Sous Vide Prime Rib
Sous vide prime rib is a new twist on a classic recipe, perfect for when you want to cook your meat perfectly without overcooking it. Once you have your oven-ready prime rib, seal the edges with some butter then place in a vacuum bag or similar container before submerging in water set at 133ºF for 6-8 hours. The result? A tender and juicy piece of meat that's ready to eat!
Ingredients
for prime rib:
- 8 to 10 lb 3 bone prime rib or standing rib roast
- coarse kosher salt to taste
- coarse ground black pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil optional
for au jus:
- 1 liter beef broth
- reserved juice from sous vide bag
Instructions
- Inspect your 8 to 10 lb 3 bone prime rib or standing rib roast. Remove any loose pieces of fat from the surface, but avoid trimming unless the fat cap is substantial.
- Generously season the entire roast with coarse kosher salt andcoarse ground black pepper . Set aside.
- Preheat sous vide water bath to 133f with hot water from the tap and allow the roast to rest until the bath has reached temperature.
- Once the water bath reaches temperature, place the prime rib into a vacuum seal bag and if the bones are particularly sharp, add an extra piece of vacuum seal bag over the bone ends. Seal the bag.
- Carefully lower the sealed prime rib into the water bath and cook at 133f for 6 to 8 hours.
- Once the water bath timer is up, preheat the oven to 500f and prepare a roasting pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Remove the prime rib from the water bath, carefully open the bag, reserving the juices.
- Place the sous vide rib roast on a cooling rack and blot dry with a paper towel, allow it to rest, uncovered while the oven preheats.
- Transfer the prime rib to the prepared roasting pan, rib side down. Brush the surface of the prime rib with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, this is optional but can help accelerate and intensify the sear.
- Place the roast into the preheated oven and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, until the fat cap has rendered and the whole roast has a nice browned layer.
- Remove the roast from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.
- Meanwhile, make the au jus, if desired. Pour the reserved juice from sous vide bag and 1 liter beef broth into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until reduced by half, scooping off anything that floats to the surface.
- To carve easily, hold the roast vertically by the rib bones and slice along the bones to remove them from the roast, then slice the roast into 1/2 - 3/4" slices.
Notes
sous vide prime rib faq
Can I sous vide my prime rib from frozen?
- Absolutely! If you've got the wherewithal to season your roast before sealing it and freezing, I applaud your forethought! Cooking from frozen follows all the same steps as cooking from thawed, except you'll need to add an extra 2 hours.
What if I want it more or less done?
- Traditionally, prime rib is cooked to a rare temperature between 120 - 129f. I personally prefer my prime rib to be medium-rare, so somewhere between 130 - 135f. If you like it more towards medium, that's cool too - set your water bath to about 142f - 150f for medium well.
My rib roast is smaller/bigger - will it take more/less time?
- If your roast is substantially smaller or larger than 10lbs, I'd recommend cooking for 6 hours for a smaller one, and 8 hours for a larger one.
Batch:
The yield of your roast depends on the size of your roast. The one cooked in this tutorial is 10lbs with 3 ribs. This rib roast will feed between 6 and 8 adults. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and cook a larger roast - leftover prime rib sandwiches are heavenly.Storage:
Store any leftover prime rib in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply re-vac seal and toss in the sous vide for about an hour, or until heated through. If you have a large piece of prime rib left, it can be slowly reheated in a covered pan in the oven at 300f until heated through.