Buying guide · Holiday roast
Christmas beef roast: choosing and planning
A Christmas or holiday beef roast is a large, tender joint cooked whole in the oven, usually from the rib, the striploin or the tenderloin. Planning it comes down to four decisions: the cut, the amount (about one rib for every two guests, or 250–300 g / 9–10.5 oz of boneless meat per adult), a pull temperature that allows for carryover during the rest, and a timetable worked backwards from serving time.
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Measured by Steakpedia · Steakpedia Field Kitchen
At a glance
- Classic cuts
- Bone-in rib, boneless ribeye, tenderloin, striploin
- Per adult (raw)
- 1 rib per 2 people · 450–500 g / 16–18 oz bone-in · 250–300 g / 9–10.5 oz boneless
- Medium-rare pull
- 52–53 °C / 126–127 °F (low oven)
- Rest
- 30–60 min (rib) · 15–30 min (tenderloin)
- Salt
- 1–3 days ahead, about 1 % of the weight
Muscles that stay tender in dry heat
Holiday roasts come from muscles that do little work and stay tender under dry heat: the rib, the striploin and the tenderloin, plus a few cheaper alternatives. The choice trades flavour and fat against price, ease of carving and how forgiving the cut is in the oven.
Six roasts, from rib to topside
| Cut | What it is | Raw per adult | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime rib (bone-in rib roast) | Ribs 6–12 on the bone; IMPS 109 | 450–500 g / 16–18 oz | Most flavour and fat; the bones insulate and act as a rack |
| Boneless ribeye roast | Ribeye roll; IMPS 112 | 250–300 g / 9–10.5 oz | Same muscle; cooks faster, carves easily |
| Tenderloin (chateaubriand) | Whole fillet or its centre; IMPS 189A | 200–250 g / 7–9 oz trimmed | Most tender and leanest; mild; highest price per kilo |
| Striploin roast | Boneless strip loin; IMPS 180 | 250–300 g / 9–10.5 oz | Firmer and beefy, with a fat cap; even shape |
| Picanha | Top sirloin cap; IMPS 184D | 250–300 g / 9–10.5 oz | Thick fat cap; roasted whole |
| Topside | Top (inside) round; IMPS 168 | 200–250 g / 7–9 oz | Lean and economical; best rare to medium, sliced thin |
Rib, loin end or chuck end
In the rib, the loin end (ribs 10–12, sold in the United States as the "first cut" or "small end") has a larger, more uniform eye; the chuck end (ribs 6–9) carries more of the fatty spinalis cap. A butcher can cut the bones off and tie them back on, which keeps their insulation while making carving simple. See prime rib, beef tenderloin roast and roast beef.
How much to buy per person
The usual rule among butchers and cookbooks is one rib for every two people: about 450–500 g / 16–18 oz of bone-in roast per guest, or 250–300 g / 9–10.5 oz of boneless meat per adult. The arithmetic behind it: a roast loses roughly 15–25 % of its raw weight in the oven at medium-rare, more when cooked further, and bone and cap fat take a further share, leaving about 180–250 g / 6–9 oz of cooked, trimmed meat per plate. Add 20–30 % for leftovers or a table with few side dishes; children eat about half.
When a whole, untrimmed subprimal is bought and trimmed at home, yield matters too. Field data, weighed piece by piece, show the share left as usable meat after trimming: 83.9 % for a boneless ribeye roll, 78.2 % for a striploin, 72.2 % for a bone-in, frenched rib and 72.2 % for a whole tenderloin with its side muscle. A whole tenderloin therefore needs about 40 % more weight than the trimmed meat required.
One rib for every two guests
| Guests | Bone-in rib | Boneless roast |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 ribs, 1.8–2.2 kg / 4–4.75 lb | 1–1.2 kg / 2.25–2.75 lb |
| 6 | 3 ribs, 2.7–3.3 kg / 6–7.25 lb | 1.5–1.8 kg / 3.25–4 lb |
| 8 | 4 ribs, 3.6–4.4 kg / 8–9.75 lb | 2–2.4 kg / 4.5–5.25 lb |
| 10–12 | 5–6 ribs, 4.5–6 kg / 10–13 lb | 2.5–3.6 kg / 5.5–8 lb |
Temperatures: pull early, then rest
A large roast keeps cooking after it leaves the oven, because heat stored in its outer layers continues to move toward the centre. This carryover is small after a low oven, about 1–3 °C / 2–5 °F, and larger after a hot one, about 3–6 °C / 5–10 °F. The roast is therefore removed below its target, measured with a probe in the centre of the thickest part, away from bone. The USDA gives 63 °C / 145 °F with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef; the pink levels below are traditional for roast beef but sit under that figure. See steak temperatures.
Pull and final temperatures
| Doneness | Pull, low oven (≤ 120 °C / 250 °F) | Pull, hot oven (≥ 175 °C / 350 °F) | After resting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 49 °C 120 °F | 46 °C 115 °F | 50–52 °C 122–126 °F |
| Medium-rare | 52–53 °C 126–127 °F | 49–51 °C 120–124 °F | 54–57 °C 130–135 °F |
| Medium | 57 °C 135 °F | 54 °C 130 °F | 60–63 °C 140–145 °F |
| Medium-well | 62 °C 144 °F | 59 °C 138 °F | 65–68 °C 149–154 °F |
Worked back from serving time
- One to three days before, salt the roast with about 1 % of its weight in coarse salt (30 g per 3 kg / 1 oz per 6.5 lb) and leave it uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator. This dry brine seasons below the surface and dries it for browning.
