Some butchers also call this the first and second cut — the first cut is close to the loin, and the second cut is close to the chuck.

There’s also the issue of bone in or bone out, says Gina Farruggio, a cook and recipe developer at The Meat Market at Ingram and Alluvial avenues.

“We cut off the bone and tie it back on for roasting purposes,” she says. But customers also can buy bone-in roasts.

“Bone-in is popular because of the presentation of having a big beast on your table,” Farruggio says. “It’s more expensive to have the bone cut out.”

Even if the bones are cut out, you want to roast them with the meat to boost the prime rib’s flavor, Sambueso says.

Cooks also must decide whether to buy choice grade or prime grade, Sambueso adds. The prime, of course, has the highest amount of marbled fat and delivers a wallop of flavor. But it’s also a wallop to the wallet. Compared to choice, prime costs $2 to $3 more per pound.

The average person can’t tell the difference, Farruggio says: “If I can tell that someone’s a novice, I try to direct them to the choice.”

Both say it’s best to buy a pound of meat per person — for those large holiday appetites.

The big question: Is it best to roast the prime rib slowly or quickly?

The answer: It depends on whether you need the oven to cook other dishes.

Rusty favors the really slow roast. After browning the prime rib in a 400-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, he drops the temperature to 225 degrees and lets it cook for several hours until the internal temperature reaches 125 to 130 degrees in the thickest part. Letting it rest, covered, for about 20 minutes, should bring the meat just to medium rare.

At The Meat Market, Farruggio rubs olive oil into the meat, pats on garlic, cracked pepper and sweet basil, then dusts the roast with a mixture of flour and sea salt. She browns the meat in a 400-degree oven, then turns down the heat to 325. After that, she lets it cook about 18 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature is 135 degrees.

“If you reach the core temp before time is up, yank it,” she says.

After reading interviews and talking to the professionals, I’m leaning toward a Cook’s Illustrated recipe that calls for a slow roast at 250 degrees.

The description enticed me: “Unlike the roasts that cooked at higher temperatures, this one was rosy pink from the surface to the center — the juiciest and most tender of all the roasts we had cooked.”

Whatever method you use, it’s hard to go wrong, Farruggio says.