Prime Rib Recipe and Primer

Standing rib roast. Prime rib roast. Prime rib. What is it about this huge hunk of beef that people love so much?

Here's your Prime Rib, uh..primer, with a recipe, step-by-step visual guide, and all the helpful tips and tricks so that you end up with a perfect prime rib every time, whether you're aiming for ruby red rare or perfectly pink medium.

(I prefer my prime rib cooked medium-plus, and don't even mind only eating the salty outer crust that's nearly burnt!)

tl;dr High-level How to Cook Perfect Prime Rib

Get a bone-in, prime-grade prime rib; have the butcher cut off the rib bone section, and tie them back onto the roast.
Season roast generously with salt and let it rest, loosely covered or uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight or up to three days before cooking.
Let roast sit uncovered at room temperature for two hours to take some of the chill off.
Blast the roast in a 500°F oven for 15 minutes
Turn down oven heat to 350°F and roast until a thermometer hits 125°F. This will end up being 130°F, "medium"
Remove the roast from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Carve and serve immediately.

What is Prime Rib

A whole prime rib roast is made up of seven rib bones from the "primal" region

The question didn't come up when we had prime rib for Thanksgiving this year, in addition to a turkey and a whole ham.

It was a week-and-half later at the KoreAm Unforgettable Gala. They served Lawry's Prime Rib.

I was disappointed by Lawry's, not by the food itself, but by the choice. I was hoping that we'd have Korean wedding reception-style buffet replete with enormous tangled piles of banchan, bulgogi, and jahp-chae, but I'm probably the only Korean person in LA who doesn't eat Korean food on a regular basis.

Anyway.

That's when I asked myself the question. What is it about the white people version of galbi? Is it the taste of the meat? Is it what the meat symbolizes — the American Dream? Is it the luxury and indulgence?

And that's when I realized that it's not even the prime rib. It's the association.

Prime rib is associated with Lawry's is associated with...

Free meatballs.

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