How Do You Season Prime Rib?

Season a prime rib with salt, black pepper and garlic, rubbed on the day before it goes in the oven. Use about a teaspoon of a salted blend per pound, coat every side including the ends, and let the roast sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight so the salt works its way in and the surface dries for a better crust. The next day, roast it low at 250°F until the center reads 120°F for medium-rare, rest it 30 minutes, then give it ten minutes at 500°F to brown the outside. For a Montreal-style crust with coriander, mustard seed and dill, use a steak rub; for a plain, classic roast, salt, pepper and garlic is all it needs.

That is the short answer. Below: why salting the day before is the whole trick, how much to use, the two Flavor Seed blends that belong on a standing rib roast, the oven method that does not scare anybody, and the three questions people ask most.

Salt it the day before

A prime rib is the most expensive thing most of us will ever put in the oven, which is why people get nervous about seasoning it. The good news is that the beef does most of the work. Your job is to get the salt in and the crust brown.

Salt is the only seasoning that actually travels into the meat; pepper, garlic and herbs stay on the surface and build the crust. So season the roast a day early, set it on a rack on a sheet pan, and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. The salt pulls moisture out, then the meat drinks it back in with the salt dissolved in it, and the outside dries so it browns. If it is already roasting day, season it as early as you can; even an hour helps.

How much seasoning per pound

Use about one teaspoon of a salted blend per pound. That is lighter than the tablespoon per pound in our guide to how much seasoning to use per pound of meat, on purpose: both blends below list salt first, and the roast sits with it overnight. A three-rib roast is usually 7 to 8 pounds, so that is roughly 2½ tablespoons; a big five-rib roast at 12 pounds takes about ¼ cup. Rub it on every side, including the cut ends and the fat cap. Press it in with your hands rather than sprinkling from a height, so it sticks. If your roast is bone-in, slide a little between the bones and the meat too; that pocket is where the best bites hide.

The two Flavor Seed blends for prime rib

For the classic crust: Divine Bovine. This is our Montreal-style steak rub, and a standing rib roast is what it was born for. Sea salt, organic garlic and organic onion up front, then caraway seed, poppy seed, black pepper, coriander and mustard seed, with dill seed, celery seed, basil, anise, oregano, dill weed and red pepper behind them. Fifteen ingredients, no MSG, no fillers. The coriander and mustard seed are what make a steakhouse crust taste like one, and the whole seeds toast in the final blast of heat. (Curious what makes a rub "Montreal style"? We wrote that one up.) It comes in the resealable pouch or a glass jar; the pouch is the better buy if a prime rib is on the table more than once this winter.

For the plain, let-the-beef-talk roast: The OG. Sea salt, organic garlic, organic black pepper. That is the entire label. Some cooks, and some grandfathers, believe a prime rib should taste like beef and nothing else, and they are not wrong. The OG gives you that with a coarse pepper crust and enough garlic to notice, and it is the same shake you will use on the potatoes going in alongside.

Pick one, not both. They are each salted for the job, so doubling up makes a salty roast.

The oven method that does not scare anybody

The old way is a hot start at 450°F, then down to 325°F until done; it works, but the outer inch overcooks while you wait on the middle. The easier way, and the one we use, is the reverse: low first, hot last.

Take the seasoned roast out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking and set it bone side down in a roasting pan (the bones are your rack). Roast at 250°F until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 120°F for medium-rare, about 25 to 30 minutes per pound. Pull it, tent it loosely with foil, and rest it 30 minutes; it climbs another 5 to 10 degrees while it sits. Turn the oven up to 500°F, put the rested roast back in for 8 to 10 minutes to brown the crust, and carve right away. For medium, pull at 130°F. The USDA recommends 145°F for whole cuts of beef; if you are cooking for anyone who should not eat rare meat, take it there. A thermometer is the one tool this roast cannot do without.

What goes with it

Horseradish cream, a pan jus from the drippings, and something green. Roast the potatoes in the same oven during the low stage, seasoned with The OG, and they will be ready when the beef is. Save the bones for a Sunday soup.

Quick answers

What is the best seasoning for prime rib?

Salt, coarse black pepper and garlic are the base every version starts from. A Montreal-style steak rub adds coriander, mustard seed and dill for a steakhouse crust; rosemary and thyme are the traditional herb route. Whichever you choose, the salt should go on the day before so it has time to get into the meat.

Should you season prime rib the night before?

Yes. Rub it with a salted blend, set it uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator, and leave it overnight. The salt seasons the meat all the way through instead of just the surface, and the dry air firms the outside so it browns better. If you only have a few hours, season it as early as you can and leave it uncovered.

Do you put oil or butter on prime rib before seasoning?

You do not have to. The rub sticks fine on its own if you press it in with your hands, and a dry surface browns better than an oiled one during the overnight rest. If you like a richer crust, smear a tablespoon of softened butter over the roast right before it goes into the oven, after the rub is already on.

Every Flavor Seed blend is USDA Certified Organic, gluten-free and kosher, with no MSG, no fillers and no anti-caking agents, mixed in small batches by our family in Charlotte, North Carolina. Orders over $25 ship free.