The question of how long can you refrigerate a Prime Rib before cooking comes up every now and then when we have uncooked prime rib and would like to store it in the refrigerator.
Prime rib is a popular meat, It is cut from the primal rib of beef. If you plan to cook your prime rib, you might want to order ahead, this means you may have to store it in the fridge.
Do you want to refrigerate your prime rib? you must keep it at the right temperature. In this guide, we shall go into detail on how long to refrigerate prime rib, the right temperature, and much more.
Let’s get started!
How Long can you Refrigerate a Prime Rib Before Cooking
You can keep your prime rib in your refrigerator for three to five days before cooking. Your uncooked prime rib can also stay more than a week if you vacuum-seal it. To achieve the best, you should keep the raw prime rib in the refrigerator to avoid the effect of bacterial growth.
How Long will Uncooked Prime Rib Last in the Refrigerator?
The USDA reported that you could adequately store your raw prime rib in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. One way to maintain the freshness is by keeping it in an airtight container. If air penetrates the container, it can give room for bacterial growth. This action can affect the quality and taste of the prime rib adversely.
After buying the prime rib roast, you should leave it in its store package as long as it is properly sealed. The essence is to prolong the duration of the meat and preserve as much juice as possible.
How long will Cooked Prime Rib last in the Refrigerator?
Eating your prime rib in the first two days following cooking the meat is best. However, in extreme conditions, you may keep it in your fridge for at least four days. Undoubtedly, keeping the meat in the marinated sauce will help to enhance the meat’s flavor. Conclusively, prime rib leftovers can be sumptuous if you store them well.
However, do not mistakenly eat the uncooked leftover prime rib from the refrigerator. Again, it is better to heat it in the oven than in the microwave. To heat it, you may use aluminum foil. The reason is that using the microwave may burn the meat because the heat may be faster than usual. This may make it hard to chew the meat.
How Can I Reheat My Prime Rib?
Suppose you have leftovers after enjoying your fill. In that case, you may be worried about how best to preserve it to retain its moisture and freshness. Here are the options we have put forward for you to salvage the situation:
How to Reheat Prime Rib on the Stovetop
You can use a steamer basket to carry it out. All you need to do is to add a little water to the pot bottom. Before adding water:
- Check the size of the pot.
- Place your steamer basket on the pan and let the water boil.
- Cut the beef into small portions and wrap them in an aluminum foil.
- Place the foil in the basket and adequately cover it.
- Allow it to cook for around six minutes.
You may check the foil to know if it is warm enough. If not, you can let it cook for a few minutes. Ensure not to burn it in the process.
How to Reheat Prime Rib in the Oven
Another method you can employ is by reheating it in the oven. To do it, preheat the oven a little (around 250F). Add two to three tablespoons of broth to a skillet and put the prime rib (sliced) in it.
After sorting that out, firmly set aluminum foil on the skillet and allow it to heat up to 10 minutes. Then move the prime rib to a serving dish to keep it from overcooking.
How to Reheat Prime Rib In Microwave
This method is not the best, but if you want the prime rib fast, you can use the microwave. The microwave heats up quickly and may not allow the food to cook slowly and naturally. The heat may also cause the pink center to turn gray within the twinkle of an eye.
Nevertheless, if you are alert, you may be able to salvage the cooking using the microwave. Use a neat heat-resistant saucepan for cooking it. Add a few tablespoons of broth, and then place the sliced prime rib there.
Next, cover the saucepan well and cook at high heat. Let it not stay longer than two minutes. Quickly transfer it to a serving dish to stop the cooking process.
Enjoy your Prime Rib Cold
Although people do not utilize this method, you can enjoy your prime rib cold. All you need to do is to add the sliced rib to your sandwiches or salads. Another way is to cut and put it into a sauté.
Can you Cook a Prime Rib Roast after the “Sell By” Date?
A prime rib is fresh even after the ‘sell by’ date. Manufacturers do not give the exact ‘best by’ dates to allow consumers to maximize the best quality of the food.
Prime ribs do not worsen even after their ‘sell by’ dates as long as it is properly stored. So, buying it a few days after does not lower its quality, nor will the cooking adversely affect it.
Also Read: How Long Can Fried Chicken Sit Out? (Explained)
How far in Advance can you buy a Prime Rib Roast?
It is okay to buy your prime rib roast five days before the time you want to prepare it. Provided the wrap is vacuum-sealed, nothing will happen to the meat’s quality. Although there is no scientific evidence, some people believe that it improves the meat’s taste via wet aging.
