Its as easy or hard as you make it. The traditional way is put it in a hot oven till its seared, then turn the oven off and let the meat stay till its the temp you want. You have to hope the oven stays warm enough to cook and have no idea when it will be done. Plus once its done. The meat is grey for the first 1/2" or so with only the center cooked to the target temp.

But if you reverse sear it, its much easier.

Easiest meat to cook and Im not joking. I cover mine in salt and put in the fridge uncovered for at least 12 hours, but as long as 3 days. I like to do 1-2 days (mine right now has been in for 2 days). Then get about a pound of softened butter, add salt, minced garlic, and herbs de providence. Mix it and keep it soft. Not melted. Then rub it all over the meat about 1/8 inch thick. I like to do this the night before. The next day, put it on the smoker at 225-250 till you hit the internal temp you want. The temp will increase while it rest and sears so this is what ive found good temps to pull it off the smoker. 110 for medium rare, 115-120 for medium, 125 for medium. I do mine to 110. Then take it out and let it rest. This is the best part because you dont have to time the meat to the rest of the meal. I've let it rest anywhere from 30 min to 3 hours. Then when everything else is about ready, turn your oven up as high as it goes. Mine does 550. Once its hot, I put the roast on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and stick it in the oven to sear. This will only take 10 min or less. Then you take it out and can slice it right away. This method gives you little to no grey ring around the meat. It will be the same color all the way through.

A side note, if you dont have a smoker or want to smoke it, you can do the first cook in the over at 225 or 250.

In my area all the better grocery stores, Publix/Kroger/Aldi/Ingles/Walmart/and up, will have rib roasts this time of year. But for a better cut a local butcher shop will have one.

Yeah, this time of year they are on sale. My wife bought two full racks at $6.99 per pound. One we cut in half, one for tomorrow and one for Easter, and the other one Im going to cut into 1.5" to 2" steaks. You cant find even cheap ribeye for that price.

So, is there a difference between prime rib, and a ribeye roast?

Rib roast is the cut, prime rib is the method. Prime coming from the primal cut. Rib roast can be bone in or bone out. Bone in can get fancy as a standing rib roast with the bone ends trimmed back and pointing up, the roast version of a tomahawk steak. A ribeye is a roast sliced into steaks.

So if you buy a ribeye roast to cook whole for a group is it better roasted with the bone in or trimmed off?

My Kroger is calling what they call a "ribeye roast".....

I cut the fat off, no bones, and smoke the meat then let it rest, sometimes you have to be careful about a rib roast because in front of the ribeye you can get a roast that’s not really a ribeye, the term prime used to refer to the grade of the cut but today it get used to refer to a ribeye loin that gets cooked in multiple serving portions.

Bone in is the most common way.

For the best taste a true prime rib is the better tasting coming from a Prime cut of meat. There are 3 tiers of meat prime, choice and select .Warrior gave a good explanation of the various names the prime rib is called.

This is quite enlightening ... thanks all !
C Foot

The actual grades are USDA Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, Commercial and Utility. The primal cut is the rib, there are 7 ribs in a full roast. So really most prime rib roast sold are not really Prime, but Choice or Good which is also called Select anymore as a way to make it sound better quality.

The first five ribs towards the neck on cattle are the Chuck, 6-12 are the rib 13 is left on the short loin, then you have Sirloin and round, this is the top side of a cow.

wws

We started doing prime rib several years ago as well.. None of really are crazy about turkey, ham is ok.. Everyone loves prime rib. I'm the designated smoker lol.. I cook it on a pellet smoker.. I'm not a fan of letting the meat sit in the fridge seasoned for more than 4-6 hours. I find it "cures" a bit and it creates an interesting texture similar to ham if the salt content is high (and mine is). I season half with straight salt and pepper and half with Who Dat's creole seasoning..bout 3-3.5 hours at 350 and it's go time!!

Most good butchers around here will cut the rib plate off and then tie it back on. Always better flavor cooking with bone on...then just cut the strings and easy peasy bone off and ready to slice.