Emeril's Prime Rib Roast

Emeril's Prime Rib Roast recipe is the one I made for my first big dinner party. All these years later it's still my favorite (although sometimes now I use the smoker instead of the oven!)

Although I got most of my cooking skills from Saint Joanie (thanks, mom) cooking on television certainly had an impact on me. I studied Julia Child reruns, becoming convinced I needed a cleaver and a duck press. My dad and I watched Yan Can Cook (You can too!) together, and then my dad would ask my mother to procure a bunch of ingredients, and he'd make a big ass mess in the kitchen and we'd have a delicious dinner. Then came Emeril.

My whole family loved Emeril. We watched it together every week. We tried recipes, we chopped up trinity, we yelled BAM! along with him. And when his "New New Orleans" cookbook was published, we obviously bought a copy. It's a classic.

This recipe uses Emeril's Essence, which is his go-to spice blend for almost everything.  My grandmother is garlic-intolerant, so when we make this recipe for her, we omit the garlic powder from the Essence and swap the fresh garlic for shallots. It's just as delicious.

Emeril's Prime Rib Roast recipe is for the oven, but I often use our pellet smoker instead, so I've included those directions here too.

Emeril's Prime Rib Roast Recipe

K.C. Cornwell

Emeril's Prime Rib Roast recipe has always been my favorite.  Here it is, with his directions for the oven (and mine for the pellet smoker).

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 3 hrs

Resting time 20 mins

Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 about 14 to 16 pound beef rib roast
• Emeril's Essence recipe follows
• 12 cloves of peeled garlic (or 8 shallots instead!)
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 large onion sliced ¼-inch thick
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Emeril's Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning):

• 2 ½ tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Instructions

 

Make the Essence:

• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Season & Prepare the Roast:

• Using a sharp knife, make a slit ¾ of the way up the fat cap. Pull the fat cap back and season the entire roast with Essence. Place the garlic, thyme, and onion slices in-between the meat and fat cap. Lay the fat cap back over the vegetables and meat. Using butchers twine, secure the fat cap to the meat by tying the two together at six different intervals (wrap the twine from the rib end to the loin end). Cover the exposed fat cap with cracked black pepper.

Directions for cooking in the oven:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the roast, rib side down (fat side up), on a wire rack. Place the wire rack in the oven on the center rack. Place a drip pan on the bottom rack of the oven. This will catch all of the drippings from the roast. Roast for 2 ½ to 3 hours for medium rare (an instant read thermometer should read 115-120 degrees at the center of the roast). 
• Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest (covered loosely with foil) for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing, temperature will continue to climb as the meat rests. Using knife, cut away the butchers twine.
• Carve the roast into individual servings. Reserve the drippings for later use.

Directions for cooking on the pellet smoker:

• Preheat the smoker to 275 degrees F.
• Place the roast, rib side down (fat side up), in the center of the smoker. Roast for 3 to 3 ½ hours for medium rare (an instant read thermometer should read 125-130 degrees at the center of the roast). Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest (covered loosely with foil) for at least 20 minutes, or up to 1 hour. 
• Just before serving, turn the smoker up to 500 or 550 degrees F, and return the roast to the smoker for 8 minutes to sear the outside (this is SO worth it. Promise.)
• Remove roast from smoker. Using knife, cut away the butchers twine.

  Carve the roast into individual servings. Enjoy!

Keyword beef, prime rib

Emeril's Prime Rib Roast & Essence Recipes  from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.