Beef

Master the Roast: Our Best Prime Rib Recipes

In Honor of National Prime Rib Day

Everyone needs at least one culinary showstopper—a hunk of protein meaty enough to satisfy the most dedicated carnivore yet sophisticated enough to anchor a holiday feast. It’s the kind of dish that marks you as a magnanimous griller, though here’s the secret: it economizes on actual prep time while delivering maximum impact.

Enter the big kahuna: the prime rib.

Picture a massive, barrel-shaped roast served with the rib cage still attached. Your butcher calls it prime rib; the English call it roast beef; I call it one of the best ways to create high drama. Bringing that dark, crusty, sizzling monster to the table is only the first act. The real theater begins when you slice into it to reveal a juicy, perfectly uniform pink center.

Despite the “wow” factor, prime rib is surprisingly easy to master. It requires about ten minutes of active prep and roughly an hour or so of cooking, depending on your setup. It’s also incredibly versatile: you can spit-roast it on the rotisserie, slow-smoke it for deep wood flavor, or use indirect grilling on gas or charcoal.

Your seasoning can be as simple as coarse salt and cracked black pepper, or you can go bold by studding the fat cap with slivers of garlic and fresh rosemary.

In honor of National Prime Rib Day, we’ve pulled three of our favorite preparations from the BarbecueBible.com archives to help you master the king of roasts.

Prime Rib Recipes

Prime Rib: Frequently Asked Questions