What if we like our roast done even more. We are medium to medium well people. How can I figure the time to get this doneness? I know this is not conventional for this roast however, we love it to this doneness. Thank You :)

I use a digital thermometer that attaches to the outside of the oven, with the probe in the meat. It beeps and lets me know when it has acheived the right temperature for the medium to well doneness. $14.99 (or about) at Bed Bath and Beyond.

I have only cooked a prime rib only once and cooked it the same as :CC. Mastrangelo and it came out perfect, medium to medium rare... perfect... and so easy!

If I am cooking (2) 12 lb prime rib roast at the same time does the cooking time need to be figured for 12 lbs or 24 lbs?

This is not a microwave, so you do not double up the time or weight.

There is a Cooking Times tab under the search box. Pick "Beef (Rib Roast)" from the drop-down and enter the weight (of one roast).

Make sure you use a Meat Thermometer and check the internal temperature of each roast individually.

I've used this recipe before and its great!! I've always heard 5 min per lb. for rare, 6 min per lb. for medium and 7 min per lb. for well.

Heads up... my entire house was smoke filled from the olive oil in the pan at 500°F. The meat turned out rare to medium rare, but wasn't very warm after the 2 hours when we ate it. (I would have served it warmer.)

Next time try grapeseed oil which has a higher burn ratio than olive oil. I find that olive oil is okay for a quick sauté but not for searing or high temps in or out of the oven. Also, please note that the lighter the olive oil the more heat it can take. Virgin olive oil is used mainly for salad dressing, not for sautéing or frying.

I was in the Meat, Deli and Restaurant business for 30 years. This recipe is simple and perfect. To make it even easier for nervous beginners, relax. Season the roast according to your liking (salt, pepper, oil, garlic, etc. rubbed all over)Put it in the pre-heated 500°F oven until it is a beautiful charred brown in color. (People can't stand not to open the oven and peek). Turn the temp to low and insert the meat thermometer. When it reads just over rare (140-150°F), take the roast out of the oven and let it sit (rest) for 10 to 15 minutes. This gives you the time needed to get past the appetizers, breads soups etc. Set up the side dishes. It will continue to cook itself at room temp. Both ends will be medium well to medium rare for guests that prefer it that way and the rest will be medium rare. Shame on anyone cooking a rib roast well done! Note, The weight of the beef is not a big variable as it only gets longer, not thicker! However. With a large Rib roast, one end will be somewhat thicker than the other. This is good if you have a lot of people to serve with varying doneness requirements. Carve and serve according to each individual preference.

this is a wonderful method, but be careful if you have a gas oven...it won't hold the heat as well after you turn it off. you may want to rethink the complete turn off method, but turn it down low.. perhaps 325-350°F. A meat thermometer will insure you know how your roast is doing

I decided to try this on a 4.4lb roast. I used 4.7 as the factor time as we like ours closer to rare. Gave me 20.68 mins @ 500°F so I rounded up to 21 mins. I let it sit the req. 2 hrs with out peeking, took it out and it looked beautiful. (used a little course sea salt, some pepper and garlic with rosemary as a rub) OMG! It was perfect. Even the end slices were a light pink (med-med rare) Will use this from now on but may try 4.8 mins @ 500°F next and round up time as although we like it more to the rare side, most would prefer it just a little warmer for the inside cuts.

This recipe make work for some, but if your oven is not top of the line it will lose heat too fast and you will end up with a very rare piece of meat. I would go with mary or gary's idea and drop oven temp. to 300-350°F or so. This was the first time I tried it, had to go back and heat up the oven again, was dead cold after 2 hrs. No I did not peek.

Hi Dave,

If you don't start off at the highest temperature then the oven won't get hot enough in the first place to maintain temperature for several hours (like a slow cooker).

This recipe isn't suited for a small oven; it will only work in a big range that has good insulation. If you try this and find that your roast is too rare for your liking, you can start off as the recipe states then let it cool for 30 minutes or an hour, then reheat the oven to 375°F or so for 5 minutes and turn it off once again.

This only applies to larger roasts; smaller ones will be overdone. It will also cut down significantly on the total cooking time if you're using a well insulated oven.

If you like cooking this way, try one of the Thermos or Japanese style cookers (there are several brands). You can heat a well insulated pot on the stovetop, put in the food (all kinds of foods - not just roasts), tightly sealed, and leave it undisturbed (off the stove) for several hours until cooked. Great for taking on picnics, boats, afternoon trips or just a lazy afternoon!

-- CM

This is the same recipe my husband copied out of an Airline magazine 15 years ago and brought home. We have used it ever since! Tenderloin of beef works the same but wrap in bacon strips first! Best beef ever.

As an amateur cook, taking on an 8-1/2 pound prime rib is pretty intimidating. I chose this recipe because after doing the math and putting it in the oven I would not be responsible for the results. It was a kamikaze move on my part and it turned out awesome! I had a party of 11 for dinner and several people said it was the best they had ever had. It had to cook for 41 minutes on 500°F, which made me nervous and I really thought it was about to catch fire, but it just turned out with a nice, caramelized outside. I did add 1-1/2 cups of au jus to the broiler pan, to make gravy with. It came out really good, as well. Awesome, thank you!

This is a great recipe that I have used for many years. If you have an old stove or a gas stove that does not hold the heat well then try what I do. My stove does not hold the heat very well so I start at 500°F for the 5 minutes per pound and then without opening the door, turn the oven down to 200-225°F for the remaining 1 and 1/2 hours. I also recommend a meat probe that you can put in the meat and check the temp without having to open the door.

Our butcher recommended this cooking method. We have used it several times and it works perfectly. The instructions in capital letters are indeed critical. A side benefit is that you will use less electricity. Our kids have enjoyed watching the meat sear. At 500 degrees, you can actually see the changes taking place.

This is an awesome recipe! I had never tried cooking prime rib before and was quite nervous about it. It is my husbands favorite cut of meat and certainly not cheap. (A bargain compared to eating it out however.) The roast turned out just lovely. Take a deep breath and follow the directions -you will be proud of the meat on the platter.

In these stressfull economic times being able to create a 'fine dining' experience at home is so meaningful and special. This will do it for you. Thanks CC.M.