Instant Pot Prime Rib Recipe

If you're wondering what to prepare for a dinner party or the holidays, prime rib can become the perfect centerpiece on your table. Also known as a standing rib roast, prime rib is considered to be star of the show, the cream of the crop, the best possible meat you could dig into. It's best described as one of the most tender, juicy, and flavorful cuts of beef. Diehard foodies will tell you not to work with prime rib too much. Don't bother using marinades or spicy rubs with this cut of beef — that's how delicious and fanciful it tastes. It doesn't need any extra help. If you really want to toy with this dish a tiny bit, decorate this meat dish with a few herbs, maybe the zest of lemon, but nothing more or it'll simply be too much. Salt and pepper will suffice, or even a few slices of garlic slid into cuts you gently carve into the incredible chunk of meat. Kit Hondrum, of Kit's Kitchen, leads us through dishing up this amazing Instant Pot prime rib dinner.

For this recipe you'll need sea salt, black pepper, butter, dry red wine, beef broth, a head of garlic, and a 5- to 6-pound boneless rib roast. In case you've never shopped for prime rib before, the cut of prime rib hails from the back of the upper rib section of the cow. Hondrum explains that when you're at the store, the butcher will have the entire rib section from the cow, which is seven ribs total.

"You can actually choose which section you want for your prime rib. You can choose either three or four bones from the larger end or the smaller end. For this recipe I chose three bones from the larger end. The weight with the bones was just over nine pounds and after the bones were cut off the roast was around 5.6 pounds," says Hondrum.

If this is your first foray into preparing a prime rib, you should understand that the phrase "prime rib" not only refers to the cut of meat you'll be working with, but also the grade of beef as identified by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Choosing the prime, or grade, depends on how much money you want to spend. Prime, according to the USDA, is the best grade of beef available with the most marbling and therefore the best flavor. When you order prime rib at a fancy restaurant, you typically will be served prime beef. The next grade down from prime is called choice, is what most grocery stores carry. Be sure to specify, when ordering your prime rib, if you want prime or choice.

This recipe's mouthwatering prime rib, which serves eight to 10 people, takes a mere five minutes to prepare and 1 hour and 25 minutes to cook. You'll want to remove your prime rib from the refrigerator approximately three hours before starting your recipe. "This allows it to come closer to room temperature. It will still be a little cool after three hours, but not cold," Hondrum says.

Once the meat has come close to room temperature, grab 1 tablespoon of black pepper and 2 to 3 tablespoons of sea salt, then season the rib roast by rubbing and coating all sides.

Press Sauté on the Instant Pot and allow it to heat up until it reaches the hot temperature setting. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and coat the bottom of the Instant Pot. Once the butter has melted, set the roast into the Instant Pot and brown all sides. This step should take approximately 20 minutes, 5 minutes per side. Remove the rib roast and set it to the side. "It can be a little difficult to flip such a large piece of meat when searing the sides. I like to use a rigid spatula in one hand and tongs in the other hand to flip it," Hondrum says.

Still using the Sauté function, add half a cup of dry red wine to the Instant Pot and scrape the bottom. "You can use any dry red wine. I usually have cabernet sauvignon on hand. You can use a less expensive wine, but the general rule of thumb is to choose something that you would actually drink," Hondrum explains.

Allow the alcohol to cook for approximately 3 minutes. Then add in 1 cup of beef broth and turn off the Instant Pot, then place the trivet on the bottom over the liquid.

Place the rib roast on top of the trivet with the fat cap facing up. Place 1 head of garlic on top of it. Place the lid on top and set the valve to Sealing. Program the Instant Pot for manual high pressure cook for 12 minutes. It will take approximately 7 minutes to come to pressure and then will begin counting down the 12 minutes. Once the time is up, allow the roast to sit for 35 minutes if the roast is closer to 5 pounds or 40 minutes if the roast is closer to 6 pounds. The pressure will naturally release during this time.

After 35 to 40 minutes, carefully remove the lid and measure the internal temperature of the rib roast right in the middle of the thickest part, Hondrum directs. The temperature should be approximately 115 F. If the temperature is too low, replace the lid and allow the roast to sit for 5 more minutes and test again. Repeat until you reach 115 F.

Remove the rib roast and set it to the side. Pour off the liquid into a heat-safe container, and squeeze the garlic into the liquid and reserve it to make the au jus. Press Sauté again on the Instant Pot and allow it to heat until it reaches the hot temperature. Add another 2 tablespoons of butter and coat the bottom. Once the butter has melted, place the roast into the Instant Pot and sear all of the sides again for approximately 5 minutes total. The internal temperature of the roast now should be approximately 125 to 130 F if you're searing the roast for a medium-rare setting. The internal temperature will rise another 5 to 10 degrees while resting.

Remove the roast and place it on a cutting board. Turn off the Instant Pot and pour off the small amount of remaining liquid and discard. Tent the roast loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the roast is resting, skim the fat off the top of the reserved liquid, break up the garlic pieces with the back of the spoon, and add it to the Instant Pot and set to Keep Warm until it's ready to use. Strain the liquid into a serving dish using a mesh sieve right before serving. The sauce also can be thickened with a bit of cornstarch or flour if you would like your prime rib with gravy instead of au jus.

"This au jus has the saltiness level of soy sauce, which is perfect since the cut of meat is so thick and the middle doesn't have any seasoning. If you're sensitive to salt, you can reduce to 1 to 2 tablespoons in the rub and use a salt-free beef broth," Hondrum says.

Slice the roast in half to ¾-inch slices and serve with the au jus.

As an elegant meal, prime rib pairs wonderfully with hearty mashed potatoes made from scratch with gravy based off the au jus from the drippings. Include fresh green beans with bits of bacon or sliced almonds, or even grilled asparagus drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

"For a lower carb option, I also like mashed cauliflower," Hondrum says.

Glazed carrots cooked in brown sugar and butter along with a warm dinner roll also would taste fantastic served alongside this prime rib. If you're wanting lighter fare, whip up a mixed green salad with a homemade vinaigrette.

"I usually have leftover prime rib sandwiches on homemade gluten-free sourdough or a store-bought gluten-free sprouted grain bread. But for those looking for a more traditional option, leftover prime rib is great on a fresh baguette kind of like the classic French dip sandwich with the au jus as a dipping sauce," Hondrum says.