Garlic Prime Rib

1 (10 pound) prime rib roast
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme


Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast, and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
Bake the roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and continue roasting for an additional 60 to 75 minutes. The internal temperature of the roast should be at 145 degrees F (53 degrees C) for medium rare.
Allow the roast to rest for 10 or 15 minutes before carving so the meat can retain its juices.

Note: Make sure your oven is clean before you cook anything on 500°! We have made it a tradition in our family to have Prime Rib for our Christmas Eve dinner and this has become our favorite recipe. They say to plan about 1 lb. per person but I wouldn't cook anything bigger than a 10 lb. roast. If I need more than 10 lbs. I do two roasts and cook them at the same time. I also have the butcher separate the rib rack from the meat and then tie them together (I do un-tie it before cooking but still leave the bones in the pan. That way, the meat sits on the bones and up off the bottom of the pan. Enjoy!