Prime Rib and Potatoes

Christmas week. The ham smoked for twelve hours. The same ritual. Christmas doesn't change in this house — the ham smokes, the dressing assembles, the cookies bake, and the people arrive and eat and the year gets its final meal.

Travis, Jolene, Earl Thomas. Clay and Sarah — her first Christmas with us. Amber and James drove from Louisville, Amber six months pregnant and radiant and eating for two and commenting on everything I cooked with the authority of a pregnant woman, which is the highest authority there is. She said the ham was better than last year. I said I didn't change anything. She said it doesn't matter, it's better. Pregnancy improves the palate the way seasoning improves a cast iron — it deepens everything.

James cooked a side dish — egusi soup, a Nigerian dish with ground melon seeds and spinach, and the table had ham and egusi soup and cornbread and jollof rice and the combination was America in 2024, two families from different continents sharing a table and sharing food and the food not clashing but harmonizing, the way the best marriages harmonize — not the same melody, not the same key, but the same song.

Clay gave Sarah a gift after dinner — a small box, a necklace, which she opened and held to her chest and her eyes were wet and Clay's were not because Clay doesn't cry in public but his jaw was tight in the way it gets when the feeling is too big for the face. Connie looked at me. I looked at Connie. The look that says: it's happening. He's falling in love and she's catching him.

The ham carried the day, but after the table cleared and the dishes soaked and Connie and I sat in the quiet that follows a good Christmas, I kept thinking about next year — about a table that’s going to have one more seat, maybe two, and what kind of centerpiece holds that kind of weight. Prime rib does. It’s a roast that says the same thing the ham does: I started this hours ago because you matter. It’s what I’ll be planning when December comes around again, with Clay and Sarah at the table and Amber’s baby in a high chair and James’s egusi soup still on the sideboard.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 50 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 bone-in prime rib roast (6–7 lbs), trimmed
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups beef broth (for pan drippings/au jus)

Instructions

Bring to room temperature. Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking and let it rest at room temperature. This ensures even cooking throughout.
Preheat oven. Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
Make the herb rub. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Mix into a paste.
Season the roast. Pat the prime rib dry with paper towels, then rub the herb paste all over the roast, pressing it into any crevices. Place bone-side down in a large roasting pan.
Initial high-heat sear. Roast at 450°F for 20 minutes to develop a deep crust. Do not open the oven door during this time.
Reduce heat and continue roasting. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C). Continue roasting for approximately 2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part (not touching bone) reads 120°F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare, or 140°F for medium.
Prepare the potatoes. About 45 minutes before the roast is done, toss the halved potatoes with melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Arrange them cut-side down around the roast in the pan, or in a separate baking dish alongside.
Roast the potatoes. Cook potatoes until golden and fork-tender, 35–45 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Rest the roast. Transfer the prime rib to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 20–30 minutes before carving — the internal temperature will rise 5–10 degrees during this time.
Make pan au jus. Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add 2 cups beef broth and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer 3–5 minutes until slightly reduced. Strain and serve alongside.
Carve and serve. Slice the prime rib between the bones for bone-in portions, or carve across the grain into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange on a platter with the roasted potatoes and au jus on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Prime Rib and Potatoes — The Christmas Table That Holds Everyone