Name: Bigly Prime Rib
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 6-8 lbs bone-in standing rib roast (3-4 ribs); 3 tbsp kosher salt; 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper; 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped; 2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1/2 cup horseradish (for serving); 2 cups beef stock (for au jus)

Bigly Prime Rib

Prep

30m

Cook

180m

Total

210m

Bigly says

Prime rib. Prime rib! This is the centerpiece. The big swing. The roast you put on the table when you want people to UNDERSTAND that you take dinner seriously. A standing rib roast is not a Tuesday cook. A standing rib roast is an OCCASION. Birthdays. Anniversaries. The annual gathering where Aunt Janice tries to argue with you about gravy and you politely pretend not to hear her. This is the move.

Many people don't know this — and they should, this is FOUNDATIONAL — the secret to a perfect prime rib is not the seasoning, it's not the herb crust, it's not the fancy butter wash some so-called celebrity chef will sell you in a sponsored video. It is TIME and TEMPERATURE. That's it. You salt the roast a full day ahead, sometimes two — dry brine, look it up, food scientists agree — you let it sit uncovered in the fridge so the surface dries out, and then you cook it LOW. Painfully low. So low that people walking through your kitchen will ask 'is the oven even on?' Yes. The oven is on. The roast is becoming a god in there. Be patient.

A man named Ramón — different Ramón, not the taco Ramón, this Ramón ran a hotel restaurant in Reno for forty-one years — taught me to finish it with a screaming-hot reverse sear at the end. Pull it out at 120F, let it rest, crank the oven to 550F, blast it for ten minutes. That's how you get the crust. That's how you get the bark. The carving knife goes in and the inside is rosy edge to edge, no gray band, no sad overcooked perimeter, just pink, pink, pink. Tremendous. Hands down. Game over.

Ingredients

6-8 lbsbone-in standing rib roast (3-4 ribs)(ask your butcher to remove and tie the bones back on)
3 tbspkosher salt
2 tbspfreshly ground black pepper
4 tbspunsalted butter, softened
6garlic cloves, minced
2 tbspfresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbspfresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tbspDijon mustard
1/2 cuphorseradish (for serving)
2 cupsbeef stock (for au jus)

Steps

1
24 hours ahead: rub the roast all over with the kosher salt. Place on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered overnight.
2
Two hours before cooking, remove the roast from the fridge. Let it come to room temperature.
3
Heat oven to 250F. Mix the softened butter with garlic, rosemary, thyme, Dijon, and black pepper into a paste.
4
Pat the roast dry. Rub the butter-herb paste over all surfaces, including the ends.
5
Place the roast bone-side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part, avoiding bone.
6
Roast until internal temperature reaches 118-120F for medium-rare, about 2.5-3.5 hours depending on size.
7
Remove the roast and tent loosely with foil. Rest for at least 30 minutes (this is non-negotiable).
8
While resting, deglaze the roasting pan with beef stock over medium heat, scraping up the browned bits. Reduce by half. Strain into a gravy boat.
9
Increase oven temperature to 550F. Remove the foil and return the roast to the oven for 8-12 minutes until the exterior is deeply browned and crackling.
10
Transfer to a cutting board. Cut the strings, remove the bones, and slice the roast into thick portions.
11
Serve with the au jus and prepared horseradish on the side.

One more thing

Carve at the table. AT THE TABLE. People should SEE the prime rib being cut, they should hear the knife glide, they should witness it like an event — because it is one. Plate the slices thick with a pool of au jus and a confident dollop of horseradish. Yorkshire puddings on the side if you want to be a legend. Save me a piece.