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Prime Rib or Standing Rib Roast

by Michael Chu
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Prime rib used to refer to a prime grade standing rib roast, but these days all rib roasts (and some rib steaks) are called prime rib regardless of the USDA grade it received. The rib roast cut is usually so good that it doesn't need much seasoning. The ingredients I use are simple: a standing rib roast, salt, and pepper.

Preparation is also quite simplistic for an entree with such a grand reputation. In fact, with a couple tools, this dish is easier to prepare than any other special event food (roast duck, turkey). The items you'll need are a roasting pan (usually comes with your oven or you can get a large baking pan and a wire rack to place in it), a probe thermometer (like the Polder model that I use), some kitchen twine, and a pair of tongs.

Hmmm, now you need a standing rib roast (also known as prime rib even if the beef isn't prime quality). The term "standing" means that because the bones are included in the roast, the roast can stand by itself. A rib roast with the bones removed is commonly referred to as a rolled rib roast. My preference is for the standing variety because the bones provide additional flavoring to the roast. A rib roast comprises of seven ribs starting from the shoulder (chuck) down the back to the loin. Each rib feeds about two people, so if you have a party of eight, buy and cook a four rib roast. The rib roast closest to the loin is more tender than the rib roast nearest the chuck. This end is referred to as the small end rib roast or loin rib roast or sirloin tip roast. The chuck end of the rib roast is bigger and tougher and is sometimes referred to as a half standing rib roast or large end rib roast.

Depending on preference, you can dry age the roast for a few days to bring out additional flavor and produce a more buttery texture in the muscle (aging allows the natural enzymes to break down some of protein in the meat). Age the beef up to a week in the refrigerator by leaving it uncovered on a wire rack over a large pan to catch any drippings for at least a day and no more than seven days. When you are ready to cook the beef, trim off any dried pieces after the aging. It is common for a roast to lose about 10% to 15% of its weight during a week of aging.

Take the rib roast out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for a couple hours to raise the roast temperature to near room temperature. To help cook the roast evenly, we'll need to tie the roast. Using kitchen twine, tie the roast parallel to the rib bones at least at each end. I usually tie between each pair of ribs. Heat the roasting pan or a separate pan on the stove until hot with a little oil. Place the roast on the pan and sear for three minutes on each side. Remove from heat and season heavily with salt and pepper. Place on the grill of your roasting pan or on a wire rack. Now stick the probe of your thermometer into the roast so that the probe is approximately in the middle of the roast (and not touching a bone). Position the pan on an oven rack in the lowest position of your preheated 200°F oven. Yes, 200°F. The low heat will evenly cook the roast so that most of the roast will be at the desired temperature. Cooking at a higher temperature will finish the roast faster, but you will probably result in well-done on the outside of the roast that gradually results in a medium-rare interior (if you are trying to cook a medium-rare roast). Roasting at 200°F will result in almost all the meat ending at medium-rare.

Set your thermometer for 130°F for a medium-rare roast (125°F for rare; 145°F for medium; any higher and it's overdone - you might as well be serving a cheaper piece of beef). When the roast is done (about 45 minutes per pound), remove from the oven, set the roast aside, and let it sit to redistribute juices for at least twenty minutes. This is a good time to make a jus from the drippings of the roast.

Pour off any extra grease that's collected in the pan. You can save this to make Yorkshire pudding if you wish. Now deglaze the pan by pouring in 1/2 cup beef broth and bring to a boil. After you've scraped off the bottom of your pan and mixed it into the jus, season with salt and pepper. Simple.

When slicing the roast, first cut the rib bones out and then lie the roast on the cut side to carve large slices off the roast.


When properly roasted, the medium-rare pink is uniform to the edges of the roast, giving the diner the maximum amount of tender, juicy beef per slice.


Standing Rib Roast
Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C)
1 loin rib roast, trimmed & tiedsearseasonroast at 200°F (95°C) until 130°F (55°C)
salt
pepper

Jus
rib roast drippingsdeglazebring to boilseason
1/2 cup beef broth
salt
pepper

Yorkshire pudding
Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C)
1 cup all purpose flourwhiskbeatpour mixture into panbake 450°F (230°F) 15 min.bake 350°F (175°F) until golden brown (15 min.)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggswhisk
1 cup whole milk
13 x 9 in. pan10 min. at 450°Fmelt
1/4 cup rib roast drippings or
4 Tbs. melted unsalted butter
Copyright Michael Chu 2004
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Written by Michael Chu
Published on July 01, 2004 at 04:55 AM
183 comments on Prime Rib or Standing Rib Roast:(Post a comment)

On December 20, 2005 at 07:46 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Do engineers in your part of the world use Fahrenheit? Sounds exotic to a person living in the metric world.


On December 20, 2005 at 07:47 AM, Michael Chu said...
Okay, there's been a lot of commentary on slashdot and other sites on why a REAL engineer would use FAKE / LAME units. This is the only response I'll give.

