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Home > Beef Recipes > Cooking a Four Rib Prime Rib Roast

Cooking a Four Rib Prime Rib Roast

May 7, 2014 By Lea Ann Brown 64 Comments

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How to cook a prime rib roast

Instructions for cooking a four rib prime rib roast. This will serve 2 – 4 people.  Is Prime Rib for 2 possible? I’ve read that purchasing a smaller standing rib roast can be risky cooking. Here’s a recipe that will guarantee the right balance between outer crust and inner rare.

prime-rib-roast-for-2

Is Prime Rib for two possible?

A full prime rib has seven bones and can feed a crowd. Scaling down makes it very difficult to find the right balance between outer crust and inner rare.

For Easter I announced I was going to attempt my first. I was a little nervous because it costs a darn fortune and I knew I’d be pretty darn angry with myself if I ruined the most majestic and the most expensive piece of meat I’d ever have in my kitchen.

I spent time Googling and reading a couple of cookbooks for research about procedures and cooking tips, and on Saturday morning we were off to Tony’s Market, the only place I’d trust for such a special purchase.

With the help of a young butcher, we selected a four-rib roast which weighed in at about five pounds and rang up at a whopping $75.00. Even though I cooked this for just the two of us, this will actually serve 4 – 6 people.  

We enjoyed lots of wonderful leftovers.

Instructions for cooking a prime rib roast for 2 or 4 people. 4 Rib prime rib.

How to Cook A Standing Rib Roast

I followed a recipe I found in my Creme de Colorado Cookbook for Fall River Prime Rib with Hunter’s Horseradish Sauce.

  • Mixed up a marinade of chopped parsley, grated lemon peel, thyme, juniper berries, garlic, Tabasco and olive oil and spread it on all sides of the roast.
  • Let this the standing prime rib roast marinade in the oven for 24 hours.
  • The next day cook the meat, fat side up, in a 500 degree oven for fifteen minutes.
  • Then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and roast for fifteen minutes per pound.
  • Let it stand for ten minutes before slicing.
Instructions for cooking a prime rib roast for 2 or 4 people. 4 Rib prime rib.

I couldn’t believe my eyes with the first cut. The knife slid through the wonderful crust on the outside to reveal a perfectly rare prime rib roast. I have to admit, I was pretty darn tickled with myself.

The marinade was a heavenly combination of flavors. I’d use this when cooking other cuts of meats. And the homemade horseradish sauce was a very special treat for a very special meal.

Recipe for Fall River Prime Rib Roast

Serve this with this easy and our favorite Horseradish Cream Sauce – enjoy.

And if you’re looking for more Prime Rib Roast recipe ideas, you won’t want to miss this Peppery Beef Rib Roast recipe courtesy of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

And if you’re a beef lover you won’t want to miss my Beef Category, you’ll find lots of tasty recipe ideas. Including one of the most popular beef recipes on my site: Coca Coca Crockpot Brisket. Its a proven crowd pleaser that will feed your hungry crowd.

4.89 from 9 votes
Instructions for cooking a prime rib roast for 2 or 4 people. 4 Rib prime rib.
Print
Fall River Rib Roast
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
 

How to cook a Standing Rib Roast with a perfect crust on the outside and tender medium rare on the inside.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: prime rib
Servings: 6
Calories: 391 kcal
Author: Creme de Colorado
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon peel fresh grated
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme crumbled
  • 6 juniper berries crushed
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 – 4 drops Tabasco Sauce
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1-5 pound standing rib roast
Instructions
  1. Combine parsley, lemon peel, thyme, juniper berries, garlic, pepper and Tabasco in blender. Add oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending until a smooth paste is formed. Add lemon juice and blend. Rub mixture over surface of the roast. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
  2. Bring roast to room temperature before proceeding. Place roast in large heavy roasting pan and roast in preheated oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting for 15 minutes per pound for rare, 20 minutes per pound for medium, or 25 minutes per pound for well done. Let roast rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts
Fall River Rib Roast
Amount Per Serving
Calories 391 Calories from Fat 342
% Daily Value*
Fat 38g58%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 46mg15%
Sodium 62mg3%
Potassium 187mg5%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 223IU4%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Fall River happens to be in one of our favorite local destinations. It is a 17.1-mile-long tributary to the Big Thompson River in Larimer County, Colorado. The river’s source is near the Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park. It flows down the canyon and over Chasm Falls before its confluence with the Big Thompson in Estes Park.

