Christmas Grilled Prime Rib

There's nothing quite like the taste of prime rib, and this Christmas Grilled Prime Rib recipe is the perfect way to enjoy it this holiday season. With a simple outdoor preparation on the grill, this dish will impress your guests and make your Christmas dinner one to remember. The long and patient roasting gives you more time to enjoy the morning or afternoon with a favorite hot drink and holiday flick, so don't hesitate to try this dish. You won't be disappointed!

The key to success with this dish is in the meat and how it's cooked. The roast should be covered heavily in olive oil, salt, and pepper before being placed on a grill using indirect heat. Depending on the size of your roast, cook time will range from two hours up. And remember: low heat is best when grilling significant cuts of meat or poultry so go slowly to ensure even cooking throughout.

The Horseradish Cream sauce adds perfect heat and spice to this dish. To make it, combine heavy cream, sour cream, horseradish, and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk until blended. The final touch is to garnish the roast with sprigs of rosemary or thyme for extra flavor if desired.

This is a fantastic meal for smaller dinner parties with 8-10 people, as it doesn't require too much time or effort to whip up some side dishes while grilling. So grab your hot chocolate, put on White Christmas, and let's get started!

Serves 8-10

Christmas Grilled Prime Rib Ingredients

Prime Rib

• 1 (4-rib) standing beef rib roast (about 8 to 12 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Horseradish Cream Sauce

• 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 2/3 cup (5 ounces) prepared horseradish
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper

Christmas Grilled Prime Rib Directions

Prime Rib

1. Rinse the rib roast with cool water and pat it dry with paper towels. Place on a wire rack set on a baking sheet, cover with dry paper towels and refrigerate until the surface of the meat is dry to the touch. (You can age the meat for several days by tightly covering it with a clean, dry kitchen towel and refrigerating it on a wire rack set on a baking sheet.)
2. Remove the roast from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and rub it with the oil, then the salt and pepper. Let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
3. Twenty minutes before the roast has come to room temperature, prepare the grill for indirect cooking using only half the burners. If the grill allows, set a drip pan above or in place of unused burners.
4. Place the roast bone-side down over the drip pan (not over the active burners) and cover the grill. Rotate and flip the meat every 30 minutes so that every side of the roast is exposed to the hot side of the grill. Continue flipping until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roast (but not touching any bones) reads 125°F for medium rare, about 2 hours.
5. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Separate the ribs by cutting through the meat in between them. Slice the meat off the bones and serve with horseradish cream sauce.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

1. Place heavy cream in a medium bowl and whisk until the cream starts to hold a line when you drag the whisk through it.
2. Using a rubber spatula, fold in crème fraîche or sour cream, horseradish, chives, and salt.
3. Season with pepper and additional salt as desired.