In my mind, a real engineer is capable of working with whatever is given to him. A good engineer might not do an exact sixteenth decimal place conversion, but a good engineer will know when a precise conversion is necessary and an imprecise one is acceptable. Most engineers are capable of working in whatever unit constraints are provided them and can think in US, metric, or SI. I have conversations with engineers from other countries routinely where we will both use inches, microns, degrees celcius, and pounds in the same conversation.

I happen to live (and cook) in the United States where we use a weird system involving seemlingly random and confusing units. So, I present my recipes with these units because I will be using these units when I cook.

Now scientists on the other hand are a different breed from engineers and will require SI units...


On December 20, 2005 at 07:48 AM, an anonymous reader said...
For the Yorkshire pudding, you have to ensure the fat is really hot before you add the pancake mix (which is all that yourshire pudding is) - hot as in at the point of smoking.

Also if you don't have dripping, use lard. Don't use butter.


On December 20, 2005 at 07:48 AM, an anonymous reader said...
I don't tie my roast, or sear it.

I use a 250F oven.

I slice under the layer of fat that is traditional on the outside of the roast and slip slices of garlic clove between the fat and the meat. I also do this with any 'center' fat - pierce between the fat and the meat with a knife and slide in garlic.

Then I make a mix of herbs, cracked pepper, and course grain 'kosher' salt. I roll the meat in this mixture, creating a crust. Then I place it bones down into a baking dish and bake until medium rare.


On December 20, 2005 at 07:48 AM, an anonymous reader said...
The above additions for a tasty crust sound yummy!

I have made Yorkshire pudding in individual portions using a 12-portion muffin pan with 1 teaspoon of pan drippings/muffin cup per the Good Housekeeping cookbook recipe.

Great site, Michael!


On December 20, 2005 at 07:49 AM, an anonymous reader said...
regarding the SI units topic...

My high school physics teacher would sometimes throw in problems using English units because he wanted the students to be able to solve problems using any kind of units, so he would probably agree with you here.

He did tell us a funny story of a one student who was against using English units. In protest, the student would convert any English units given to metric, solve the problem, then convert back to English units for the answer. =)


On December 20, 2005 at 07:49 AM, ACO (guest) said...
English, Metric, IS... all the same. Sure, depending on wich hemisphere or influence zone you're in, one gets used to one or another metric system.

As an engineer one is prepared to work in either system, but that also depends on tool graduation. I always use the KISS principle to work, trying to get good results in a short time. Converting units from a system to another is time consuming, so is better for me to work with raw units, be those celsius, fahrenheit, kelvin or rankine.

This recipee also looks tasty, I'll try to try it before year's end.

keep it up, mike.

KISS: Keep It Simple & Stupid


On December 20, 2005 at 07:49 AM, Alredhead (guest) said...
This is my family's traditional Christmas meal...hmmm I can smell it now!

(I have an enormous piece in my fridge right this minute, just waiting to be cooked and eaten!)

Mr. Cho, Merry Christmas to you and yours!


On December 20, 2005 at 07:49 AM, an anonymous reader said...
I think you should post the temperatures in Kelvin. Your stove DOES do Kelvin, right?


On December 20, 2005 at 07:50 AM, cynicalb_repost (guest) said...
Just did a prime rib last night for Christmas Eve dinner - our roast was just a shade under 10 lbs. For the rub I used approximately 2 TB whole pepper and a scant 1 TB whole allspice; ground this in a mortar, added approximately 1 1/2 TB kosher salt, about a half-dozen garlic cloves, finely minced, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1 TB dry mustard, and about 1 TB maple syrup. Mixed this together well, coated the roast with it and let is sit for about 1 1/2 hours before roasting. If I would have had more time, I would have let it marinate for a few hours more. Started it at 450F for 20 minutes, then lowered the heat to 250-275F until the internal temperature registerd 125F. Total cooking time was about 3 hours. Came out perfectly medium rare in the middle, with the end cuts at medium. The end cuts have a nice zing to them from the rub, while the middle slices had just enough seasoning without being too spicy.


On December 20, 2005 at 07:50 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Me again, stealing your recipes! They are excellent, that's why I keep coming back.
As an editor, I wish you would use the supercript o with F or C, with a space after the degrees number.
Also, what would help lots of us in uniformizing would be to use Tbsp for tablespoon and tsp for tsp. But this does not hurt one bit your excellent recipes.
Thanks!
Caroline


On December 20, 2005 at 07:51 AM, an anonymous reader said...
I don't believe an editor would use a word such as "uniformizing".


On December 21, 2005 at 07:29 PM, guest cook (guest) said...
Subject: How do I re-heat it, if I make it ahead?

The cooking time is 3-4hours for the standing rib roast. If I dared to make it the night before, how could I re-heat it without ruining the rare-ness of it (the microwave cooks too well done from the inside out)

Any tips are appreciated - I am a first time S.R.R. cooker!! thanks


On December 21, 2005 at 08:08 PM, NAFortis said...
Good morning, Michael. In re Cooking temperature: In his "American Cookery" copyright 1972, chef James Beard offers a <preheated 180 to 200 degree oven> slow-roast method for standing rib, BUT he specifies "...roast without basting for approximately 23 to 24 minutes per pound, until it achieves an internal temperature of 120 to 125 degrees for rare meat; ..."
Your method specifies a far longer time per pound. How say you to Beard's time/pound? [I have not tried ANY low-heat method, only sear and temp reduce, etc]

Best regards & Happy Solstice: Nick F.


