Perfect Rib Eye Roast

By Kath Dedon

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People are often nervous about roasting an expensive Rib Eye Roast. Although I’ve roasted many beef roasts, I admit that I always research different ways to do it every time. Even though it’s actually very easy.

This time I settled on the method from “CAREBEARCOOKING” on food.com. My 5.6 pound Choice Rib Eye Roast was approximately the same size as the one in the recipe (5 pounds). The only change I made was to cut the kosher salt in half. The original recipe called for ½ cup of kosher salt; I used ¼ cup and it was plenty.

If you don’t have a meat thermometer, just follow the timing for this recipe and your roast should turn out fine. This recipe for Perfect Rib Eye Roast is very simple, but it makes a fabulous special meal for family and friends.

Update 11/27/2015: I roasted a 5.86 pound rib roast yesterday and it was absolutely perfect. Using the Maverick Redi-Chek thermometer that Byron gave me made it super easy to know exactly when to remove the roast from the oven. (Thanks, Byron, for the great gift!) My goal was to pull it out of the oven when the temperature reached 120˚. After the 15 minutes at 500˚, it took another 1 hour and 45 minutes to finish roasting. It took 18 minutes per pound. (18 x 5.86 = 105.48 minutes, or 1 hour and 45 minutes.) So I’m happy to confirm – if you don’t have a reliable meat thermometer, just do the math to figure out the timing for your roast and you should have good results.

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Update 12/22/2017 – Timing for roasting a larger roast:

This week I roasted a 10.75 pound (4 – rib) roast and thought it would take a bit longer than a 5 – 6 pound roast. I kept a close eye on the Maverick Redi-Chek thermometer and took it out as soon as it reached 120 degrees. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to 120° after initial 15 minutes at 500°. So it was a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes in the oven. After about a 30 minute rest, it was beautifully rare.  That works out to be about 14 minutes per pound for the larger roast.

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Perfect Rib Eye Roast  

(Adapted from a recipe from CAREBEARCOOKING on food.com)

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A Rib Eye Roast is the same cut as a “Prime Rib Roast”; it is simply a Choice grade of meat instead of a Prime grade. It’s much less expensive than Prime beef, and it is what you’ll find at most markets.

The original recipe called for kosher salt which is what I use. For best results I recommend kosher salt.  If you use table salt (Morton’s Iodized Salt, for example) cut the amount of salt at least in half. 

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(print the recipe)

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For a bone-in roast, allow 1 – 1 ½ pounds per person. My 5.6 pound roast served 6, with just the meaty bones leftover.

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1 5-6 pound rib eye roast (choice cut “prime” rib roast)

¼ cup kosher salt (or 2 tablespoons table salt)

1 tablespoon garlic powder or 6 garlic cloves, crushed

Pepper, generous amount

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1. Allow the roast to come to room temperature (allow 2 – 3 hours).

2. Preheat the oven to 500˚.

3. Combine the salt and the garlic.

 Salt and crushed garlic cloves

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Salt and garlic stirred together

4. Place the meat, bone side down, in a shallow roasting pan. (I found that my 12-inch cast iron skillet was a perfect fit.)

5. Add about 1/4 cup water to the pan.

 

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6. Rub the roast all over with the salt and garlic. Generously grind pepper over it.

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7. Roast the meat for 15 minutes.

8. Do not open the oven, but after 15 minutes turn the oven temperature down to 325˚.

9. Continue to roast at 325˚ for about 20 minutes per pound. (1 hour and 52 minutes for my 5.6 pound roast). This timing should produce a roast that’s Medium-Rare to Medium.

Update 12/24/12: If you like your roast a bit more on the rare side, roast it for 18 minutes per pound.

Update 12/27/2013: If you have a meat thermometer, start checking the roast 15 minutes at least 30 minutes before you think it will be done. Continue roasting until it is done to your liking. If the roast has reached 95˚, the temperature will go up 8 – 10 degrees for each additional 10 minutes in the oven. (Tip from Molly Stevens in All About Roasting)

Update 12/22/2017: For a 10 – 11 pound roast, roast it at 325˚ for about 14 minutes per pound  after the initial 15 minutes at 500˚.

Rare:  125 – 130˚ (Take the roast out of the oven when the temperature reaches 120˚. The temperature will continue to rise a bit as it rests.)

Medium:  135 – 140˚ (Take the roast out of the oven when the temperature reaches 130˚. The temperature will continue to rise a bit as it rests.)

Well: 160 – 170˚ (please don’t do this)

10. Allow the roast to sit for 20 – 30 minutes before slicing.

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