Meal Planning
Slow cooker crock pot cotn.

A great side dish for this beautiful Prime Rib Roast is Slow Cooker Creamed Corn.  Just adding corn, butter and cream cheese to the crock pot, is a worry free, ready when you are, side dish. Plus using the crock-pot frees up a stove top burner.

And another lovely Holiday roast is this Cider Brined, Mustard Glazed Pork Roast. What a special (and easy) recipe to keep in your back pocket for the season of entertaining.

Related posts:

Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Spicy Mustard Sauce
Orange Ginger Flank Steak
San Juan Grilled Flank Steak Marinade Recipe

Filed Under: Beef Recipes Tagged With: prime rib, rib, roast

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    May 11, 2014 at 10:20 pm

    5 stars
    I only cook this for company for the same reasons as you describe in the post. How wonderful that we could have this for just the two of us. It’s perfect!! I’d be pretty tickled too.

    Reply
    • Lea Ann Brown says

      May 12, 2014 at 6:19 am

      Thanks Maureen. It was really too much for the two of us, but with the help of a few bites for the dogs and lots of leftovers, we finished it off.

      Reply
  2. Rocky Mountain Woman says

    May 12, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    4 stars
    I know someone who would really love this – maybe for his birthday?

    lovely!

    Reply
    • Lea Ann Brown says

      May 16, 2014 at 6:46 am

      Thanks RMW.

      Reply
  3. Stephanie@PlainChicken.com says

    May 14, 2014 at 8:21 am

    Looks incredible! We are big fans of horseradish – definitely need to give this a try.

    Reply
    • Lea Ann Brown says

      May 16, 2014 at 6:41 am

      Me too Stephanie. It’s my dad’s fault. He loved the stuff.

      Reply
  4. Patty says

    May 14, 2014 at 5:02 pm

    Wow, Lea Ann your roast looks perfectly cooked and I am ready to give this recipe a try-my husband will be one very happy camper 😉 Hope you are doing well 😉

    Reply
    • Lea Ann Brown says

      May 16, 2014 at 6:40 am

      Thank you so much Patty. Always good to hear from you.

      Reply
  5. Naomi says

    May 15, 2014 at 11:14 am

    That marinade sounds absolutely divine. I use a lot of beef (not prime rib!) and can’t wait to try it. My parents have an organic beef farm in the Candian Rockies, and this summer when I was visiting I pulled a prime rib from the freezer without even knowing what it was, or what it would cost.

    Reply
    • Lea Ann Brown says

      May 16, 2014 at 6:39 am

      Thanks Naomi. I can’t wait to use that marinade on Flank steak for grilling. It was special. Thanks for stopping in.

      Reply
  6. Lea Ann Brown says

    May 21, 2014 at 5:53 am

    Thank you so much Ansh.

    Reply
  7. Claire @ Simply Sweet Justice says

    June 4, 2014 at 8:52 am

    I’m terribly behind on blogs, but I am so enjoying catching up on all of your posts. I can’t wait to try this. That is good to know that Tony’s has smaller prime ribs. I’ve usually gone to Marczyk’s, but they have only big ones!

    Reply
  8. Mick Rosacci says

    December 14, 2016 at 7:04 am

    5 stars
    Thank you! Nicely done! Happy Holidays! mick

    Reply
  9. Heather Blake says

    January 9, 2017 at 7:45 am

    Wow! That’s a pretty piece of meat! I tackled a couple of these myself over the holidays! I was scared too and was amazed how delicious they turned out! New go to party food!

    Reply
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Lea Ann of Cooking on the Ranch
I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad obsessed with South of The Border cuisine. Mexican, Southwestern and Wild West Recipes. If you're an adventurous home cook & passionate about the art of cooking & entertaining, you'll find plenty of inspiration for reliable, approachable recipes. [read more]

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