American holiday roast · main · medium
Rosemary Garlic Prime Rib Roast
Reverse-seared, edge-to-edge rosy — a rosemary-garlic crusted rib roast for the holiday table.
The reverse sear does the work: a 3-bone roast coasts at 250°F to perfect internal temperature, rests, then blasts under 500°F heat for a crackling rosemary-garlic crust. The result is edge-to-edge pink with a blistered herb surface — genuinely restaurant-grade without hovering. Jus from the drippings, horseradish cream on the side, and the carving is the only hard part left (it is not hard).
Ingredients
one bone per two guests — a 3-bone roast feeds 6 hungry or 7 polite people
The Roast
Rosemary Garlic Paste
Jus & Horseradish Cream
Instructions
- 1
prep
Dry-brine the roast with kosher salt 24 hours ahead, uncovered on a rack in the fridge. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
Doneness cue: Surface is dry and tacky; any wetness gets blotted before the paste goes on.
- 2
prep
Mash the garlic, chopped rosemary, thyme, olive oil, dijon, and Worcestershire into a spreadable paste. Slather it over the top and sides of the roast, working it into every crevice.
Doneness cue: An even green-flecked coat; none on the exposed bone end (it just burns there).
- 3
cook
Set the roast bone-side down on a rack in a roasting pan and roast at 250°F until the center reads 118°F for medium-rare — 2 to 2.5 hours.
Doneness cue: Probe in the center of the meat, not near bone: 118–120°F = rare-to-medium-rare start of the window.
- 4
finish
Rest the roast loosely tented for 30 minutes — the internal temperature will coast up about 8 degrees.
Doneness cue: Carryover lands near 125–127°F; this is where edge-to-edge pink is won.
- 5
finish
Heat the oven to 500°F, return the roast for 8–10 minutes until the crust is blistered and dark.
Doneness cue: Crust bubbles and darkens fast — stand at the window from minute 7; it turns in 60 seconds.
- 6
finish
Move the roast to a carving board. Deglaze the pan with wine and stock over medium heat, scraping the browned bits, and reduce by a third.
Doneness cue: Jus coats a spoon lightly and tastes like concentrated beef.
- 7
prep
Stir the horseradish, sour cream, and chives together and season with salt. Chill until service.
Doneness cue: Cool, sharp, and spoonable — the fat counterweight to the rib.
- 8
serving
Carve between the bones into individual ribs, then slice each portion against the grain about 3/4-inch thick. Serve with the jus and horseradish cream.
Doneness cue: Slices are uniformly rosy with a dark herb crust line — that is the money cross-section.
Pairings
Drink · Cabernet Sauvignon or an aged Bordeaux
Side · Truffle White Cheddar Mac and a crisp wedge salad
Per serving (est.)
calories 710 · proteing 49 · carbsg 3 · fatg 55
Approximate — prime rib is richly marbled by design; this is a splurge dish, and it earns it.
Shop the Kitchen
Everything used in this recipe · Amazon Associate links
V-rack roasting pan
essentialElevates the roast above the drippings so the crust stays dry and the jus stays clean.
Leave-in probe thermometer
essentialA 3-hour roast demands a probe you can read through the oven door — no opening, no guessing.
Long carving knife
essentialA 10–12 inch slicer makes one clean face per slice instead of sawing the crust off.
Garlic press
nice-to-havePaste-level garlic is the difference between an even crust and burnt bits under the 500°F sear.
Carving board with juice groove
nice-to-haveCatches the primal juices instead of the countertop — and those juices belong on the plate.
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