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.
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.
I followed a recipe I found in my Creme de Colorado Cookbook for Fall River Prime Rib with Hunter’s Horseradish Sauce. I mixed up the marinade of chopped parsley, grated lemon peel, thyme, juniper berries, garlic, Tabasco and olive oil and spread it on all sides of the roast. Instructions were to let this marinade for 24 hours.
On Sunday I cooked the meat, fat side up, in a 500 degree oven for fifteen minutes, then turned down the heat to 350 degrees and roasted for fifteen minutes per pound. I let it stand for ten minutes before slicing. 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.
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.
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grated lemon peel
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
Karen says
May 7, 2014 at 12:10 pmThat is *perfect*!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:38 amThanks Karen. 🙂
Mick says
May 7, 2014 at 3:10 pmNicely done, the internal temp is perfect and your pictures make me hungry! Thanks for letting us be at your table!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:37 amThank you so much Mick.
Larry says
May 7, 2014 at 3:13 pmLooks like you did outstanding and the horsey sauce sounds very good as well. Now I’m really hungry.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:37 amThanks Larry. That’s a real compliment coming from you.
Vickie says
May 7, 2014 at 3:31 pmWoman, you have outdone yourself!! There is nothing finer – in my opinion – than a perfectly rare slice of prime rib with zippy horseradish. Bet that snazzy new knife slid through it like buttah!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:37 amThanks Vickie! I kinda felt that way myself. And ohymygosh I love that snazzy new knife. 🙂
Nancy says
May 7, 2014 at 3:37 pmThis is why I don’t cook. Too much stress. 😉 It looks amazing! You must cook this for us some day. Please put it on the list.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:36 amI think I thrive on cooking stress.
Karen Harris says
May 7, 2014 at 4:02 pmWoohoo, now you are talking! This does look perfect. My family will never forget the first one of these I ever cooked. It was Christmas Day and I didn’t give it nearly enough time and we were all starving by the time it hit the table. Thank goodness I can say it was worth it. Next time you make one, remember my phone number if you need help polishing it off.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:35 amThank goodness for that cookbook and it’s instructions. Or I probably would have been in that same situation.
Linda says
May 7, 2014 at 4:05 pmAwesome. What more can I say? Thank you for sharing your success.
Linda
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:34 amThanks Linda. It was a nice celebration over getting that meat cooked correctly. 🙂
John@Kitchen Riffs says
May 7, 2014 at 4:32 pmThis is perfectly cooked! And looks so lovely. I haven’t cooked a prime rib roast for years, and would always do one about this size (5 pounds). I’ve been thinking I need to do this again, and will probably do so in the fall. You done good! Thanks for the inspiration.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:34 amThank you John!
cheri says
May 7, 2014 at 4:36 pmOh Lea Ann this looks wonderful, where did you find the juniper berries? My husband would love me for this….. thinking father’s day dinner. Thanks!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:33 amI found Juniper Berries at our local Savory Spice shop. I loved the flavor they brought to this marinade.
Debra says
May 7, 2014 at 4:39 pmI have never cooked a prime rib. Love that horseradish sauce. We do grow our own horseradish. Maybe I should try a prime cut like this with our home grown stuff.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:33 amA house I lived in years ago had a horseradish plant that come up every year. Thanks for the reminder. I’m going to plant one this year at this house.
Holly says
May 7, 2014 at 8:40 pmNow THAT is a meal! So glad it turned out well for you. i am still getting over the price tag but after seeing the results I know it was worth it!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:32 amThanks Holly. And yes, I was afraid to look at the price tag as I carried that piece of meat through Tony’s. But it was worth the experience, the flavor and the defeat of agony over my fear of cooking Prime Rib.
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
May 8, 2014 at 5:04 amNothing beats a perfectly cooked prime rib and that certainly describes yours. Love your horseradish sauce too.
Sam
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:31 amThanks you Sam. That horseradish sauce is a great recipe. I hope you give it a try.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
May 8, 2014 at 6:18 amYou did a terrific job with the prime rib and the horseradish sauce that you made to go with it sounds perfect.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:30 amThanks Maureen. And I did try your Burger tacos. Great flavor.
