This Herb Crusted Prime Rib Roast is juicy, tender and full of fresh, herby flavor. Finished with a silky-smooth gravy made of red wine and horseradish, this prime rib recipe is the perfectly special entree you need for holiday parties, noteworthy celebrations, and family gatherings.Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
ONE DAY IN ADVANCE - Prep the rib roast:Make the rub: Mix the olive oil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper together in a small bowl until well combined.Apply the rub: Generously apply the rub onto the beef, rubbing it all over the roast. Place roast, fat cap up, on a wire rack insert on a sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator, UNCOVERED, overnight.
THE DAY OF SERVING - ROAST: Remove chill from beef: Remove the roast from the refrigerator and place, with the fat cap still facing up, on a rack insert in a roasting pan. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.Prepare oven: Arrange oven rack to the lowest possible position and preheat to 200 degrees F.
Roast in the oven for about 3-4 hours, or until desired temperature is achieved. (Degrees of doneness: 125-degrees for medium rare; 135-degrees for medium; 145-degrees for medium well. Please see post for more detailed information on beef doneness.)
Rest: Reserve the juices in the roasting pan (if any) and transfer the roast to a clean cutting board, or work surface, and tent loosely with foil. Allow the roast to rest for at least 20 minutes, up to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, Make the Gravy Base: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the dried thyme and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bottle of red wine, the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 15-18 minutes. Add Demi Glace and continue to boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 25-30 minutes. Set the aside. You'll need it once the roast is cooked and resting.
Deglaze roasting pan with gravy base: Place the roasting pan, with juices, across two burners over medium heat. Add the set aside gravy mixture (from the step above) and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, while scraping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan.
Strain gravy and cook until thick: Remove roasting pan from heat and transfer to a fine mesh strainer set over a saucepan (same pot you used before). Place saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. . Cook until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Meanwhile, make flavorful cream for the gravy: In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, mustard, and horseradish. Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the cream mixture.
Optional - for a golden brown crust on your prime rib: Rearrange oven: Move the oven rack to the middle position and increase the oven temperature to the highest possible setting (mine was 550 degrees F).Roast: Remove the foil from the roast and discard. Return the standing rib roast to the rack on the roasting pan. Roast until exterior is crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.(Note: The roast does NOT need to rest again before carving!!)
Optional before carving - for a restaurant presentation: Place the rib roast, standing upwards with the ribs facing up onto a serving tray or cutting board. Set on table for guests to see as they sit themselves. Carve: Transfer the roasted prime rib to a clean cutting board. Use a sharp slicing knife to carve the prime rib into thick ½-inch-wide slices.
Serve: Arrange the slices of prime rib roast slices elegantly on a serving platter. Pour the gravy into a boat and serve on the side.
Notes
Inactive Time: Overnight in the Refrigerator
Read this recipe ALL the way through before cooking!!
Recommended ordering method: Ask for the first cut (loin side) of the standing rib roast. One “bone” will feed 2 people, so a 3 bone roast will feed about six people.
For easier carving, have your butcher remove the bones from the roast and truss them back to roast. Even if you do NOT have the butcher remove bones from roast, you still need to truss the roast to ensure even cooking.
The gravy yields 4 1/2 cups, which is A LOT. My household likes a lot of gravy. If yours does not, simply divide the gravy ingredients in half.
If you own a blow torch, you can torch the outside, instead of high temperature roasting it before serving.
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.