In addition, if you store it in the freezer, you can keep it for as long as seven months before cooking it. However, ensure that it thaws appropriately before cooking it.
Store Uncooked Prime Rib using Dry-Age Method
If you wish, you can dry the uncooked rib roast before storing it. This process can let the meat last up to three months in the fridge without going bad. It may even last longer!
To dry-age the meat, you must lay a roasting rack on a salted sheet pan. After that, place the prime rib on the frame. Ensure it is not covered. Lastly, preserve the meat in the fridge and let it sit for up to 30 days.
Store Uncooked Prime Rib using Wet-Age Method
If you prepare the prime rib roast in the coming two weeks, it is best to wet-age it. This method is quite simple to adhere to. All you need to do is leave the roast in your vacuum-sealed wrapping in the fridge. Besides, you need to set the fridge at 35 degrees Fahrenheit. To achieve a good result, always turn the beef every five to seven days within the period. Please, do not use the wet-age method if the prime rib is not vacuum-sealed. This is to help you avoid contact with air.
How to tell if a Prime Rib has gone Bad
There are a few ways to know if the prime rib is no longer suitable. Before concluding the condition, you should judge the meat’s texture, smell and appearance. Here is what to do:
Its Color
The color of the prime rib changes if it gets bad. You will discover brown or greenish-grey color on it. You will need to discard it if the color changes. Some reasons may cause the color change, including oxidation reaction, light, bacterial pollution and temperature.
Appearance
If the prime rib roast (whether cooked or uncooked) has mold or any organic growth, it indicates that it has decayed. The only solution here is to discard the meat. For your safety, do not sniffle the prime rib. The molds may produce mycotoxins, which may enter your gut microflora and weaken the immune system.
The Texture
The prime rib feels slimy or sticky if it goes bad. When it happens, it is no longer suitable for use. You may be tempted to wash off the meat to salvage it. However, it would help if you understood that you might be in danger of spreading the bacteria on the utensils and food items. This will happen when you expose those things to microbes.
Therefore, after checking the condition of the meat, you should carefully wash your hand. Else, you will transfer the microbes to other things you touch.
Smell
When you smell the prime rib, which may smell sour or ammonia, it indicates that the prime rib is no longer fresh. It equally means that it is infested by bacteria, a sign that you should do away with it.
Implications of eating spoiled prime rib
If your prime rib roast has gone bad, it will have e-Coli or Salmonella. You can only kill these microbes at a temperature as high as 150ᵒF. For beef, the temperature is 165ᵒF. Spoilt prime ribs have microbes and molds, which pose health implications if you eat them.
Food poisoning is the slightest disease you may encounter if you eat spoilt prime rib. The symptoms include abdominal cramps, vomiting, fever, nausea and diarrhea.
Also Read: How Long is Ceviche Good For? (Explained)
Frequently Asked Questions – How long can you refrigerate a Prime Rib before Cooking
How long will uncooked prime rib last in the refrigerator?
According to the USDA, you should not keep your raw roast longer than three to five days in the fridge. Again, it takes about three days to thaw a prime rib roast. If you put it in the fridge tonight, it will take the next day to melt completely.
How long can prime rib stay in the fridge after the ‘sell by’ date?
After buying the prime rib, you can keep it in the fridge for three to five days. The ‘sell by’ date may not expire within this period if you properly store it. Hence, if the ‘sell by’ date is gone, your beef may still be good for consumption after five days.
How can you tell if a prime rib is bad?
If the prime rib is bad, it will become gooey or slimy, with bad smell. In addition, if the color becomes grayish, it is time to discard it. At this point, it is wrong to taste the meat to know how bad it is.
How long can you keep raw meat in the fridge?
You can keep some raw meat in the fridge for as long as one to two days before you can freeze or cook it. These include seafood, poultry, round meat other varieties of meat. Nevertheless, veal, beef, pork roast, chops, steaks, and lambs can stay up to three to five days.
How long does roast beef last in the fridge?
You can keep your roast beef in the fridge for three to five days. This is according to the recommendations of the USDA. Although refrigeration can slow decay, it cannot stop microbial growth.
Conclusion – How long can you refrigerate a Prime Rib before Cooking
Now that you know how long your prime rib can last in the fridge, it is essential to keep to these tips when storing prime rib. Also, ensure to keep your prime rib in an airtight container to achieve the best result.