On December 21, 2005 at 09:57 PM, Michael Chu said...
NAFortis wrote:
...James Beard offers a <preheated 180 to 200 degree oven> slow-roast method for standing rib, BUT he specifies "...roast without basting for approximately 23 to 24 minutes per pound, until it achieves an internal temperature of 120 to 125 degrees for rare meat; ..."
Your method specifies a far longer time per pound. How say you to Beard's time/pound?


My estimate of 45 minutes per pound comes from how long it takes my 200°F oven to bring an eight pound roast to an internal temperature of 130°F. I took the totla time and divided by eight pounds. This has held true for the last two roasts that I prepared. (Usually, I tell my guests to show up at a certain time and that dinner will be done when it's done. I start preparing the final touches of the other dishes when the roast is sitting at 125°F - the last few degrees always seem to take forever.)

The extra ten degrees may account of some of the time discrepancy, but I doubt that it would double the time. I don't know what to say except, in my experience it takes closer to 45 minutes per pound to bring the roast to medium rare. Of course, I've always suspected that the minutes per pound estimate is a really bad hack as it's unlikely that the time it takes to heat a volume of meat is linear and predictable (what if my roast has more surface area than your roast?)... but that means a series of experiments that I cannot afford (both from a time and a money stand point) at this time in my life...


On December 21, 2005 at 10:31 PM, NAFortis said...
My thanks for your prompt response, Michael. And, indeed, the WEIGHT makes quite a difference, I'm sure. When I get very wealthy <it is to laugh>, I shall try experiments with roasts of approximately same geometry <and loin end, of course>, and approximate weights of, say, four pounds (2rib...tricky), six pounds (3rib) and eight pounds (4rib).

Your site is a total pleasure. Nick F.


On December 22, 2005 at 03:30 AM, darrell (guest) said...
Subject: prime rib
I have a 14 lb prime rib (boneless) that needs to be cooked dec 24. I would like to seare it first at 450 for approx 25 minutes then reduce the heat to 250. I would like it cooked to a rare or med rare. I have no clue on any time estimate, can someone give me advice or help for my meat . I don't want to waste a lot of money or have Christmas eve dinner a disaster.
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


On December 22, 2005 at 05:12 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: prime rib
darrell wrote:
I have a 14 lb prime rib (boneless) that needs to be cooked dec 24. I would like to seare it first at 450 for approx 25 minutes then reduce the heat to 250. I would like it cooked to a rare or med rare. I have no clue on any time estimate, can someone give me advice or help for my meat . I don't want to waste a lot of money or have Christmas eve dinner a disaster.

I recommend you go to Bed Bath & Beyond or your local home kitchen supply store and buy a probe thermometer like this Polder model. Thrust the probe into the thickest part of the roast (parallel to the direction of how you will slice it in order to minimize the chance of having slices with holes in them later). Program the thermometer to go off before your desired temperature (taking into account carryover temperature during the resting period). With a 250°F oven, I recommend setting the thermometer to 128°F. After the thermometer goes off, pull the roast out (leave the probe in) and tent with aluminum foil and let rest about 30 minutes (the final temperature should peak at just above 130°F - I expect about a three to four degree upswing in temperature when roasting at 250°F).

Now, timing is going to be a bit tricky with a roast that big... My semi-educated guess is that you'll need an additional 4-5 hours after your first roast at 450°F (less time if you left the roast in the oven during the cooling period when the oven temperature is dropping to 250°F.

You can also opt to finish the roast early, and then drop your oven to as low of a temperature as you can (mine goes down to 170°F) and keep the roast there to keep warm. When it comes time to serve, pull it out, let it rest for thirty, and serve.


On December 22, 2005 at 03:20 PM, Iain McQueen (guest) said...
Subject: Rib Roasting
I have only recently found this site, and have been much amused and informed by the bacon studies!
However the Rib Roast of 5KG looms for Boxing Day with some Claret and company. What I am fascinated by is the meat thermometer probe. Unfortunateley Polder can't be had in UK, but I shall have to seek an equivalent? What is the probe wire made of to resist the temperatures of the hot oven as it snakes out, presumably through the door seal?
Probably I won't find a thermometer in time for 26th Dec, but any help on sourcing similar in UK would be a help for next time.
Great fun site!
Iain
(I suggest Donald Russell Direct for UK beef)usual disclaimer


On December 22, 2005 at 08:23 PM, SALJUSTME (guest) said...
Subject: Rib Roasts
Hi I was reading your cooking method of a rib roast. I too cook it the way you do but I also rub the meat with a little Kitchen bouquet before I put in oven. I also use th eslices of garlic under the fat. Just thought you might want to try it.


On December 22, 2005 at 08:31 PM, Mindy B. (guest) said...
Wow, I love this site! Very helpful, as I do not want to ruin an expensive cut of beef. I have never heard of slow roasting prime rib, only heating to sear, then turning the oven off. I'm thinking slow roasting is the way to go. Thanks for the info.


