Name: Easier Prime Rib
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt; 1 1/2 tablespoons pepper; 1 (3- to 3½-pound) boneless prime rib roast; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; Prepared horseradish

Why This Recipe Works

We set out to establish a new, foolproof method for cooking a prime rib that was worthy of the most special of occasions, one that would allow us to do the prep work, start the roast, and then essentially leave it alone while we took care of the rest of the meal. Choosing a boneless roast was the first good move, as boneless roasts are much easier to carve and serve. To ensure a flavorful and well-seasoned exterior, we brushed it with Dijon mustard, which we chose for its sharp flavor and crust-enhancing qualities, and sprinkled the roast liberally with salt and pepper. A little research turned up an interesting trick for a hands-off, foolproof way to cook the roast to the perfect temperature. We started the roast in a 500-degree oven for a predetermined amount of time based on its weight, and then we shut off the oven and let the roast climb slowly to medium-rare over the course of the next 2 hours using just the oven’s residual heat, leaving us with perfect, rosy medium-rare slices.

Before You Begin

You can substitute other complementary spices for the pepper, if desired. It is critical that you not open the oven door at all while the roast is cooking. If you do, the heat will escape from the oven and the calculated cooking time will be ineffective. It’s good to use an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven truly reaches 500 degrees before starting. See “Cooking Time Cheat Sheet for Medium-Rare Meat” for help calculating the correct oven time for your particular prime rib. You can serve with Prepared Horseradish.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack in sheet; spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Combine salt and pepper in bowl.

Using scale, weigh prime rib. Round weight up to nearest ½ pound. Multiply rounded weight by 3, then round that number up to nearest whole number. Record that number; this will be your oven-on roasting time in minutes.

Pat prime rib dry with paper towels. Brush all over with mustard. Sprinkle salt and pepper mixture evenly on all sides. Transfer to prepared wire rack, fat side up.

Transfer sheet with prime rib to oven and roast for time recorded in step 2. Without opening oven door, turn off oven and leave roast in oven, undisturbed, for 2 hours. Do not open oven during this time.

Remove sheet from oven and let prime rib rest on rack for 20 minutes. Transfer prime rib to carving board. Slice ¼ to ½ inch thick. Serve with horseradish.