How To Cook a Standing Rib Roast

Standing rib roasts (beef prime rib) are a traditional main course for many families during the Christmas holidays. Although the thought of cooking your own standing rib roast may be a little overwhelming, they are fairly easy to make, and honestly, no more difficult than cooking a turkey or ham.

This page provides information and tips on how to cook a standing rib roast, how to time a standing rib roast (and avoid over-cooking), and links to great standing rib roast recipes.

(Scroll down for the USDA standing rib roast cooking times chart)

Standing rib roasts (also called prime rib) is a special cut of beef that includes bones (ribs). The meat comes from the area behind the shoulder (chuck) down to the loin. If you have a 'boneless' cut, it's known as a rolled rib roast. Standing rib roast cooking times vary depending on the beef's weight and usually, a standing rib roast (bone-in) will weigh somewhere between about seven and 15 pounds.

When I say cooking a standing rib roast is easy, I'm not pulling your leg. Here is how it's done using a small standing rib roast (for about 6 to 8 servings):

What You'll Need

• Standing rib roast (room temperature)
  
• Roasting pan with a rack
  
• Seasoning (per your specific recipe)

Simple right?

What To Do

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Season the meat
• Place rib side down, fat side up on the rack (in the pan of course)
• Cook for an hour
• Turn the oven off and let sit in hot oven for 3 hours
• A half-an-hour or so before serving, turn the oven up to 375 and heat

Resist the temptation to open the oven door or take out the roast to admire it. It has to stay in until it's ready to serve. This technique, tried and true, was featured on the Food Network's "Paula's Home Cooking" show. The full recipe (with the seasonings etc) can be found here: "Foulproof Standing Rib Roast." You can find more of Paula Deen's recipes here: Favorite Paula Deen Recipes.

There are several charts and guides for standing rib roast cooking times. Keep in mind these are 'guides' and you really should have a good meat thermometer to check the exact temperature.

According to the USDA, a beef rib roast, with the bone, weighing between 4 and 8 pounds should be cooked at 325 degrees for between 23 and 38 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should be 145 degrees for medium rare and 160 for medium-done. (See standing rib cooking time chart below)

Some classic side dishes commonly served with a standing rib roast include, roasted or mashed potatoes and a vegetable side dish. Standing rib roasts are often served with gravy, au jus or Yorkshire pudding. Here are some good recipe ideas:

Potato Side Dish Recipes

• Epicurious: Basis Mashed Potatoes
• Cooks.com: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Food Network: Rachael Ray's Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

• SimplyRecipes: Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme
• Cooks.com: Baked Stuffed Mushrooms
• AllRecipes.com: Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

• Alton Brown's Dry Aged Standing Rib Roast with Sage Jus
• Black Pepper Crusted Standing Rib Roast Au Jus
• Standing Rib Roast with Cabernet Au Jus