On December 22, 2005 at 09:58 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Rib Roasting
Iain McQueen wrote:
What I am fascinated by is the meat thermometer probe. Unfortunateley Polder can't be had in UK, but I shall have to seek an equivalent? What is the probe wire made of to resist the temperatures of the hot oven as it snakes out, presumably through the door seal?

Any equivalent probe thermometer should work. I believe Kitchen Craft and Taylor both make products for sale in the UK.

This one is available from Amazon.co.uk but I'm not sure you'll be able to get it in time for Dec. 25. You may have to go to the old standby of opening the oven door and shoving a thermometer into the roast every half an hour after the first couple hours.

I'm not sure what the probe wires are made of exactly. It looks and feels like the actual wires that conduct electricity are protected by a metal mesh that wraps around an insulator around the wire. The insulating substance is unknown to me. The cable does lead from the probe through the oven door seal to the thermometer unit.


On December 22, 2005 at 10:47 PM, dmiller (guest) said...
Subject: rib roast of beef
Excellent site. My own experiance w/ the standing rib is very consistant w/ your recipe recomendations. I prefer to pre-heat to 500 degrees F, turn down to 200 degrees F , then place roast in oven v. the pan sear method. Reading the comments on cook time, I think you need to build your own data based on experiance ( engineering judgement). The ratio of surface area to mass, surface to center distance, bone configuration are all variables. Starting temp of the roast is a significant variable as well, although this one is under your control. For a first time chef, for meal planning purposes, I recommend 30' per pound for roasts under 6 lbs. 40 min for 8 lb. and up. You MUST monitor temp w/ an internal probe to determine actual degree of "doneness".:)


On December 23, 2005 at 01:02 PM, Awbnid (guest) said...
Subject: Re. Guest Cook's pre-cooking question
Guest cook:

I don't think anyone here would *recommend* pre-cooking your bad-a** standing rib roast, but sometimes one has to make concessions to the world.

I have found that your best bet is to probably cook it, let it rest until cool, and then slice it into the portion sizes you have in mind. Then the next day heat your oven to somewhere between 300oF and 400oF, place your slices between very large leaves of cabbage, then put the cabbage/cow packages into the oven on top of a rack placed within something to catch drippings.

How long? That's the tricky part. Until they are hot. For some reason, though, the cabbage keeps the slices from browning on the outside while they get nice and toasty.[/i]


On December 23, 2005 at 06:40 PM, jody@livelyhealth.net (guest) said...
Subject: Help!!??!!
Just came upon your website and although my roast is similar to some...I need help! Standing rib, 7 bones, 19 1/2 pounds!! I want to cook slow method at 250 degrees. How long do you think it will take?? Should I start today?? (: Would I be better off cutting it in half? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


On December 23, 2005 at 06:48 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Rib Roast
Help! I have a 14 lb Standing Rib Roast and have no clue how to roast it. I feel I have read too many recipes and am extremely confused. Could someone give me a good clear recipe/ instruction to follow? I would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.


On December 24, 2005 at 03:33 PM, Cat Blue (guest) said...
Subject: 1st Timer... Loving the Engineer-style Recipes w/comments...
Wow... as a former wannabe engineer turned to first love, music/singing/teaching (which really is engineering through and through)...

I was just innocently looking for research notes on the 'perfect' Prime Rib recipe (again) and I googled myself here and got sooo much more...

I am in total awe to witness such a marvelous site as this. I do have the analytical mind (to a fair extreme) surrounded by linear and 'anti-linear' thinking... along with a yearning for visuals, graphs, etc... love the photos and recipe cards.

And, I am LOL ('cuz I soo relate)... the 'engineerist' commentary, criticisms, and especially the temptations for further research and development... I am just baffled by those who forego the research for lack of proper funding? I was always led to believe that I would have had a far wealthier outcome as an engineer (compared to the 'starving' artist route I passed through). I'm wondering what happened... or what else is taking up all that funding that couldn't allow for a few to several prime ribs?

Thanks in metric and all other sorts of measurably huge amounts,
Cat
p.s. If the post is +/- 3:33pm Christmas Eve 'there'... it's 7:33am here... Curious to know where 'you' are... I'm an ex-wife/now better friend of a UK native (about 8 hours forward from us). In fact, he will be sharing the Rib Roast with me later today... and with far more laughs than when we were married.


On December 24, 2005 at 04:34 PM, ClaytonT (guest) said...
Subject: Cooking a 14 lb boneless rib eye roast?
:)

I'm not an engineer and I don't play one on tv, but I'm married to the daughter of one and hopefully that counts for something.

My question is;
I've read a lot about cooking rib roasts at the traditional 350 method. Has anyone tried the approach of searing at a high temp, then slow cooking at 200-250? This is supposedly the best approach for cooking a roast that is consistently cooked all the way through.

My boneless rib eye is 14lbs.


