When people think of cooking prime rib, they usually visualize doing so in a grill as this is the most well-known and popular method. But cooking prime rib in a grill requires clear weather conditions. So what can you do when it is rainy or cold and you have a craving for some nice juicy prime rib for dinner? You can oven cook it! Baking your prime ribs in the oven will actually help keep in the moisture better than grilling them would, and consequently you will be surprised to find that the finished ribs are also more tender than had you grilled them.
Select Your Prime Rib
First you need to select a nice rack of prime rib from the market. If you have plenty of mouths to feed, you should keep in mind when choosing ribs that they generally have a lot of bone and fat, so you may need to buy two to three times more than you initially think, depending on the kind and amount of side dishes you have to go along with it. A single person can usually eat about a pound of ribs, especially if those prime ribs are really good!
Seasonings and Marinades
Next, you will need to decide if you want to season your ribs or marinade them. Basic seasonings like salt and pepper are a given, but you can add to that a meat tenderizer if you want, and even herbs like parsley or paprika are appropriate to use, along with many others: rosemary, oregano, turmeric to name a few. Cover the entire prime rib with seasoning in a light and even manner. Let the seasoning set into the meat for about half an hour before placing the ribs in the oven.
If you want to go the marinating route with your prime rib, you can easily buy a good barbecue or teriyaki marinade, and this will add both flavor and moisture to the meat of the ribs and help to tenderize them as well. Again, use a marinating brush to lightly and evenly apply the marinade to the entire rib for best results.
Cooking Instructions
1. Choose a good size rectangular baking pan or glass to contain the whole prime rib. Do not stack the ribs or the meat will cook unevenly.
2. Pour water in the pan or dish that will measure about a quarter inch deep. This keeps the foil and pan from scorching and helps keep the meat from drying out.
3. Place thick aluminum foil inside the pan or dish with enough foil extending beyond the borders to fold over and cover the ribs completely while cooking.
4. Now place the ribs on the foil inside the pan with the arch of the ribs facing up.
5. Add any vegetables inside the foil with the ribs that you want to cook along with it.
6. After adding vegetables, fold the aluminum foil over to cover both the ribs and vegetables in the pan, but keep the ribs loosely covered and do not press the foil into the meat.
7. Preheat the oven to 325 F and cook for approximately one hour.
8. Remove the foil from covering the ribs and raise the oven temperature to 375 F. Bake the ribs uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes. This helps brown the meat and cook out excess juices in the pan.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and enjoy your great tasting prime rib along with the tender juicy vegetables you cooked with it.
