Several years ago, I made prime rib the star of my Christmas Eve dinner. After trying countless recipes and techniques, I’ve found the perfect combination for maximum flavor and simplicity: a dry brine overnight, a low-and-slow cook, and a reverse sear for that beautiful, golden-brown crust.
If you’re new to dry brining, don’t worry—I was, too. This method involves seasoning the meat with salt, pepper, and spices and letting it rest uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. The result? Juicy, tender meat with incredible flavor.
Reverse searing, on the other hand, flips the traditional process on its head. Instead of browning the meat first on the stovetop, you finish the cook in the oven to achieve that perfect crust. Reverse searing saves calories by skipping the oil, gives you extra time to focus on side dishes, and dramatically reduces cleanup. Who doesn’t love fewer dishes?
Dry brine uncovered in fridge overnight 
Pull out EARLY in the morning and allow to come to room temperature 
Cover and place in oven … 
When internal temperature reaches 130° remove and rest for 45 to 60 minutes 
Cook your side dishes while the roast is resting 
Crank up oven to 500° and return for 15 minutes 
Let stand for 10 minutes then carve! 
The perfect centerpiece for a Christmas Eve dinner!
Ingredients
1 bone-in prime rib roast, 4 to 6 bones
A lot of coarse Italian, Mediterranean Sea salt (about 1/2 cup)
An equal amount of fresh ground, coarse cracked pepper
Fresh garlic
1/4 cup of fresh rosemary
1/4 cup of fresh thyme
1/4 cup sage
Olive oil
Special Equipment
Trust me when I say you should buy a SCANPAN brand roasting pan for this recipe. It’s a roasting pan made in Denmark of pressure-cast aluminum with a ceramic-titanium nonstick finish. It is free of forever chemicals and requires almost zero washing, basically just spray with a kitchen faucet and a little soap on a sponge. No hard scrubbing, nothing in the world sticks to it. Worth every penny!
Steps
Step 1 – Dry Brine
The day before … remove the roast from all packaging, rub with salt and pepper, pressing hard to grind the large, coarse salt crystals into the top layer of fat, then refrigerate completely uncovered overnight.
Step 2
Remove the roast from the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature, 2 hours to 3 hours depending on size. Just like endurance athletes, meat should never have a ‘cold start’ when roasting.
Make small incisions in the top fat and insert 1 garlic clove between each rib. Drizzle beef with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper then rub in sage. Place whole rosemary and thyme twigs evenly across the top.
Step 3 – Long and Slow
Set oven to 225° for a smaller roast (4 bone) or to 250° for a larger roast (5+ bones). Cooking times vary:
1. Medium-rare: 30 to 35 minutes per pound
2. Medium: 35 to 40 minutes per pound
3. Medium-well: 40 to 45 minutes per pound
When the internal temperature reaches 130° remove from the oven and set on top of the stove covered in foil for 45 to 60 minutes. The roast will continue to increase in temperature and will reach 140° by itself.
Use the time wisely to cook side dishes and casseroles!
Some recipes call for a standing time of 90 minutes so there is a bit of runway if you need to delay serving or have a side dish that takes longer.
Step 4 – Reverse Sear
Crank up the heat in the oven: 500° to 550° and return the roast for 15 minutes, this will brown the outside to beautiful, crisp perfection. Reverse searing saves the mess of browning in a frying pan with oil.
Enjoy!
Allow 10 minutes to cool and rest before carving. Pairs perfectly with Sweet Potato Soufflé and a well-aged cabernet sauvignon.
Feel free to comment, I would love to hear from you