Any comments/advice greatly appreciated until count-down time; noonish tomorrow.

clayton01746@yahoo.com


On December 24, 2005 at 05:14 PM, ClaytonT (guest) said...
Subject: Re: Cooking a 14 lb boneless rib eye roast?
[b:cb2777c9f4]Actually, my question should have read;


I've read a lot about cooking rib roasts at the traditional 350 method, and just read about the slow cooking 200-250 degree method. Given the two methods, what's the best approach for cooking a roast that is consistently cooked all the way through and tender??

My boneless rib eye is 14lbs.[/b:cb2777c9f4]
Quote:
I'm not an engineer and I don't play one on tv, but I'm married to the daughter of one and hopefully that counts for something.

My question is;
I've read a lot about cooking rib roasts at the traditional 350 method. Has anyone tried the approach of searing at a high temp, then slow cooking at 200-250? This is supposedly the best approach for cooking a roast that is consistently cooked all the way through.

My boneless rib eye is 14lbs.


Any comments/advice greatly appreciated until count-down time; noonish tomorrow.

clayton01746@yahoo.com


On December 24, 2005 at 07:23 PM, meeka123surprise (guest) said...
Subject: Roast time
How long will it take a 12 lb standing rib roast (short end) to cook to rare to medium rare at 250 degreesin a convection oven?
Thank You!


On December 24, 2005 at 10:15 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Question about a "tied" boneless prime rib roast
Hi, I have a 4lb boneless prime rib roast. It came from the butcher tied together with a string "netting". What is the best way to cook it? I wanted to rub it with cracked black pepper & crushed garlic....Do I do this with the netting on it & then cut it off before serving? Or would it be better to remove the string netting, rub it & retie string around it in a few places?
Thanks in advance!
Sue


On December 26, 2005 at 12:55 AM, Michael Chu said...
This reply is probably much too late to help anyone in their Christmas dinner in 2005 (sorry, I was out with my family on vacation - actually I still am on vacation...)

In answer to the last several questions (in random order):
The best recipe I know of for roasting a prime rib is the one detailed in this article - hands down, no competition.

How long do you need to cook a 12, 14, 19.5 lb. rib in a 200°F, 250°F, or X°F conventional or convection oven? I have no idea - sorry. Please see my earlier comment on the difficulty in assessing the exact time of doneness and the reliance on a probe thermometer. You can do what great prime rib restaurants do - cook it early and then keep it warm for in a really low temperature oven (170°F or lower if your oven can do it).

String nettings? If you want to add a spice rub, remove the netting, apply the rub, and then retie between the ribs.

I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas regardless of how your standing rib roasts came out. :) It's all about being with family, friends, or your community, right? Speaking of which, mine is calling for me to return to them...

Oh, by the way, I'm in the U.S. Pacific Time Zone. I believe the forums default to GMT if you haven't set your time preferences in your profile.


On December 26, 2005 at 01:48 PM, Guest (guest) said...
Subject: THANK YOU!!!
In the interest of adding to your data on various sizes of roasts and cooking times: I cooked a 4.11 lb. Ribeye Roast at 200 degrees F for 3 hours. I removed it from the oven when my quick read thermometer registered 128 degrees because I like my meat just slightly under medium rare. The meat was exactly to my liking - though I did not see the 10 degree rise in temperature that was supposed to have occured while my meat was resting for 20 minutes. Thank you for your excellent web site. I love your logical approach to cooking.
Signed -- The wife of an engineer in Ohio.


On December 26, 2005 at 02:51 PM, Eric (guest) said...
Subject: Standing Rib Roast Cooking Time
I ran into the problem of redicting how long it would take to cook the roast. My instructions were to have the 7 lb standing rib roast ready and med-rare by 4pm on Xmas day. Different recipes and instructions all seemed to give inconsistent cooking times. So my scientist neice and I decided to collect some data so that we would have some info to go on next year. Here's our experience. We recorded all temperatures using a Williams-Sonoma temperature probe with remote readout. All measurements were taken with the probe inserted to the center of the roast. Our oven is a standard GE electric oven - no convection.

I pulled the roast out of the fridge one hour before cooking time. During this time the center temperature barely changed: started at 43 F and after one hour it was 45 F. No surprising, but clearly the phrase "getting it to room temperature" more of a saying that truth.

I first cooked the roast for 10 minutes at 450 F. The temperature increase picked up. After 10 minutes we were at 47F.

I then lowered the oven setting to 250 F and let it roast slowly. Now the center temperature really began heating up and at a relatively constant rate. From 47 F to about about 100 F the rate was about 1.5 min/deg F. After 100 F it begins to slow at bit, but not dramatically. I had an average rate of 1.9 min/F toward the end of the oven time. We pulled it out when the probe hit 125 F after an oven time of 2 hours 41 minutes (10 min at 450 F, 2 hr 30 min at 250 F).

Average cooking times were:

23.1 min/lb to get to a center temperature of 125 F
21.8 min/lb to get to a center temperature of 121 F

The surprising part of this was how much the center temperature increased after we removed the roast from the oven. I had read in one recipe that it would increase 5 F and in another recipe that it would increase 5 to 10 F. We saw an increase of 13F up to 138F. This occurred over a period of 43 minutes.

I was a bit concerned that the 138 F center temperature would push me past our goal of med-rare and squarely into med territory, but 138 F seemed perfect. The meat was evenly pink throughout and plenty tender.

