Are you searching for the ultimate holiday showstopper? A magnificent, jaw-dropping centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table that is the very definition of a special occasion? This incredible, from-scratch Classic Prime Rib with homemade Yorkshire Puddings is that perfect recipe. We’re talking an impossibly juicy and tender standing rib roast, with a perfect, edge-to-edge rosy-pink center, all encased in a savory, crackly, and deeply flavorful four-peppercorn and mustard crust. And to catch all those delicious drippings? A basket of light, airy, and crispy Yorkshire puddings.
This isn’t just another roast recipe; it’s your definitive guide to mastering the king of all beef roasts. While a perfect prime rib may seem like the exclusive domain of a fancy steakhouse, we’ll show you the simple but crucial professional secrets to a flawless, tender roast that never fails. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive meal that is destined to become the highlight of your celebration.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Holiday Showstopper
What makes this Prime Rib so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, pure beef flavor and its brilliantly simple, classic roasting method. This recipe is a masterpiece of minimalist cooking, letting the high-quality beef shine. The star of the show is a magnificent, 7-bone standing rib roast, which is rubbed with a fragrant, from-scratch paste made from two types of mustard and a complex, coarsely crushed four-peppercorn blend. The roast is cooked at a steady, moderate temperature, which ensures a beautifully even cook and a stunning, golden-brown crust. The final, magical touch is using the rich, flavorful pan drippings to create impossibly light, puffy, and crispy Yorkshire Puddings.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 4 hours (plus optional overnight marinating) |
| Active Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Intermediate |
| Servings | 12-16 |
The Butcher’s Best & The Baker’s Secret: Essential Ingredients & Tools
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and one crucial tool to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Roast (The Star of the Show!):
- Standing Rib Roast: This is a classic, special-occasion cut, also known as prime rib.1 For this recipe, you’ll need a large, 7-bone roast (14 to 16 pounds). For the best flavor and texture, look for a roast with a generous fat cap and beautiful marbling.
- The Four-Peppercorn Mustard Rub: The secret to the deep, complex, and aromatic crust is making your own.
- Whole Peppercorns & Mustards: It is absolutely essential to use whole peppercorns that you crush yourself. The vibrant, pungent, and complex flavor of a blend of white, black, green, and Sichuan peppercorns is a world away from pre-ground pepper. A combination of smooth Dijon and a zesty grainy mustard creates the perfect, flavorful “glue” for the crust.
- The Yorkshire Pudding:
- The Drippings!: For the most authentic, classic, and unbelievably delicious flavor, there is no substitute for the hot, rendered beef drippings from your prime rib. This is the key that gives the Yorkshire pudding its signature, rich and savory flavor.
- The Key Equipment (A Meat Thermometer!): This is the single most important, non-negotiable tool for a perfect prime rib.2 Because a rib roast is an expensive cut of meat, an instant-read meat thermometer is the only 100% foolproof way to guarantee that your roast is cooked to your desired, perfect temperature without any guesswork.
The Roasting & “Puff” Masterclass: The Secrets to Perfection
This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Room Temperature is Key: A crucial, professional step! By letting your large roast sit at room temperature for an hour or two, you are allowing the chill from the refrigerator to come off. This is the key that will help your roast to cook much more quickly and, most importantly, evenly.
- The “Bone Rack”: The genius technique of using the rib bones as a natural roasting rack is brilliant for two reasons: it elevates the meat, allowing hot air to circulate all around it for even cooking, and it adds an incredible, deep, and beefy flavor to the pan drippings.
- Trust Your Thermometer & Rest!: You must let your finished roast rest for at least 20 minutes before you slice into it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast.
- For the Puddings: A Screaming Hot Pan & Fat: You must preheat your baking dish with the beef drippings inside until the fat is literally smoking hot. When the cool batter hits the ripping hot fat, the initial shock of intense heat is the magic that instantly creates a huge amount of steam, which is the force that makes the pudding puff up to its iconic, towering height.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Prime Rib
This elegant, festive meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Aromatic Peppercorn-Mustard Rub (Up to 24 Hours Ahead)
In a large plastic bag, use a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan to coarsely crush your four types of peppercorns. In a medium bowl, combine the crushed peppercorns with your smooth Dijon and grainy mustards to form a paste.
Place your prime rib, fat-side up, on a rack in your roasting pan. Spread the peppercorn-mustard paste all over the entire top, fatty surface of the roast. If you have the time, you can cover this and refrigerate it overnight to marinate.
Part 2: The Perfect Roast and the Final Rest
Step 1: About 30 minutes before cooking, remove your prime rib from the refrigerator to allow it to come closer to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) with the oven rack in the center.
Step 2: Season the roast generously with salt. Place the meat in the center of the oven and let it cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours (about 12 to 15 minutes per pound).
Step 3: Start checking the internal temperature. You will know the roast is a perfect medium-rare when your thermometer inserted into the very center (be sure not to touch the bone) registers $135^{\circ}F$.
Step 4 (The Most Important Step!): Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest on a cutting board for at least 20 minutes before you slice it. Do not discard the precious drippings in the roasting pan!
