Oven Cooked Prime Rib — No Rest Required, Slice and Serve

I decided to cook a prime rib for Easter this year. Publix tends to discount beef around this time of year, and I was able to snag a nice standing rib roast for $6.99/lb. I’ve cooked prime rib in the oven before, and I’ve also smoked one. My daughter gifted me a book a few years back on the science of cooking, where the author documents what they consider the best method for preparing different dishes. Based on that book, I decided to follow their recommended approach — the recipe right before it happened to be for au jus, so we decided to tackle that as well.

Making the Au Jus

The au jus recipe called for oxtails, something I’d never purchased before — surprisingly, they ran more per pound than the prime rib itself. We made the au jus the night before; it took several hours and included a bottle of wine.

The oxtail turned out very tender and surprisingly rich-tasting. Once everything was strained and refrigerated, it actually set up into a jello-like consistency, which caught me off guard.

Strained au jus set to a jello-like consistency after refrigeration

The roast was seasoned simply — salt, pepper, and garlic.

Prime rib roast seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic

The recipe called for a 200°F oven, cooked until it hit 120°F internal.

Prime rib roast cooking in a 200 degree oven

It took on some decent color, and the next step was tenting it and letting it rest at least 30 minutes. Just as the book described, it climbed to 128°F while resting outside the oven.

Prime rib roast tented and resting after the first oven stage

The Reverse Sear

Here’s where it gets fun — the recipe called for cranking the oven to 525°F and returning the roast for 5-6 minutes to build a crust. Every single time I’ve done this, it sets off the smoke alarm, and today was no exception.

Prime rib roast fresh out of the oven after searing

One real benefit to this method: once it comes out of the oven the second time, there’s no additional resting needed — it can be sliced and served immediately.

The Rest of the Meal

The prime rib turned out perfect, and the au jus was just as good. We made a few other recipes from the same book — a fancy au gratin potato dish that was great but a lot of work.