For future reference, I plan to stick with the 450 F / 250 F method and to estimate times using the average cooking rates above plus an allowance of 45 minutes "set up time" after it comes out of the oven.

Happy eating.


On December 27, 2005 at 09:44 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: THANK YOU!!!
Guest wrote:
The meat was exactly to my liking - though I did not see the 10 degree rise in temperature that was supposed to have occured while my meat was resting for 20 minutes.

Following the recipe detailed above, you should not have much carryover temperature increase. It might increase 1-2 degrees. Carryover temperature increases are caused by having a temperature gradient within the roast causing the interior to continue to rise in temperature while the exterior just begins to cool. The 200°F roasting method has very little difference in temperature from the very center to the semi-center, so not much carryover cooking occurs.


On December 28, 2005 at 12:30 AM, zx9rblue said...
Subject: Outstanding
I hoist my whiskey glass to you Mr. Chu,
Excellent recipe. We followed the instructions as posted.
8 lb'er and it turned out perfect. I had so many compliments.
Cooking time was about an hour less than calculated using a coventional natural gas oven.
Next time I do this I will grab the data logger from work and instrument the cooking process.


On December 28, 2005 at 09:43 PM, paul (guest) said...
Subject: what to do with the leftovers
Any recommendations for how to reheat the leftovers from a standing rib roast??


On December 29, 2005 at 07:58 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: what to do with the leftovers
paul wrote:
Any recommendations for how to reheat the leftovers from a standing rib roast??

Reheating without cooking the roast further is a difficulty. Slice off the amount of roast that you want to reheat, slip into a Ziploc bag, seal, and drop into hot tap water (about 120-140°F). The water will gently reheat the meat without pushing it into well done status (like a microwave oven would). The amount of time it takes to reheat to eating temperature varies depending on the thickeness of cut and how cold it was when you started to warm it up. Exchange the water even ten minutes or so to keep the water temperature up.


On December 29, 2005 at 03:46 PM, also anonymous (guest) said...
Subject: no whine!
Man, engineers are a whiny bunch. Just cook! (I realize humor may have been intended but....) This is a good recipe.


On December 29, 2005 at 05:01 PM, Maria Elena (guest) said...
Subject: How to cut the Prime Rib with Bone?
I read your excellent detailed recipe, I am also an engineer..I am wondering how do you slice the meat piece after cooking it.Do you have to remove the bone first?..how do you do that?
Thanks


On December 29, 2005 at 08:46 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: How to cut the Prime Rib with Bone?
Maria Elena wrote:
I read your excellent detailed recipe, I am also an engineer..I am wondering how do you slice the meat piece after cooking it.Do you have to remove the bone first?..how do you do that?
Thanks

Yes, remove the bones first by cutting along the inside of the ribs around the rib roast itself. If you have a small roast, you can cut off all the ribs at once, but if your roast is very large, then you may need to cut off thee or four at a time. After the ribs have been removed, you can separate the ribs by splitting them with a sharp knife (just run the knife between the ribs). These are seriously delicious pieces of meat for the more adventurous party members (meaning - guests who don't mind getting their hands dirty).

Once the ribs have been removed, take the roast and start at the cut end, use a long sharp knife and slice the roast. The slices can be thick or thin, but should be cut straight across the roast. (Two ends of your roast came already cut, just follow the same direction of cut and work your way across the roast.)


On December 30, 2005 at 09:59 PM, padthai4me (guest) said...
Subject: Another log on the fire...
Lots of methods,times & temps abound. As an engineer, I was inspired by an old issue of Cooks Magazine. They did the complete matrix experimentally, buying 20+ rib roasts and cooking with all the permutations people seem to use. The hands-down winner (they compared to the best restaurant roast), was a few minutes to brown on the stove, then in to a 200-degree oven until 130 or so for medium rare. There will be little or no temp runup during resting. It comes out perfectly uniform from end-to-end and from outer to inner, no Medium spots. I've been using this for 8 years and never had anything less than rave reviews.

Pad


On January 01, 2006 at 06:58 PM, Larry (guest) said...
Subject: Pan choice
If you sear on top of the stove first, (I have a nice big cast iron skillet), then would you put the same cast iron skillet into the oven or switch to a nice shiny roasting pan? (If the latter, I would assume save the skillet, deglaze later and add to the other pan drippings for jus or gravy).

Also, if switching to a roasting pan, do you lightly oil the pan first or not?
Or do you brown on the stove in a roasting pan rather than cast iron?


On January 02, 2006 at 01:19 PM, Tony D (guest) said...
Subject: what a great roast!
You have a great site. The replies have been great in helping me evaluate the options and prepare a wonderful New Years day meal. Since really good engineers share data, here is some input for the file. I used a bone in roast that started out just below 6# and aged it for 6 days in the fridge covered with cheese cloth. At cooking time it weighed 5.5#. At 1 1/2 hrs out of the fridge it only rose to 47 F. I browned it on all sides in a pan, rubbed it with garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper. In a shallow, ceramic pan, on a rack and with a 225F oven the internal temp rose to 127 in 3 hours, about 26 degrees per hour. After 45 minutes of resting, temp was 132. The ribs were trimmed off for eaier slicing. The first cut revealed a perfect, juicy, medium pink center. One of the guests liked theirs more done than rare so I put an end slice under the broiler, cut side up for more doneness. The flavor and taste was everything hoped for and all of my guests could not believe how good it was. The two bottles of Shiraz may have helped. It served six people (about 1/2" to 3/4" slices) with a little left over. This recipe is a keeper and will become a New Years standard for us. Thanks to all the contributors who helped make this possible.


