• Between 24 and 48 hours before cooking, season the prime rib roast with salt and place it uncovered in your refrigerator

• Cook the prime rib low and slow at 250°F until the internal temperature reaches 120°F, about 3 hours, depending on its size.

• Take the roast off the heat. Crank the heat up to 450°F or 500°F, then return the meat to the grill to crisp the exterior of the roast. Allow the internal temperature to reach 130°F for medium-rare.

• Rest for 20-30 minutes, carve, and serve.

There are choices you need to make in the buying and preparation phase, so let's talk about that.

Is Rib Roast the Same as Prime Rib?

Yes, prime rib is sometimes called rib roast or standing rib roast. You may also see this cut going by the name ribeye roast. In fact, rib eye steaks are cut from the prime rib. There is no set naming convention for prime rib so when you go to buy one, make sure you tell your butcher exactly what you want.

Where Do You Buy Prime Rib?

Buy prime rib from your local specialty butcher or full-service supermarket butcher. In nearly all cases, you'll have to call ahead to order.

Very few supermarkets carry prime rib on a daily basis like they do with chicken thighs or sirloin steak. (The exception is during the winter holiday season.) You'll probably have to pre-order your prime rib. Pre-ordering your prime rib gives you complete control over what you end up getting.

Our recommendations:

• Order a fresh prime rib, not frozen.
• Order as far in advance as you can, and take delivery at least three days before you plan to serve it, for preparation purposes.
• If you don’t want to remove it yourself, ask for the butcher to remove the chine bone.
• Ask for USDA top choice grade or better. Specify the size you want, planning on 1/2 to 1 pound per person.
• Specify bone-in or bone removed (see below)

Should You Buy Prime Rib Bone-in or Bone Removed?

You can order prime rib as bone-in or boneless.

A boneless prime rib roast is easier to form into a round shape and are also easier to carve.

A bone-in roast has advantages, too. For one, you get the bones -- which you can remove to make soup or a sauce or leave in for people (but not pets!) to nibble. With the bones left in, the temperature throughout the roast tends to stay more even.

One way to get the best of both worlds is to cut off the rib plate before cooking the roast and then tie it back on. Post cook, you can easily remove the bones for slicing but still get those tasty treats.

How Much Is Prime Rib?

Prime rib costs between $15 and $25 per pound for a total cost between $50 and $200 depending on how large of a roast you order. Prime rib that is graded USDA Prime, the highest quality rating, will usually cost about 25% more than USDA Choice.

How Much Prime Rib Do You Buy per Person?

One pound of prime rib (before cooking) per person is a good estimate if you want to be safe and/or have leftovers. But, if there is a first course and plenty of sides, you can usuallty get away with 1/2 pound per person.

Prepping to Cook Prime Rib

Prime rib preparation can be as simple as sprinkling on some salt and pepper before roasting.

Trim Excess Fat From Prime Rib

You want some fat on your prime rib. It's a protective layer that helps keep the meat moist. But excess fat could alter the cooking time and limit the amount of smoke flavor you get. We recommend you trim away any fat that is over an inch thick but don't trim fat down to less than a quarter-inch thick.

Ideally, your butcher will do this before it comes to you.

Optional: Frenching the Roast

A frenched roast has the meat cut away from the bones, leaving the bones exposed for a dramatic presentation. This is a purely aesthetic choice, as frenching won't materially affect how the roast tastes or cooks. You can often buy the roast Frenched by the butcher. The downside is you lose the bits of fat and meat from the bone, which many people like to eat.

A rub consisting of herbs and spices will crisp up into a delicious and appealing bark on your finished product -- especially if you cook it in your Traeger.

Traeger's Prime Rib Rub features rosemary and garlic as the main flavors, but you can experiment with your own favorite flavors as well. A word of caution: Go light on the salt. You can always add salt but you can't take it away.

Apply the rub a few hours before cooking, then refrigerate to allow time for the rub to adhere to the surface of the meat.

What Tools You'll Need to Cook a Prime Rib

An important tool for cooking such a large roast is a meat thermometer. That's because you can't tell by sight or touch that the meat is done. A leave-in meat thermometer is best because you get real-time readings without having to open the grill to check. And with prime rib, you really do need that exact temperature to get the tenderness and beef flavor you want.

