What exactly is a 'standing rib roast' and is it the same as prime rib?

A standing rib roast and prime rib are the same cut — the primal rib section of the beef, typically ribs 6 through 12, sold bone-in. The name 'standing' refers to the fact that the roast rests on its rib bones during cooking, acting as a natural rack that lifts the meat off the pan floor and allows even heat circulation. 'Prime rib' is the common restaurant name for this cut regardless of USDA grade — though USDA Prime grade (the top 5 to 8% of beef by marbling) is what Lawry's uses and what you should buy if budget allows. Choice grade is an excellent alternative and widely available at Costco. For 6 to 8 people, a 3-bone roast (7 to 8 pounds bone-in) is the target.

Why does Lawry's season the beef 24 to 48 hours ahead?

The dry-brine technique works in two stages. In the first few hours, the salt draws moisture out of the meat's surface — you'll see beads of liquid on the exterior. By hour 16 to 24, osmotic pressure reverses and the meat reabsorbs that moisture, now carrying dissolved seasoning deep into the flesh rather than sitting only on the surface. The second effect is surface desiccation: after 24 to 48 hours uncovered in the refrigerator, the exterior of the roast dries into a tacky, almost papery pellicle that browns beautifully in the oven and forms a flavorful crust without a separate searing step. At Lawry's, this dry-brine period is part of the daily prep cycle — the roasts are seasoned the morning of the day before service.

What temperature should I pull the prime rib for medium-rare?

Pull the roast at 118°F internal temperature (measured in the thickest part of the eye, away from the bone, with an instant-read thermometer). The roast will carry over 5 to 8 degrees during its 20-minute rest, landing at 123 to 126°F — a true medium-rare with a warm pink center and a dark, deeply seasoned crust. For medium, pull at 128°F; the carry-over will bring it to 133 to 136°F. Never cook prime rib beyond medium — at medium-well the marbling has rendered out and the roast is irreversible. If your guests have different preferences, the exterior edge slices (near the cap and the fat collar) will always be a degree or two more done than the center slices, which is useful for accommodating a range of doneness preferences from one roast.

Can I use homemade seasoned salt instead of the Lawry's brand?

Yes. Lawry's Seasoned Salt is a blend of salt, sugar, paprika, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery seed. A workable homemade version: mix 3 tablespoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of celery seed. The turmeric provides the faint golden color on the crust. Use it in the same quantity as the Lawry's brand. That said, a bottle of actual Lawry's Seasoned Salt costs about $4 and is available at virtually every grocery store — there is no real reason to substitute it for this recipe.

What are the four Lawry's prime rib cuts and how big are they?

Lawry's offers four portions of the same standing rib roast, carved tableside to your preference. The California Cut (about 6 oz) is the lightest, for smaller appetites. The English Cut (about 8 oz) is served as three thin slices — the elegant, traditional British style. The Lawry Cut (about 10 oz) is the signature, most-ordered portion and the one the restaurant is built around. The Diamond Jim Brady Cut (about 16 oz) — named after James Buchanan Brady, the famously gluttonous New York financier — is the showstopper: an extra-thick slab with the rib bone left in. (Don't confuse these with the Beef Bowl, which is Lawry's annual January dinner for Rose Bowl teams, not a menu cut.) At home, slicing between every bone gives you the thick Diamond Jim Brady experience; carving thin across the eye gives you the English Cut.

How do you make the Lawry's au jus?

Lawry's au jus is built from the pan drippings — not from a packet, not from commercial beef base. After the roast is pulled from the pan, tilt the roasting pan and use a fat separator or a ladle to remove most of the solidified white fat from the drippings, leaving the dark, beefy liquid underneath. Transfer the defatted drippings to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1.5 to 2 cups of good beef stock (low-sodium preferred, so you can control salt). Bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the roasting pan, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly reduced. Taste for salt and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. That is the entire recipe. The depth comes entirely from the drippings — good beef roasted properly at low heat produces extraordinary drippings.

What does the Lawry's spinning salad bowl taste like?

The Lawry's signature salad is served tableside in an enormous wooden bowl set inside a bowl of crushed ice — the server spins it while tossing so the dressing chills and firms against the cold bowl. The romaine (with canned beets, chopped hard-boiled egg, and croutons) is dressed in the proprietary Classic Vintage Dressing: a savory, lightly tangy emulsion built on Lawry's own Seasoned Salt, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire, held together with unsweetened applesauce in place of egg yolk — lighter and more savory than a Caesar, not a mustard-and-egg-yolk dressing. The showmanship is the point, but the salad genuinely reproduces at home. See our full make-at-home version in the Lawry's Spinning Bowl Salad recipe.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib Standing Rib Roast (The Beverly Hills Classic)

Name: Lawry's The Prime Rib Standing Rib Roast (The Beverly Hills Classic)
Prep time: PT30M(plus 48Hdry-brine)
Cook time: PT3–4H
Total time: 52 h 30 min
Yield: 6–8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: The roast:; 1 bone-in standing rib roast, 3 ribs (7–8 lb) — USDA Prime or Choice; ask the butcher to remove the chine bone and tie the roast for even cooking; 2 tbsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt; 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; Au jus:; Pan drippings from the roast (defatted); 1.5 cups low-sodium beef stock; Kosher salt to taste; To serve:; Prepared horseradish (Silver Spring or Gold's brand — not horseradish sauce, which is mayonnaise-based); Yorkshire pudding or creamed corn (traditional Lawry's accompaniments)

Prep time: 30 min (plus 48 hr dry-brine) Cook time: 3–4 hr Servings: 6–8 Difficulty: Moderate

The standing rib roast at Lawry’s Beverly Hills has been the same dish since 1938: bone-in rib roast, dry-seasoned days ahead, roasted low and slow, carved tableside from a gleaming silver cart. At $75 to $80 a head, it is one of the most famous roasts in American dining history. This recipe replicates the technique at home for a holiday dinner — the 48-hour dry-brine is what separates it from a generic prime rib, and the whole process is more forgiving than it sounds.

The only thing that matters: use a probe thermometer and pull the roast at 118°F. Everything else is preparation.

To build the full steakhouse dinner around it, pair the roast with Morton’s creamed spinach, Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole, and Texas Roadhouse rolls. If you want the same cut on a weeknight budget, the Texas Roadhouse prime rib uses a faster, higher-heat method.

Lawry's The Prime Rib is a trademark of its owner, used here only to describe the dish this recipe recreates. This is an independent copycat written in our own words — Copycat Spices is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Lawry's The Prime Rib.

Lawry's The Prime Rib Standing Rib Roast (The Beverly Hills Classic)

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