How to cook a 2 lb rib roast

This holiday-worthy beef roast is simply crusted with dry mustard and then cooked to perfect, rosy rare, then served with an easy onion gravy.

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 (2-rib) tied prime beef rib roast (from small end; about 4 1/2 lb trimmed)

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons English dry mustard (preferably Colman's)

Accompaniment: onion gravy

Special Equipment

an instant-read thermometer

1. Step 1

   Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

   Step 2

   Put beef, fat side up, in a small roasting pan and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Stir together flour and dry mustard, then pat onto top and sides of roast to form a thick coating.

   Step 3

   Roast beef 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and roast until thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 115°F, about 1 1/4 hours more. Transfer beef to a cutting board and let stand, uncovered, 25 minutes. Meat will eventually reach 125°F (medium-rare).

How would you rate Sunday Rib Roast?

Reviews (40)

• Thank you for this awesome recipe. The Roast turned out great! I hosted a small gathering 🎉 of 6. OMG everyone loved it!! ❤️MiMi

• I’ve used the original recipe for years and always excellent! I tried the 500 degree method below and meat was exceptional as well! My issue is the mustard & flour mixture burned some on top. We enjoy that light crust on top. Any suggestions on how to keep it from burning?

• Thank you reviewers. I followed them and not the actual recipe. Had a 2lb 2 rib roast. 500degrees 4.5 min/lb, then turn off the oven for 1 hour gave me a perfect rare/medium rare after resting (115 degrees with a probe thermometer) Before cooking, I unwrapped my roast, salt and peppered it, and wrapped in paper towels for 24 hours (normally I’d use cheesecloth) to get rid of some moisture, then let the roast come to room temperature for one hour before cooking. I also tied it before cooking and seasoned it.

• I had never cooked a rib roast before and I was so nervous about ruining such an expensive cut of meat. Like several people suggested in their reviews, I cooked it at 500 degrees for 8 min per pound and then I let it stand in the over for 1 hour without opening the door. I had a 4-rib roast (approx 8-1/2 pounds), so I cooked it at 500 degrees for 68 minutes. I didn’t follow the recipe with the mustard (although it sounds really good) as I was really craving rosemary and garlic flavors for my holiday dinner. I rubbed butter, fresh minced garlic, fresh chopped rosemary, salt and pepper on all sides of the roast. It turned out absolutely perfect!!!! I served this to my gourmet cooking club and everyone was so impressed. I would definitely make this again and perhaps next time I’ll try it with the mustard.

• Works brilliantly in combo convection microwave oven! I spent Christmas in a holiday rental that had only a high end 'Microwave Hood Combination Oven' (one of the Architect Series II ovens from KitchenAid) and a small toaster oven in the lovely kitchen. Oh yeah - I also left my meat thermometer at home. I was desperate to make a roast for my family and after poring over the plasticized User Instructions sheet that came with the oven, I dared to try the Sunday Rib Roast. I followed the recipe with these variations: I used a Choice grade roast (there was no prime meats store in town); I seared the roast in a skillet before patting on the seasoned flour; I used a mix of Montreal Steak Rub, garlic powder and crushed red pepper instead of the mustard powder because that was what was in the cupboard; I adjusted the cooking time and added microwave power according to the aforementioned User Instructions; and I let the roast rest for 15 minutes instead of 25. The roast turned out medium rather than medium rare, but OMG was it delicious. Tender flavorful meat and super-crispy fat... better - by far - than the version of the Sunday Rib Roast that I made in a conventional oven using Prime grade meat last year. And it was done, from start to finish, in just over 1 1/2 hours. If you're using a combination convection microwave oven, you will need to consult your oven's instructions for cooking large roasts. Basically, using the convection roast function of your oven, you will cook the roast for a shorter period of time than called for in the recipe and you will add a low level of microwave power. For the KitchenAid model in my rental, I used the manual convection roast with no preheat and roasted the meat for 18 minutes at 450 F. using 10% microwave power (because I had already seared the roast in a skillet), then I reprogrammed the oven to roast the meat for 60 minutes at 35 F. using 30% microwave power. My roast turned out medium so I should have adjusted either the microwave power or the time or the temperature downward if I wanted a medium-rare roast, I think.

• Clarifying my mustard issue: I buy mustard powder in 4-8 oz quantities and us it liberally in my cooking. The amounts in the recipe are just not to my liking. I won't waste a good $$ piece of prime rib using those proportions. I found the temps off for my preferences, as several other reviewers have noted.

• Totally disagree with proportions of seasonings. So wrong. Far too much salt--2 tsp max. 1/2 mustard (and I have about a cup in a jar) flour is close but still too much unless you have a very thick fat cap. I'd use plenty of coarse-ground blk pepper when salting. Agree about 500 degrees for shorter time, then go to 350 or 375. I put onions inpan w/heavy splash red wine and refresh wine as needed w/beef broth to keep pan juices rich and dark for gravy or jus later.

• Made it for the first time on Christmas day for the family. I added some onion powder and garlic powder to it. Turned out great even with the boneless prime rib. This recipe is a keeper for sure!!

• how do I figure out the times for a 5 rib roast?

• I can't believe how absolutely awesome this is. Best prime rib that I ever had. I cooked it at 500 deg For 8 min a pound. Let it stand in the oven for 1 hour without opening the door. I never cooked any meat like this and for the cost of the meat I was scared. It turned out perfect. OMG!!!!

• Had to adjust cooking time for a 2 pounder since I only cooked for 2. It turned out perfectly medium rare.Paired with a roasted vegetable medley and a salad of winter greens it seemed almost too elegant to eat on our everyday dinnerware.

• I don't follow this recipe for seasoning, but these cooking directions work the best of any I've tried. A lot of people and recipes recommend starting at 500 and then turning the oven off etc. This works better.

• Made exactly as directed and it turned out great. Had a boneless prime rib so it could've use a about 10 more minutes in the oven. Company loved it made a most impressive meal.

• Well, I'm doing this recipe as we speak - This is the only recipe I ever use. One of the few recipes that one can make 'as written' and it turns out great. Occasionally I get a roast that is tough ( too much adrenalin before the slaughter?)and no one cares because it's so tasty.

• I have made this two times and it was excellent both times. The second time I stepped it up a little and added a little onion powder & Cayenne pepper to the mustard flour mixture and then hit it with a couple shots of worcester after I put the it on the roast. I also put halved red potatoes, sliced onion and a couple cloves of garlic in the bottom of the pan and added a bottle of red wine and a little balsamic vinager. This turned out great too. A great stand by for rib roast.