Part 3: The Art of the Perfect Yorkshire Pudding
Step 1: While the roast is resting, increase your oven temperature to 400°F (200°C).
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine your 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Whisk in your 3 eggs, one by one, and then whisk in the 3/4 cup of warm water until smooth. Just before baking, whisk in the 3/4 cup of warm milk and some of the melted butter from your pan drippings.
Step 3: Place your 9-inch round baking dish in the hot oven to preheat. Carefully remove the hot dish, add your remaining melted butter or beef drippings, and then pour your prepared batter over the butter.
Step 4: Immediately place the dish in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, without opening the oven door, until the pudding is a deep golden brown and beautifully puffy.
Serve your beautiful prime rib, carved into slices, with a large wedge of the warm, puffy Yorkshire pudding and some of the pan drippings.
Holiday Prime Rib (with Foolproof Yorkshire Pudding!)
A classic and impressive recipe for a showstopper holiday meal: a Roast Prime Rib of Beef served with traditional Yorkshire Pudding. The large, 7-bone prime rib roast is coated in a pungent paste of Dijon and grainy mustards mixed with four types of cracked peppercorns, then refrigerated overnight. It is slow-roasted to a perfect medium-rare. The meal is completed with light, airy, and savory Yorkshire Puddings, which are made from a simple batter and baked in the hot, rendered beef drippings from the roast.
Ingredients
- For the Prime Rib:
- One 14- to 16-pound, 7-bone whole prime rib roast
- 1/4 cup smooth Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon each of whole white, black, green, and Sichuan peppercorns
- Kosher salt
- For the Yorkshire Pudding:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
Instructions
- Prepare the Prime Rib (Day Before): In a medium bowl, combine the mustards and all the peppercorns to form a paste.
- Place the prime rib in a roasting pan, fat-side up, and spread the peppercorn paste over the entire top surface. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the Yorkshire Pudding Batter: In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Whisk in the eggs one by one, and then whisk in the warm water. Cover and refrigerate the batter.
- Roast the Prime Rib: About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the prime rib from the refrigerator to let it come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Season the roast with salt. Place the meat in the center of the oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes per pound (about 2.5 to 3 hours total), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 135°F for medium-rare.
- When the roast is nearly finished, remove the Yorkshire pudding batter from the refrigerator to let it come closer to room temperature.
- Remove the roast from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Reserve the pan drippings.
- Bake the Yorkshire Pudding: Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Place a 9-inch round baking dish in the oven to get hot.
- Whisk the warm milk and some of the melted butter into the prepared batter.
- Carefully remove the hot baking dish from the oven, add the remaining melted butter, and quickly pour the batter over it.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the pudding is golden brown and puffy.
- Cut the Yorkshire pudding into wedges and serve immediately with slices of the prime rib and some of the pan drippings.
Notes
- This is a showstopper main course that is perfect for a special holiday dinner like Christmas. It requires significant advance preparation with the overnight marination.
- Letting the roast come to room temperature before cooking and resting it for at least 20 minutes after cooking are crucial steps for an evenly cooked and juicy result.
- For the best Yorkshire pudding, the batter should be at room temperature and the baking dish and fat must be very hot before the batter is added.
What to Serve With Your Prime Rib
This show-stopping prime rib and Yorkshire pudding duo is the perfect centerpiece for a classic holiday dinner. It pairs beautifully with all the steakhouse favorites.
- Potatoes: A creamy mashed or a crispy roasted potato is an absolute must-have.
- Classic Sides: A rich creamed spinach is a quintessential accompaniment.
- The Sauce: A simple, tangy horseradish cream sauce or a rich, savory au jus made from the pan drippings are the perfect finishing touches.
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Storage and Leftover Ideas
- Storage: Store any leftover prime rib, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- The Best Leftovers: Thinly sliced, leftover prime rib makes the absolute best steak sandwiches!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a juicy, not dry, prime rib?
The two most important secrets are to not overcook it and to let it rest. Using an instant-read thermometer to pull the roast from the oven when it reaches the correct temperature and then letting it rest for at least 20 minutes are the non-negotiable keys that will guarantee an incredibly juicy and tender result.
Q2: How do I order a prime rib from my butcher?
Simply call your local, high-quality butcher a week or two in advance and ask to order a “seven-bone, first-cut, standing rib roast.” For the easiest carving, you can also ask them to “cut the bones off and tie them back on.”
Q3: How much prime rib do I need per person?
A good rule of thumb is to plan for about one rib for every two people, which equates to about 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound of bone-in roast per person.
Q4: Why did my Yorkshire pudding come out flat?
There are three common culprits for a flat pudding: your batter was not rested (this recipe’s method of refrigerating it is fantastic!), your pan and fat were not screaming hot before you added the batter, or you opened the oven door while it was baking.
Q5: What internal temperature should I aim for?
For a perfect, rosy-pink medium-rare, you should aim for a final temperature of $135^{\circ}F$. For medium, aim for $140^{\circ}F$. Remember, the temperature will continue to rise by about 5 to 10 degrees as the roast rests.