On January 02, 2006 at 07:33 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Pan choice
Larry wrote:
If you sear on top of the stove first, (I have a nice big cast iron skillet), then would you put the same cast iron skillet into the oven or switch to a nice shiny roasting pan? (If the latter, I would assume save the skillet, deglaze later and add to the other pan drippings for jus or gravy).

Also, if switching to a roasting pan, do you lightly oil the pan first or not?
Or do you brown on the stove in a roasting pan rather than cast iron?

I usually sear on a different pan than the one I roast on. You can definitely use the same pan, but remember to elevate the roast on a grill so the drippings can fall into the pan (away from the roast).

I do not bother to oil the pan that I am searing on. When you sear the roast, just let it sit for a minute or two on each side. When that side has seared, it will release from the pan easily.

This was one of the first articles I wrote for Cooking For Engineers. Upon rereading it, I think I'm going to have to rewrite parts of it and add more information (and definitely a lot more pictures).


On January 07, 2006 at 03:23 PM, Ty (guest) said...
Subject: 2 standing ribs
:huh: silly a question as it may be...what is the cooking time @ 200F if I have two 6.25lb standing ribs in the roater???


On January 09, 2006 at 06:47 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: 2 standing ribs
Ty wrote:
what is the cooking time @ 200F if I have two 6.25lb standing ribs in the roater???

I've only done two roasts at the same time once. That time, the roasts took the same amount of time as when I roast one - about 45 minutes per pound - so about 4-1/2 to 5 hours.

I'd appreciate others who have tried this to comment on their experience.


On January 10, 2006 at 08:23 PM, linda (guest) said...
Subject: Best Site
I was very glad to find your site today while looking for a new Salmon receipe. I have been married to an engineer for 34 years and he has a million reasons why not to cook.

Your site has come to my rescue. It if perfect for the analytical mind.


On January 30, 2006 at 09:30 PM, beartrapdave (guest) said...
Subject: Prime Rib
Awesome site, being an Engineer, I was immediately drawn in, trying the pan seared red pepper recipe tonight. My problem is however prime rib, cook it once a year, Xmas, and the last two years I have had 12 lb roast go beyond the desired temp. Cooking 20 mins a pound (200F)(boneless in both cases) it was flagrantly overcooked to well done! This year bought a new poke in thermometer (will buy one you can leave in) and thinking I was being extra cautious, bought a oven monitoring gauge (hangs on the oven rack) to make sure my oven temp was correct. A desparity of 25- 30 degrees! I see no mention of matching temp setting , new oven this year (dacor) - any experince with that? Do you think it was all about being boneless? - jokes expected...... Thanks


On February 03, 2006 at 05:34 PM, Kman (guest) said...
Subject: Rotisserie
I've done prime rib on a rotisserie 4 times now and agree with the theory that it's done when it's done. This weekend is an annual poker tournament I attend and feel that it will be easier said than done. I use a Weber grill and turn off the middle and back burners for a slow 225 degree roast. The hardest part is keeping early poker turnouts from opening up and looking.

We are planning on posting a bouncer (6'2" hockey player/ civil engineer) nearby, but fear his legendary appetite might create a conflict.

I will post our results.


On February 21, 2006 at 07:44 PM, JimGettman (guest) said...
Subject: Leftovers
This may seem a sacrilege to some, but our favorite part of our slow-cooked rib roasts is the sandwiches we make from the leftovers. We make two kinds -
HOT ROAST BEEF - Make a good gravy, get it bubbling hot, slice the meat thin, make a great slice of toast, use tongs to dunk the slices and load them onto the toast. The goal is to get them hot without further cooking.
ROAST BEEF DIP - Make a good au jus, get it bubbling hot, slice the meat thin, slice open a hearty sanwich roll, dunk it and then dress it as desired (we add nothing), use tongs to dunk the roast slices and load them onto the sandwich. As always, the goal is to get the sliced meat hot without further cooking.


On March 02, 2006 at 01:42 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Cooking for a contract designer
Contract designers would be cooking and eating a fillet.


On March 20, 2006 at 08:21 AM, gue0 said...
Subject: I thought you guys were engineers....m(°¿-)m.....
Though I'm merely a lowly technician, I gravitate toward the scientific perspective on most of the answers needed to respond to the questions here. I wonder why some simple physics isn't appied here. The same science which is appied to baking pastries and custards is also appropiate to roasting, braising, broiling, broasting, frying, boiling, steaming, sauteeing, and anything else I might have forgotten. This would consist of the variables BTU output of the appliance, density, volume, and water content of the item being cooked. There are minor considerations such as the temperature coefficient of the medium conducting the heat and the rate of the heat transfer, but in order to hypothosize a universal formula for cooking a piece of meat to the desired state would require the careful collection of data under controlled conditions. Cooking is an art that is not immune from the laws of physics and physics underlie_ the principles of everything. Ya think?


