Food - Drink
Rib Roast Vs. Prime Rib: What's The Difference?
By STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
Commonly found at steakhouses, rib roasts and prime rib are two of the most luxurious and expensive cuts of beef. Both rib roast and prime rib come from the ribs of the cow, but one difference is that the whole rack of ribs makes up a standing rib roast, while only the ribs near the loin are cut and sold as prime rib.
Since the loin end of a standing rib roast is more tender than the rest, prime rib is generally considered to be the best cut all around, but the front section of a rib roast has the advantage of more fat. The top layer of fat on a standing rib roast melts down into the rest of the meat during roasting to keep it nice and juicy.
Standing rib roasts also usually have the bones removed, which makes more work for the butcher, so they're more expensive than bone-in prime rib. Both cuts are often cooked with similar seasonings, but rib roast is more flexible when it comes to the ways you can cook it, while prime rib generally takes longer to cook.