Prime rib is a beautiful cut of meat. When well prepared, it’s one of the best beef cuts. One of the most popular ways to cook a large prime rib is in the oven. Prime rib is often used to make some fantastic roasts. Serve it with vegetables and gravy for a delicious meal. However, you might wonder what type of dish you need to cook prime rib in the oven. Also, can you cook prime rib in a glass dish? The answer is both yes and no, depending on the type of cooking. So let’s take a closer look.
Can You Cook Prime Rib in a Glass Dish?
Whether or not you can cook prime rib in a glass dish depends on the method of cooking. Let’s look at three ways prime rib can be cooked in the oven—roasting or broiling, regular baking, and low and slow baking.
Roasting or Broiling Prime Rib in a Glass Dish
If you are roasting or broiling prime rib, you will use high temperatures, usually above 500° Fahrenheit. However, this can go as high as 550° or even 600° Fahrenheit. It will result in a very brown and crispy exterior with a medium-rare interior. Most people claim this is the best way to cook prime rib because it really shouldn’t be cooked all the way through.
Glass dishes aren’t designed to be exposed to exceedingly high temperatures for prolonged periods. An oven-safe glass dish works well at moderate and even high temperatures, but broiling or roasting requires exceptionally high temperatures.
Although this may work well the first few times, you run the risk of the glass shattering or cracking. If the glass dish shatters, your prime rib will be ruined, and you’ll have a big cleanup job.
Tempered glass might handle a 470° Fahrenheit temperature, but not the 550° usually used for roasting and boiling.
Regular Baking Prime Rib in a Glass Dish
A glass dish will be fine if you are baking your prime rib at 350° Fahrenheit.
However, remember that most glass dishware can go in the oven up to 400° Fahrenheit, or up to 425, without breaking.
If you are using high-quality tempered glass, it might be able to handle temperatures up to 470° Fahrenheit. If you are baking prime rib, a glass dish should do fine.
Baking Prime Rib Low and Slow in a Glass Dish
If you are cooking your prime rib low and slow to make pulled beef, a glass dish is safe.
Alternatives to Glass Dishes for Cooking Prime Rib in the Oven
The best type of dish to use to bake, roast, and broil prime rib is a metal pan. A dedicated metal roasting or baking pan can handle excessively high temperatures. Metal is preferable over glass or even Pyrex when excessively high temperatures are involved.
Conclusion
You can use a glass baking dish for low and slow cooking and regular baking. However, you cannot use a glass dish when roasting or broiling at over 470° Fahrenheit. Therefore, metal is usually the preferred option for cooking prime rib in the oven.