What is the difference between Roast Beef and Prime Rib?

Answer 1

Roast beef is just a generic name for a cut of beef that's baked (roasted) in the oven.

Prime rib is roast beef, but a specific cut of beef that generally refers to a Rib Roast, also known as a Standing Rib Roast. Technically, it's a rib roast using USDA Prime meat, but most restaurants do not use USDA Prime.

Answer 2

Prime Rib IS Roast Beef; a very nice cut.

Roast Beef is not always Prime Rib - there are a lot of other cuts that yield smaller or 'lower quality' Roast Beef that are what you will normally expect to see in prepared meals or restaraunt selections that are not specifically Prime Rib.

It's the same concept as saying a Cadilac is an automobile, but not all automobiles are Cadilacs.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the difference between Roast Beef and Prime Rib?

Answer 4

roast beef is in fact a way to cook cheap cuts of beef. A prime rib which is a rib roast or standing rib roast. You do in fact roast a prime rib but not the same way you would make roast beef or pot roast. Prime rib comes from only 1 cut of beef where roast beef comes from several different cuts of beef.

Answer 5

A standing rib roast is a cut of beef from the rib section, which is one of the eight primal cuts of beef. The entire rib section is comprised of ribs 6 through 12 of the animal; a standing rib roast can be comprised of anywhere from 2 to 7 ribs. It is given the name "standing" because it is most often roasted in a standing position, that is, with the ribs stacked vertically. A standing rib roast, if sliced when uncooked, would yield a number of rib eye steaks.

A standing rib roast sliced into portions is often known as "prime rib". Contrary to some accounts, the designation "prime" does not refer to the USDA grade of the carcass, but was used to describe the best or most desirable part of the rib section, even before the inception of meat grading [1]. Another theory is that the term prime rib derives from "primal rib".


A slice of prime rib from a standing rib roast, topped (on the right side) with mushrooms.A slice of standing rib roast will include portions of the so-called "eye" of the rib as well as the outer, fat-marbled muscle (spinalis dorsali) known as the "lip" or "cap".

The traditional preparation for a standing rib roast is to rub the outside of the roast with salt and seasonings and slow-roast with dry heat.



Roast beef (also known as a roast) is a cut of beef which is roasted in an oven. Can be technically any cut of beef that is roasted

Answer 6

Roast Beef is a very broad, and vague term, that could almost come from any section of a cow, but usually the "bottom round" or what we call "rump roast". Prime Rib or what they call "standing rib roast" comes from the section known as the rib. Sometimes prime rib is used to describe "Filet Mignon" which comes from the section known as Beef Tenderloin. In other words, these are restaurant terms, and not meatcutter terms, and therefore could mean two different things...

Answer 7

Prime Rib Wiki

Answer 8

Prime rib is VERY expensive and is a better and more tender cut of beef.....while a roast beef is a MUCH cheaper cut of beef and less tender.

Answer 9

prime rib is always the rib cut of beef.
roast beef is a more generic term and can be any of a few cuts of beef, such as eye of round, top round or what is called a steamship round.

Answer 10

Not much -- it's just dead cow meat.