUM 😋
Robert I’ve heard of thus technique and have a question. I have a nvection oven, so can tell me the difference in the temp? We also like our meat rare so whats the difference in time if any. Do you cover it in foil at all during the process? Just scared to mess up a $100 piece of meat.
Hi Robert! I’m so glad you raised that method. You’re right, it works so well it’s unbelievable. And I was tempted to share that method… but it’s actually kinda risky if people’s ovens aren’t accurate, if there’s heat leakage and because you can’t open the oven at all, the only way to know for sure the beef is cooked perfectly is to have a remote thermometer inside. I would only make beef this way using an oven I trust or I’ve used before using this method, and even then, the first time is scary! So I’ve had some epic success with this method, and a few fails. Need overcooked (thankfully) but too rare for my taste so I ended up searing some slices a touch. 🙂 I should pop a mention of this method in the post and link to a recipe that uses it. 🙂 N x
Yes, for my wife, any pink at all is too much. I put hers in the juices and in no time what so ever, perfect for her too.
I am assuming that you meant convection oven. Can you not turn off the convection, I can on mine. I have never tried it with the convection, and would not want to lead you astray. If you cannot turn off your convection, then I would suggest you stick with the original recipe, but reduce the temp by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the standard for regular to convection.
Your roast looks spectacular! Seriously! Prime Rib is my absolute favorite cut of cow. That said, as someone who did some time in the butcher shop i want to say that I think it’s a shame that the very best part of the roast was trimmed away prior to roasting. The tip of the cut is the most tender, succulent, fatted part of the roast and it’s gone! Breaks my heart. Its a shame to sacrifice the wonderful little part in order to have clean “frenched” bones. Next time, ask your butcher to leave the roast in tact and give the tip a try. It’s worth it IMO! You can always send that part of the roast my way 🙂
I agree Nan. I think sometimes Frenching bones is done at the cost of flavour. It’s common here in Australia – with all proteins. We can get them untrimmed but usually only the dry aged ones – which are about double the price and I couldn’t bring myself to pay that for posting purposes!! I save that for real life! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi! I make prime rib every Christmas and this one looks amazing! Bone-in is so much better and my method is the same as yours…blast it hot for a short while and then lower the temp. And for me it has to be rare. I usually make smashed potatoes, glazed carrots, creamed spinach and popovers. Gary must have horseradish on the side. I make sandwiches of thinly sliced leftover beeft and the popovers and dunk them in au jus. This year I’ll have to have Gary’s assistance in getting it into and out of the oven, but I will have it ! 🙂 Enjoy your day today and I hope it carries over the entire weekend!! PS That is a look of pure love on Dozer’s face!
Oh Dorothy! I saw your email – I haven’t had a chance to respond yet, I’ve been bed ridden since Sunday 🙁 Will write back shortly! N xx
OMG!! That’s looks so amazingly delicious. Will definitely make this prime rib soon.
You must you must! 😂