Preparing the Roast

• Because prime rib is flavorful all on its own, you don't need to do much seasoning to create a delicious result. Many purists recommend keeping the seasonings very simple -- a drizzle of olive oil and a rubdown with some sea salt and black pepper. Alternatively, if you want to create more complexity in the flavor profile of your dish, season the roast with fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary or thyme. Prime rib also pairs well with flavors such as garlic, horseradish, red wine, brandy and wild mushrooms. No matter how you choose to season the roast, letting it come to room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before cooking it is essential to make sure that the prime rib cooks evenly.

Searing the Exterior

• Smaller cuts of meat are easy to sear on the stovetop; a prime rib can be a bit clunky to try to sear in a pan. Instead, sear the meat in an oven that's been preheated to 450 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the roast with the fatty side facing up and let it sear for roughly 15 minutes. Once it’s seared, the exterior should be starting to become brown and golden. Although it might be tempting to skip this step, searing the exterior is essential for building deep, caramelized flavors and a slightly crunchy exterior that contrasts with the tender meat.

Roasting Prime Rib to Perfection

• After the initial sear, you need to lower the oven temperature to let the meat roast slowly, which allows the muscle tissues and fat to break down, melting into the surrounding meat and leaving you with tender, succulent prime rib. If you choose to reduce the oven temperature to 325 F, let the prime rib slowly roast for 1 to 4 hours, depending on the size and desired done-ness of your roast. If you want to let it roast even slower, reduce the oven temperature to 150 F to 175 F. Allow the meat to roast for 4 to 6 hours, or until it's reached your desired done-ness.

Determining Done-ness

• Inserting an instant-read thermometer in the meatiest part of the roast is the best way to make sure that it's done. Although many home cooks prefer cooking their prime rib to lower temperature, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking beef roasts to minimum internal temperatures of 145 F, with at least 3 minutes of rest time after pulling it out of the oven. You can allow the roast to rest for up to 20 to 30 minutes before carving it, which is what many recipes recommend so that the internal juices can redistribute.