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the prime rib to get an accurate reading.

Though you can cook the roast directly on the grill grates, you will want to use a roasting pan if you intend to make a sauce from the pan drippings.

How to Cook a Prime Rib Roast on the Smoker

Cooking a prime rib in a smoker is the best way to do it. The heat will circulate evenly around the roast, giving the skin a pleasing exterior, while the fat inside slowly melts and distributes throughout the roast. Here's one method:

1. Set smoker temperature to 250°F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
2. Place roast on the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 10 degrees below your desired doneness level (we recommend 120°F, for medium-rare) between 3-5 hours. Remove the roast from the smoker to rest.
3. While roast rests, increase temperature to 450°F with the lid closed.
4. Place the roast back on until the internal temperature registers at your desired doneness level; about 130°F for medium rare.
5. Let the roast rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.

What Is the Easiest Way to Cook Prime Rib?

The easiest way to cook prime rib is to skip all of the preparation steps and the last-minute crisp. Simply season the roast with salt and pepper, cook it at 250°F, and remove it when the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare. The best way to keep track of your internal temp is with a MEATER wireless meat thermometer.

How Long Do You Smoke Prime Rib per Pound?

A good general guideline for smoking prime rib is 15 minutes per pound.

However, we'd advise against trying to figure out a precise prime rib cooking time. You're just setting yourself up for disappointment. There simply is no way to tell with such a large cut of meat -- every time you cook, it will be different. The exact timing will depend on the specific cut of meat, the outdoor temperature and humidity, and even which way the wind is blowing.

Expert pitmasters recommend that you cook to temperature and forget about time.

What Temperature Should a Prime Rib Be Cooked To?

The best temperature for prime rib is 130°F for medium-rare.

How to Carve Prime Rib

Carving a gorgeous prime rib requires a little bit of science and a little bit of art. Some things to consider:

• Try to carve the meat against the grain. This will break up some of the muscle fibers and make the meat more tender in the mouth.
• We recommend slices that are 1/2-inch thick -- but you can always slice to your own preferences and those of your guests
• If your roast is bone-in, stand the rib upright, and follow the curvature of the bones as closely as you can until you cut through the base. Then slice the remaining pieces to your desired thickness.

How to Make an Au Jus for Prime Rib

An au jus is a traditional sauce served alongside prime rib and other beef dishes. Usually it's made with the drippings from the roast. If you want a make-ahead jus, try this recipe.

Place the following in a pot:

• 1 quart of beef stock
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 4 whole peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves garlic

Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Salt to taste, strain out the solid ingredients, and serve with a spoon for ease. Find a delicious prime rib with au jus recipe here.

What to Serve with Prime Rib

What goes well with prime rib? We'd suggest complementing the hearty, beefy flavor of prime rib with a creamy vegetable dish. Here are three tasty sides we'd recommend serving with prime rib.

• Smoked Scalloped Potatoes
• Whole Roasted Cauliflower
• Green Bean Casserole

And don't forget classic Yorkshire Pudding.

How to Reheat Prime Rib

To reheat prime rib on your Traeger or in the oven, follow these directions:

1. Heat the grill or oven to 250°F.
2. Place the slices in an oven-safe container like a roasting pan, baking dish, or packet of aluminum foil.
3. Pour a small amount of au jus, beef stock -- basically the most beef-flavored liquid you have -- over the slices. Water is okay, too.
4. Cover the dish and place it in the preheated oven for 10 to 30 minutes depending on how many slices you added and how hot your grill or oven is. The liquid will start to steam, slowly reheating the prime rib.

You can also zap slicest in the microwave on high for 30-second intervals until it's hot.

Note that cooked prime rib is also delicious cold, especially when thinly sliced for a roast beef sandwich.

Prime Rib Turns Any Day Into a Holiday

Prime rib is traditionally enjoyed during the holidays, but don't let the calendar tell you how to live your life. This incredible yet shockingly simple meal requires a few days of preparation and an afternoon of patience (with a few cold ones as company). Make your own holiday with an amazing prime rib dinner.