How to Cook a Single Prime Rib Steak in the Oven
A single prime-rib steak – or rib steak -- is a bone-in cut from a standing prime-rib roast. Remove the bone and you’ll have a rib-eye steak. Rib steaks are tender cuts of beef, full of fat and flavor, low in connective tissue, which makes lesser cuts of beef tough.
A single prime-rib steak – or rib steak -- is a bone-in cut from a standing prime-rib roast. Remove the bone and you'll have a rib-eye steak. Rib steaks are tender cuts of beef, full of fat and flavor, low in connective tissue, which makes lesser cuts of beef tough. Pan roasting, a method in which a quick searing on the stovetop is followed by moderate-temperature oven roasting, can produce tender, flavorful results if done properly.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. By bringing the meat up to room temperature, less cooking time is required and the steak will cook more evenly. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel to rid of it excess moisture. Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Turn your stove onto high heat and place a stainless-steel or cast-iron pan on the burner. Once heated, add canola oil or another cooking fat. Adding the oil only once the pan is hot prevents it from gumming up. Once the oil is hot, using tongs, place the prime-rib steak in the pan, careful to avoid splattering oil.
Brown the meat, searing it for a few minutes per side. The purpose of this initial dose of high heat is twofold: it kills any surface bacteria and it browns and flavors the meat's surface. Feel free to push down on the meat with a spatula to even out the browning effect; this won't cause moisture loss.
Place the pan with the seared steak in the oven. Use an oven-safe thermometer to check for doneness often. For medium-rare, remove the steak when its internal temperature reads 130 F; the temperature will continue to rise for a few minutes while it sits outside of the oven.
Allow the steak to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. If you cut the meat immediately, the juices won't have settled and moisture will be lost.
Tip
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends removing a steak from the heat source only once it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F. This level of doneness would constitute medium-well.