6-8 hours before serving: Remove prime rib from the refrigerator and place on the rack of a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper and cover with plastic wrap. Let meat come to room temperature for 4-6 hours.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft and smooth. Add salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.

Pat roast dry with paper towel. Spread garlic butter evenly all over the surface of the prime rib.

Preheat oven to 500°F. NOTE: This temperature works best on an oven that is sealed (door doesn’t get hot when oven is hot), as some models of ovens will give off so much heat to try to maintain this high cooking temperature that your smoke alarm system might go off. If your oven does give off a lot of heat, consider having a nearby window open slightly.

Roast the prime rib at 500°F for 25 minutes (5 minutes per pound, so adjust as needed depending on the weight of your roast) then turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR. Let rest in oven for 2 hours.

Remove prime rib from oven after 2 hours of resting. Cover with foil to keep warm while you make the au jus.

Make the Au jus-

Transfer drippings from roasting pan to a saucepan set over medium heat. Add red wine, if using, followed by beef broth, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Carefully remove ½ cup of warm broth and whisk together with cornstarch to make a slurry. Return cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and whisk until smooth. Continue simmering until thickened slightly. Adjust seasoning again as needed.

Thinly slice prime rib and serve with warm au jus/gravy.