ROAST*****Perfect Prime Rib (Serious Eats) Recipe

Ingredients

1 standing rib roast (prime rib), 3 to 12 pounds (Xmas 2017 - I had 8.3 lbs./4 ribs. There were 6 of us, including Kaleb, and after removing the bones, there were about 3 lbs. leftover)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 - 2 bunches rosemary
1 - 2 bunches sage
1 - 2 bunches thyme
olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

Thaw meat in fridge for 2 or 3 days, if frozen.

The day before you plan to cook it, remove roast from all packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a rack over a few folded paper towels in a baking sheet. Salt generously all over and let it rest, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove roast from fridge 2 1/2 to 3 hours before you're going to cook it, to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 200°F 1/2 to 1 hour before cooking.

Toss the rosemary, sage and thyme with the oil and arrange on a wire rack on the bottom of a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet. Set the prime rib on top of the herbs and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. (I'm not sure what flavour the herbs imparted but they were too crispy to eat so I don't think they're crucial)

Insert probe, place in oven and cook until center of roast registers 125°F for medium-rare, around four to five hours. (Xmas 2017 - I put it in at 200 initially and after about an hour I raised it to 225 because I was afraid the oven wasn't hot enough. That took 4 hours in total to reach 125. Try it fully at 200 next time) (It cooked until about 128 before I took it out and it was pretty close to perfectly medium-rare after sitting for an hour then being seared as below) (side note - the bones, being removed and tied back at the butcher, don't cook with this method and have to be finished in the oven to enjoy as leftovers)

Remove roast from oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Place in a warm spot in the kitchen and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 1/2 hours.

45 minutes to half an hour before dinner, preheat oven to highest possible temperature setting, 500°F.

Ten minutes before guests are ready to be served, remove foil, place roast back in hot oven, and cook until well browned and crisp on the exterior, 6 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the prime rib to a cutting board. Cut the string with scissors and remove the bones then slice the meat across the grain with a sharp chef's knife.

Notes

This recipe works for prime rib roasts of any size from two ribs to six ribs. Plan on one pound of bone-in roast per guest. (Each rib adds one and a half to two pounds to the roast.)

If, after step 1, your timing is off, and your roast is ready long before your guests are, reheat the roast by placing it in a 200°F (93°C) oven for 45 minutes before you continue with step 2.