The Dude Kitchen says
May 8, 2014 at 6:59 amLea Ann! You’re making us hungry now…and we only just had breakfast!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:30 amYay, that’s my job. Thanks for stopping in and the comment. 🙂
Yvette (Muy Bueno) says
May 8, 2014 at 8:32 amOh yum! I just want to lick the screen! It’s always scary investing in expensive ingredients — so happy it worked out for you. Looks beyond delicious.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:29 amThanks Yvette. I was so nervous when I started out on this one. And the outcome was so rewarding.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
May 8, 2014 at 9:44 amI wish you would have invited Manservant over. Since I don’t eat meat anymore, he totally craves it. Coming from a family of butchers we had this a lot when I was a kid. But no one ever took a photo that looked as good as this! You guys must be in meat heaven! I can smell it from here and I still love the smell of meat cooking. Go figure!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:27 amThank you Abbe! And Manservant would have been very welcome to help us eat this.
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily says
May 8, 2014 at 11:13 amI wonder if the leftovers would freeze well. I’ve never attempted to cook prime rib. My husband would die and go to heaven if I did, especially with this horseradish cream!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:27 amI’m pretty sure they would freeze well. For this meal we didn’t have any leftover to find out. I hope you try that horseradish sauce, it’s a special treat.
Susan says
May 8, 2014 at 5:09 pmAnother wonderful recipe from Creme de Colorado! I would love to try this when we have our daughter and son-in-law over for dinner. It did turn out beautifully!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:25 amI love my Colorado Jr. League books. And they’re perfect for my western style food for my blog. Thanks for stopping in and the comment Susan.
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
May 8, 2014 at 9:10 pmThat was quite a pithy blog—-in other words I learned something. Your prime rib looked perfect to me. Yay boy howdy with the price of that baby, one does not want something to go sideways. A simple Oh Darn and moving on would not cover a failure. I didn’t know the uber prime rib had to be 7 ribs big. You know what I am craving right now. Seriously, very interesting blog. Thanx for the research.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:24 amI couldn’t agree more Carol, and “darn” would not have been my word of choice for a mistake. 🙂
Coffee and Crumpets says
May 9, 2014 at 3:35 pmThat looks great, especially with that tasty horseradish sauce. Was probably even better as leftovers!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:23 amYou didn’t hear us complaining about those leftovers. 🙂 Thanks Nazneen
Sarah & Arkadi says
May 10, 2014 at 9:43 pmyour prime rib roast looks amazing! reminds me of our fave steak place we usually go to and order prime rib!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:23 amThat’s the only time I’ve ever had prime rib, is at a restaurant carving station. So pleased that I can now make it at home.
Roz says
May 11, 2014 at 8:38 amWe adore prime rib and have never thought about asking for a smaller cut! Now that our family get-togethers are sadly getting smaller as our adult kids move further away and can’t always get back, this is the perfect answer! The inside of your prime rib is exactly the perfect color and level of ‘doneness’ that we love!!! Can you believe the expense of beef now Lea Ann?
I also stopped by to wish you a beautiful Mother’s Day!
xo
Roz
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:22 amThank you Roz. Happy Mother’s Day to you also. I was really surprised at how easy this was to cook. And now my confidence level is good to go for a larger piece for a dinner party. It’s a wow type of meal.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says
May 11, 2014 at 1:35 pmLea Ann: Wow!!!!!!! What a gorgeous prime rib steak…perfectly cooked and succulent! Yes, I am looking forward to making this as well as horseradish sauce.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:21 amThank you Denise. I was really excited over that horseradish sauce recipe, and it didn’t disappoint.
Drick says
May 11, 2014 at 6:28 pmnow that is a sight to marvel… and drool!!! perfectly cooked madame, and I know it tasted heavenly. this sauce is divine too.
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:20 amThanks Drick! 🙂
Monet says
May 11, 2014 at 9:44 pmI don’t normally crave red meat but after seeing your post…I really really want this piece of meat! Thank you for sharing!
Lea Ann Brown says
May 12, 2014 at 6:20 amIt’s interesting that you say that, I don’t usually crave red meat either … except for a good burger. Thanks for stopping in and the comment. Always love new visitors.