On April 09, 2006 at 03:04 PM, chiocciman (guest) said...
Subject: It will never be done
This roast will never be done. You Engineers will debate conversion and physics until the roast is well done and no one will eat it.

Time to take it out of the oven. (ha ha)

Chuck, Manufacturing guy.
ps: I really like the garlic idea. Niuce touch!


On April 10, 2006 at 12:23 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: It will never be done
chiocciman wrote:
This roast will never be done. You Engineers will debate conversion and physics until the roast is well done and no one will eat it.

That's why I recommend the use of a probe thermometer. That way, I can set it and forget it as I argue / discuss with my friends about the merits of using low heat vs. high heat roasting and start a pool going with the various estimates of when it will be done. If we get carried away, the BEEP BEEP BEEP from the Polder will tell me to come back to reality and pull the roast out of the oven. :)


On April 15, 2006 at 07:02 PM, Brian Peterson (guest) said...
Subject: 20-25 minutes per pound in a convection oven
NAFortis wrote:
...James Beard offers a <preheated 180 to 200 degree oven> slow-roast method for standing rib, BUT he specifies "...roast without basting for approximately 23 to 24 minutes per pound, until it achieves an internal temperature of 120 to 125 degrees for rare meat; ..."
Your method specifies a far longer time per pound. How say you to Beard's time/pound?

Michael Chu wrote:

My estimate of 45 minutes per pound comes from how long it takes my 200°F oven to bring an eight pound roast to an internal temperature of 130°F. I took the totla time and divided by eight pounds. This has held true for the last two roasts that I prepared. (Usually, I tell my guests to show up at a certain time and that dinner will be done when it's done. I start preparing the final touches of the other dishes when the roast is sitting at 125°F - the last few degrees always seem to take forever.)


My convection oven at 200°F took 4 hours to roast a 9.5 pound rib roast from 37°F to 130°F, as measured by both a thermocouple (accurate to +/- 0.1°F) and a remote sensor digital oven thermometer (Pyrex professional brand +/- 1°F). Another thermocouple with a 'gas' (open grid) sensor confirms that the thermostat on the convection oven is accurate.

So, I have to go with James Beard (and the New Joy of Cooking) for these times, at least in my convection oven.

Delicious! Thanks for the article and the comments!


On April 16, 2006 at 09:32 PM, tiernosc (guest) said...
Subject: Prime Rib
:) That was the best prime rib I have ever cooked. The recipe is simple and delicious. Thank for the great meal. Also, I would agree that the thermometer made the difference, although the 45 minutes per hour was right on.


On June 07, 2006 at 12:59 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Sirloin tip
Quote:
This end is referred to as the small end rib roast or loin rib roast or sirloin tip roast.


The sirloin tip roast (AKA round tip roast, AKA beef knuckle) is cut from the front of the leg, the area from the hip to the knee. It is not associated with the rib.


On June 30, 2006 at 01:34 AM, Tom Cahill (guest) said...
Subject: Roasting other cut's
Very Good recipie for any cut, try it with "Chuck" or any other cut that has good "Marbeling" works the same, shorter cooking times. Be sure to increase the "Done" temp with smaller pieces. as they don't retain as much heat. Never over 138 before removing it if you like rare.


On July 01, 2006 at 11:37 PM, an anonymous reader said...
For everyone talking about the time to cook, I think only one person got it right, buy an independant thermometer. You oven can be off by as much as 30 degrees. This can make a huge difference in cooking time. Also I do mine a little backwards 200 until roast is @110 then crank it up to 500 to put a nice crust on it (about 10 minutes & use your eyes if it looks cruty enough it is) then pull out and let stand at least 30 minutes. This will make a rare roast, with a very crusty outside.


On July 21, 2006 at 12:55 AM, Traverser (guest) said...
Subject: Rib Roast on a Grill
Wowza!

I'm an engineer and always looking for the "right" way to do things...so this site is very helpful. Last night I did a 3-rib (6-lb) roast on a VT Castings BBQ grill - my first cooking on it! It was for a guests 60th birthday, so I was a bit nervous, but went for it anyway. After letting the roast come to room temp and tying it up, I rubbed-on some olive oil and seared the roast over direct flame for 3-minutes on each side. Then I rubbed it with coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a little paprika. I placed the roast on a rack in a pan over the center of the grill (no cover on the roasting pan of course), shut off the two center burners and left the two outer burners on their lowest settings. An oven thermometer placed on the "floor" of the rack inside the roasting pan measured 200F, and the thermometer on the exterior of the grill hood measured 350F. Now, mind you, the grill thermometer is up high near the end of the hood so it was measuring directly over a burner. At any rate, the meat was done to 130F in exaclty 2.5 hours. At that point I opened the grill lid, placed the cover on the roast pan and let it sit for 30-minutes.

I carved the