Prime rib roast is a traditional Christmas dish. Rib roast can be purchased in varying qualities, and of course for different prices. Prime rib is the most costly, and apparently the tastiest, due to the amount of fat marbling within the meat. The U.S. Food and Safety Inspection Service says, "Prime grade is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (broiling, roasting, or grilling)."http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Inspection_&_Grading/index.asp

A rib roast is held together with chef string or kitchen string, to maintain the loaf type shape, and this needs to remain on the meat throughout the cooking process, however ensure you remove it once you start carving, you don't want to include string on the dinner plate.

On this page we will concentrate specifically on how to make a Christmas Prime Rib Roast and you will find lots of tips and variations on how to prepare this popular roast in many different ways.

There are a variety of ways in which a prime roast rib can be prepared prior to cooking, and there are several sauces that can be served with the roast, to enhance the flavors you try to achieve with the pre cooking preparation. But the basic requirements are enough meat for the amount of diners, usually at 1lb per person, some salt for coating and a meat thermometer to ensure thorough cooking of the roast.

For Christmas especially, try to get the best cut of prime rib that is available to you in your area. Use your usual butcher, or try further afield, you never know what surprises might be in store.

Once you have acquired your cut of prime rib, you will want to decide on a coating, or perhaps you might just wish to cook it "as is" with little additional flavoring. The choice is yours. To cook a basic prime rib roast you will need the following ingredients and equipment:

• One standing prime rib roast - 3-7 ribs (estimate 1 ribs per 2 persons)
  
  
• Salt and pepper to coat
  
  

• Meat thermometer - to frequently check temperature during cooking
  
  

Pre-Roast Coating Variations

1. Use melted butter to coat the beef and rub in coarse kosher salt.
2. Puncture the beef and insert slivers fresh garlic before salting the outside.
3. Use a brown sugar coating, 1/4 cup Homemade Mustard or other Brown Mustard, 1 tbs Roasted Garlic, 1 tbs Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Kosher Salt, coating both sides beef prior to cooking.
4. Use one of many varieties of compound butter, which can be prepared at home.http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/tips/2008/04/how_to_make_compound_butter Rub onto the surface of the beef prior to cooking, or cut small slats and insert little pieces of the butter.
   
   

Once you have prepared the rib roast with the coating of your choice you are ready to start the cooking process.

This roast will need to be cooked for 20 minutes per pound in a medium pre-heated oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF
2. Place the rib roast on meat rack in a roasting tin
3. Insert the meat thermometer into the roast and place in the oven
4. After 10 minutes, when the outside has sealed, reduce the heat to 225ºF
5. Allow 20 mins per pound for cooking but keep checking the thermometer, when it reaches 120º, this indicates that the roast is cooked. Remember you can always cook it more, you cant cook it less.
6. Remove from the oven, remove the thermometer and cover over with some tin foil, allow to sit for 10 minutes or so, this will bring out the juices.
7. Carve and serve with your chosen sauce or as part of a main dinner accompanied by vegetables and other side dishes. (See Step 3 for accompaniments for a traditional English Christmas Roast Dinner)
   
   

Sauce and Serving Variations

• Horseraddish Sauce- 2tsp mayonnaise, 1tsp horseraddish, 1 tsp sourcream, 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, mix together and serve with cold cuts of beef.
  
  

• Chinese Oyster Sauce - 2tbps oyster sauce, 1 tsp chinese rice wine, 1tbsp soy sauce, 1/4 cup of beef broth - mix together and pour over cold beef slices.
  
  

• Red Wine & Cranberry Sauce - 1 cup cranberry sauce, 2tbsp red wine, dash of tabasco to taste, mix together and serve with cold slices of beef.

There are a number of centre dishes used when preparing a Traditional Christmas Dinner including Duck, Goose, Turkey, Lamb and Beef. Roast Prime Rib may be served as part of this meal along with the following accompaniments:

• Roast Potatoes - often cooked alongside the meat in the oven, for the last 40 minutes
  
  
• Yorkshire Pudding - a battter mix that is baked in the oven and often filled with gravy alongside the meat
  
  
• Brussel Sprouts - boiled, steamed or roasted in the oven
  
  
• Cauliflower - boiled, steamed or roasted in the oven
  
  
• Honey Glazed Parsnips and Carrots - coated in honey, often with mustard and oven roastedhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/honeyglazedparsnipsb_84865.shtml
  
  
• Sugar Snap Peas - steamed or boiled.
  
  
• Gravy - incorporating juice from the roast meat and liquid from any vegetables that are boiled.
  
  

Finally, as part of a Christmas Prime Rib Roast dinner, an ideal dessert to top off the meal would be a traditional Christmas pudding.