Planning for a barbecue party is fun and exciting. That is until you have to go out and buy all the things that you need. One of the biggest questions that you will surely be asking yourself is — how much prime rib per person? When you’re hosting a special occasion, the last thing you want is to run out of meat. Don’t worry; we have the best way to calculate how much you’ll need for your guests. You might even end up with a little leftover prime rib and side dishes!
Of course, you would want to make sure that your feast will be enough to feed all your guests. But at the same time, you would not want to serve too many ribs as that can be a serious waste of food, right?
With that in mind, it is important that you determine the right amount of meat that you need to buy. Well, we are here to make things a lot simpler for you. Below is the information that you need to know to whip up a prime rib feast!
How Much Prime Rib, Per Person?
You don’t have to search far to get the answer to this question. That’s because professional chefs have answered this already! Your grocery stores or local butcher should be able to help too.
According to the Food Channel, chefs recommend that you plan about one pound of prime rib (with its bone-in), per person. That means that you should prepare one rib for every two diners.
If, for example, you will have eight guests, you should prepare a four-bone roast for them. You should prepare a six-bone roast for twelve people, a seven-bone roast for fourteen people, and so on. All you need to do is count the rib bones and how many people you’ll serve – whether it’s a small or large group. You get the deal!
Bone-in Roast Vs. Boneless Roast
Now that we are done with the most challenging part of buying a prime rib, let us proceed to the other issue you will deal with when buying a prime rib.
When you are at the butcher, you will be presented with two options for a prime rib—bone-in and boneless roast. What you need to understand is that these two variants come with their own pros and cons and we will discuss that in this section.
As a general rule of thumb, many people go for a bone-in prime rib simply because it is juicier and more flavorful. Let us also not forget about the fact that a standing rib roast can be presented beautifully on the dining table, However, this cut is more expensive since the bone is included in the weight of the meat. An expensive cut of meat is often worth it, but you ultimately have to make that call.
On the other hand, a boneless prime rib is not as juicy and flavorful but it is a lot more affordable.
So you see, the deciding factor here will be your budget. If you have money to splurge, then, by all means, go with the bone-in prime rib cut. But if you are planning to serve lots of guests and your budget is a bit limited, the boneless prime rib is a much more economical option. A perfectly cooked prime rib is delicious regardless of the type you get.
Other Prime Rib Buying Tips you need to know
Aside from choosing between bone-in and boneless, there are other rib buying tips that you need to know. These are as follows:
Look for a USDA prime-grade roast.
The USDA prime-grade roast has the highest quality and is also considered to be the most expensive. If you want a cut of beef that is tender and has the highest degree of flavor, maturity, and marbling. Again, it’s an expensive cut of beef, but it makes for a great meal for any type of dinner party.
But please keep in mind that only 2% of beef products are of this grade so it is recommended that you order this in advance. Also, USDA prime-grade products are quite rare so you will have a higher chance of getting it from a butcher than a supermarket.
To save money, go for a choice roast.
Prime grade beef is the best option but if you do not have enough money to splurge, your next best choice would be a choice roast. This option will also be easier to find and is usually available in most supermarkets.
Go for the roast at the small end of the ribs.
Choose the meat at the small end of the ribs (last three ribs) as these contain the smallest amount of fats. This part is also considered to be the most tender and flavorful. But if you are planning to buy a full roast, you can disregard this advice. It only applies to those who are ordering less than a full roast.
Ask for a three-bone rib roast.
Many people claim that the smaller the rib roast, the more flavorful and tender it would be after it is cooked.
Most people are afraid to ask for these cuts simply because they think that it will cost them more. But the truth is, butchers won’t charge you extra if you know how to speak their language so it is recommended that you do some research about butcher lingo beforehand.
The most important thing you can do is go into the butcher’s shop knowing what you’re looking for!
The Mistakes You Need to Avoid When Making Prime Rib
The battle does not end after you have bought the perfect cut or chosen the right grade. There are still a lot of mistakes that you can commit during the preparation process. To prevent that, we have enumerated the possible mistakes that you may make below:
Roasting the rib at high temperature.
Some people love to take a bite of a juicy rib with a rosy and rich interior. However, many people fail to achieve this because they tend to cook their ribs at high temperatures.
The right way to cook a prime rib is to cook it as low and slow as possible. Set your oven only to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until you have achieved your desired doneness. An instant-read thermometer is a great way to help you know when your ribeye roast is done.
Not browning the roast.
On the other hand, many people dislike browning their roast because they are afraid of overcooking it. For your information, the best roast is one that is crunchy and brown on the outside and juicy and rosy on the inside.
To do this, a good rule of thumb is to oven-sear your rib. Oven-sear the ribs at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes
Slicing into the ribs right away.
We all get excited with the smell and the look of the ribs. We get that but slicing it right after it gets out of the oven is a big no-no. It is recommended that you let the ribs carryover cooking to subside before digging into it. Giving it a little bit more time gives it some extra flavor as the internal temperature continues to rise slightly. Perfect for your main course!
The rule of thumb is to let the roast rest for about 30 minutes before making the first cut. Doing so will allow the roast to cook to perfection and at the same time, makes it easier to slice through.
Roasting the rib while it is still cold.
When you take the ribs from the refrigerator and straight to the oven, they will take longer to cook. Not only that, it will have more shrinkage as well. If you are throwing a big party, every ounce of meat counts so you would surely not want that, right?
The key here is to remove the ribs from the fridge two hours before you plan on cooking it. This will give the ribs enough time to thaw and reach room temperature. If you are afraid of possible bacterial contamination, don’t be. Two hours are not long enough for the meat to enter the dangerous bacterial zone. It’ll make the cooking process a lot smoother, especially if this is your first time making a perfect prime rib roast.
In Summary
There you go—everything you need to know about preparing prime rib—from how much prime rib per person you should prepare up to the mistakes you must avoid.
Now, all that you have to do is determine what to serve with prime ribs. Personally, I would go for seafood like scallops or shrimp to get that surf and turf combo. But there are lots of options for you to choose from so go ahead and experiment. Let me know what you chose and how it went in the comments section!