Prime Rib with Au Jus

Name: Prime Rib with Au Jus
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 270 min
Total time: 350 min
Ingredients: 12 lbs bone-in prime rib; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 8 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tbsp fresh thyme (minced); 2 tbsp fresh rosemary (minced); 2 1/2 tbsp salt (or to taste ); 3 tsp black pepper (or to taste ); 3 cups drippings (or beef stock ); 2 cups red wine; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp water; 10 roasted garlic cloves; salt and pepper to taste; 1 head garlic; 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

Julie

5 from 4 votes

Nov 19, 2020, Updated Jul 05, 2023

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Make a delicious and meaty dinner for the entire family with this medium rare prime rib recipe. Tender and juicy beef brought to life with a butter and herb mixture. Served with a rich, red wine jus, for the perfect main course.

sliced prime rib medium rare on a wooden board with fresh rosemary and thyme.

Dinners don’t always have to be difficult. However, sometimes, you want to make something a little more in-depth than those usual quick dinners. When you add in a side or two like Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, that’s when the party really begins. Well, a party for my taste buds, and yours! Go try it for yourself. You’ll see exactly what I’m referring to.

How To Make

Prep – Let the rib roast rest on the counter for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 500 degrees F. Tie each rib with twine and wrap the ends of the bones with foil.
Make the butter rub – Mix together the butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Thoroughly coat the rib roast with the mixture.
Cook – Place a thermometer in the meat, place it in a proper deep dish, and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Roast until it’s 5 degrees from your desired temperature.
Cover and rest – Remove the meat from the oven and wrap it in foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes. Slice the meat.
Start the au jus gravy – Place a skillet over high heat with the pan juices and leftover garlic halves. Add the wine and 2 ½ cups of the beef stock. Bring to a fast simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
Finish the gravy – Reduce the heat and add the cornstarch to the remaining beef stock not already in the pan. Whisk and add half to the skillet, whisking constantly. Wait for it to thicken and add the rest.
Serve – Pour the au jus over the prime rib slices. Serve and enjoy!

Tips and Variations for The Perfect Prime Rib with Au Jus

Skip the au jus – If you want to eat this prime rib without the gravy, that’s perfectly fine. I love the added gravy because it skyrockets the flavor. However, it’s not a must for the meat to be delicious.
Use top loin roast – A great substitute for prime rib is top loin roast. So, if you’re running into issues with finding your prime rib, go for this option instead!
Other names for prime rib – When it comes to buying prime rib at a grocery store, it might not actually be called “prime rib.” A more common name is standing rib roast. You may even see rib roast or beef rib roast.
What to serve with prime rib? – Your usual or classic side dishes are always a great go-to for this recipe. Cheesy Corn, Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Potatoes, or Cheddar Garlic Mashed Potatoes are all amazing choices.
When purchasing prime rib, you can ask the butcher to cut the rib bones off or not. Sometimes what they do is cut the bones off of the roast but then tie them back on with cooking twine so you can still get the flavor from the bones without having to cut the bones off afterward. If the butcher separates the bones, it makes sense to use twine to keep them together. If the butcher keeps the bones on, I don’t think it’s necessary to tie, but either way, it works. After roasting, the meat is so tender that the bones can very easily be cut away from the roast.
Unless the roast is frenched, you probably won’t have to use foil for the rib ends since they won’t be exposed before roasting.

Is Prime Rib the Same as Ribeye?

So, it can be a little confusing about the difference between these two. Simply because there seems to be so many names and many various cuts of steak. First of all, no, prime rib isn’t the same thing as ribeye. However, a ribeye steak comes from a prime rib. A prime rib is a roast, which means it’s cut into more of a large chunk. A prime rib, if cut properly, can be turned into multiple ribeye steaks. So, both the prime rib and ribeye steak come from the same area on the body. The two differences are the cut of the meat and the way they’re prepared or cooked.

What is the Best Way to Eat This?

The best way I know how to prepare it is slow-roasted in the oven. In fact, this is the most popular way to prepare prime rib. I tend to make sure it doesn’t go beyond 120 degrees. This will keep it slightly rare, but any warmer and the meat could get dry. Once it’s prepared, I like to prepare some sides with it and eat it as-is. Everyone has their own preferences though!

How Much Prime Rib Per Person?

Try to estimate that your guests will eat about 1/2 – 3/4 lb per person. If you’ll be serving turkey, ham, or any other meat I would do 1/2 lb per person. If prime rib is the only meat, I would do 3/4 lb per person. Again, this all depends on the individual.

How Long Does it Take to Cook a 12 lb Roast?

Do keep in mind that the roast will continue cooking once it comes out of the oven. 15-20 minutes per pound is ideal. Down below are the temperatures you’ll want to remove the prime rib from the oven.

Medium Rare – 110 degrees

Medium – 120 degrees

Medium Well – 130 degrees

Well Done – 140 degrees

Top Tip: Use a meat thermometer and fresh garlic. I don’t recommend the garlic that comes in a jar.

I hope you enjoy this holiday classic dinner as much as I did! Although, you may certainly enjoy this year-round.

More Delicious Holiday Recipes…

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