On special occasions I splurge for a prime rib roast. Christmas dinner for many years consists of a Spiced Up Prime Rib and all the “fixin’s”.

To start – if my prime rib has been frozen, I defrost it a couple days ahead. Once it has thawed, or if I have bought a fresh cut piece of meat, ti’s time to salt it well – at least 24 hours in advance. this allows the salt to penetrate the meat and add flavor, as well as help tenderize it.

I almost never used enough salt until I read Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat. Now I use 1- 1 1/2 tsp per pound, so well over a tbsp, sometimes 2 depending on the size of the roast. Rub it in good, cover lightly with plastic wrap, aluminum foil or wax paper, and put it in the fridge.

I take it out of the cold a couple hours early to let it warm to room temperature. This helps prevent meat from seizing up (i.e. getting tougher) and the fibers don’t suddenly shrink going from cold to a hot oven immediately.

Before I put it in a hot oven to roast I pat on my Sweet & Spice Meat Rub. I love this rub. It works on almost any protein. The bit of brown sugar in it helps create a nice crust, and the sweet and salty tastes play well of each other. Spices create more flavor on the outside edge.

Into a hot oven, 425F to start for 20 minutes to help sear the outside, then lower the temperature to 325F and let it cook low and slow until medium rare (for us). I use a meat thermometer in the thickest part to tell me when it’s about done, 135-140F for medium. Remove and tent with foil to rest for 15 minutes or longer. Meat will continue to cook for another 10 minutes just due to retained heat. Resting helps re-distribute the meat juices – no dry meat for us, especially with such a costly piece of beef! Resting before serving really should be done with any meat.

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Make Yorkshire pudding and gravy to go along with the roast!