- On the morning, tie the roast at 2.5–4 cm / 1–1.5 in intervals for an even shape. Take it out of the refrigerator 1–2 hours before roasting; this dries the surface, though the centre warms only a few degrees.
- Work back from serving time: roasting time, plus 30–60 minutes of rest, plus 10 minutes of searing, plus a 30–45 minute buffer. At 110 °C / 225 °F a bone-in rib needs roughly 30–40 minutes per 450 g / 1 lb; a trimmed whole tenderloin at 220 °C / 425 °F needs 30–45 minutes in total. The thermometer, not the clock, decides.
- Roast with a leave-in probe. In the reverse sear, the roast cooks in a low oven to its pull temperature, rests, then returns to an oven at 260–290 °C / 500–550 °F for 6–10 minutes to crisp the outside.
- Rest the roast loosely covered (see resting). A well-insulated rib holds its heat for an hour, which frees the oven for potatoes, Yorkshire puddings or other sides.
- Carve across the grain into slices 1–2 cm / ⅜–¾ in thick; on a bone-in roast, cut the bones away first, then slice the eye.
Where the roast goes wrong
Buying by guest count without allowing for bone, or buying a whole tenderloin without allowing for trim. Roasting by time alone. Measuring against the bone or in a thin end. Pulling at the final temperature after a hot oven and overshooting by a full doneness level. Carving straight after a high-heat roast, which floods the board. Slicing a striploin or topside with the grain. Assuming that "prime rib" means USDA Prime: in the United States the name describes the cut, not the grade. Ordering late: rib and tenderloin are in highest demand in December.
What it is called around the world
| Country | Bone-in rib | Boneless rib | Tenderloin | Striploin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Prime rib, standing rib roast | Ribeye roast | Tenderloin, chateaubriand (centre) | Strip loin roast |
| United Kingdom | Fore rib, rib of beef | Rib-eye joint | Fillet | Sirloin joint |
| Australia / NZ | Standing rib roast | Rib eye roast, scotch fillet roast | Eye fillet | Sirloin roast, porterhouse roast |
| France | Côte de bœuf, train de côtes | Noix d'entrecôte | Filet, chateaubriand | Faux-filet, contre-filet |
| Spain | Lomo alto con hueso | Lomo alto | Solomillo | Lomo bajo |
| Argentina | Bife ancho con hueso | Ojo de bife | Lomo | Bife angosto, bife de chorizo |
| Vietnam | Sườn bò nguyên tảng | Thăn lưng (ribeye) | Thăn nội | Thăn ngoại |
Field data
Numbers measured in a working kitchen, piece by piece, not taken from a table. Another kitchen, another trimming specification, another number. How field data is collected.
Field data
Ribeye, bone-in (tomahawk)
Steakpedia Field Kitchen1 Jul 2026 – 20 Oct 2026
Field data
Ribeye (cube roll)
Steakpedia Field Kitchen1 Jul 2026 – 21 Oct 2026
Field data
Striploin
Steakpedia Field Kitchen1 Jul 2026 – 20 Oct 2026
Field data
Tenderloin
Steakpedia Field Kitchen1 Jul 2026 – 20 Oct 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much prime rib per person?
About one rib for every two people, or 450–500 g / 16–18 oz of bone-in roast per guest. For a boneless ribeye roast, 250–300 g / 9–10.5 oz raw per adult; add 20–30 % for leftovers.
What is the difference between prime rib and a ribeye roast?
They are the same muscle. Prime rib is usually the bone-in rib roast; a ribeye roast is the boneless eye of the rib, which cooks a little faster and is easier to carve.
What temperature do you cook prime rib at?
A low oven of 110 °C / 225 °F gives the most even result. For medium-rare, pull it at 52–53 °C / 126–127 °F in the centre; after resting and a final sear it reaches 54–57 °C / 130–135 °F.
How long should prime rib rest?
30–60 minutes loosely covered after a low oven, 20–30 minutes after a hot one. A whole tenderloin needs 15–30 minutes.
Should I take the roast out of the fridge before cooking?
One to two hours is enough; the centre warms only a few degrees. Perishable food should not stay at room temperature for more than two hours.
Is bone-in or boneless better for a Christmas roast?
Bone-in insulates the meat and gives more flavour near the bone; boneless cooks faster and carves more easily. The bones can be cut off and tied back on to get both.
What is a cheaper alternative to prime rib?
A striploin roast, picanha or topside. Topside is lean and should be cooked no further than medium and sliced thin.
How much beef tenderloin per person?
200–250 g / 7–9 oz of trimmed meat per adult. A whole, untrimmed tenderloin loses roughly 28 % in trimming, so about 40 % more raw weight is needed.
Sources
7
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications: Fresh Beef Series 100. Washington, DC, 2014. www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/IMPS_100_Fresh_Beef%5B1%5D.pdf
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. 2023. www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (UK). Beef Meat Purchasing Guide. Kenilworth, 2016. ahdb.org.uk
- Meat & Livestock Australia. Australian Beef — cuts and cooking methods. www.australianbeef.com.au/know-your-meat/beef-cuts
- McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
- Instituto de Promoción de la Carne Vacuna Argentina (IPCVA). Cortes de carne vacuna argentina — nomenclatura y usos. Buenos Aires. www.ipcva.com.ar
- López-Alt, J. Kenji. The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. New York: W. W. Norton, 2015.
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