Standing Rib Roast

I made a rib roast for Christmas for the second time in a a row, and still haven't posted a recipe for it.

It's a weird thing that Prime Rib is the best deal at the meat counter for Christmas.  You can get cuts as small as a single, two-pound bone and as big as the whole rack.  With coupon, it was only $4.47/lb.  Ground beef was more.  Duck was more.  Goose was way more.  And with only four of us, it was silly to make a turkey or half ham.

As far as preparing it, that's easy if you plan your oven usage.  I made the mince pies two days before so I would only need the oven for reheating latkes and baking a cheese dip, which could be done while the roast was resting.  Estimate 3/4 pound per person for bone-in, 1/2 lb for boneless.

Finally got a latke photo

You can go as simple as only salt and pepper.  You can make a dry-rub and age it in the fridge for days to get the pellicle.  I'm assuming you have a million things to do in a holiday or special event week and split the difference.

3 lb bone-in rib roast (4 people)
1 Tb kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
*1 Tb fresh or 1 tsp dry herb of choice (I used leftover fresh tarragon)
*2 cloves garlic, minced

1.  Up to 24 hours ahead, unwrap the roast and pat dry.  Combine remaining ingredients into a paste and rub into fat on the top of the roast.  Place on a rack in a roasting pan and refrigerate uncovered.  Sorry, your fridge is going to smell like raw beef for a while.  Change the baking soda box the next day.

2.  3 hours before dinner (3-4 lb roast), preheat oven to 450º.  Allow the roast to come to room temperature on the counter during the preheating, at least 30 minutes.  Roast for 30 minutes, to get the outside browned and crisp the fat.

3.  Turn down the oven to 350º for the remainder of the baking time.  Estimate 15 minutes per pound, then start checking the temperature.  You want the lowest temperature in the core at 130º if anyone wants rare.  If no one likes rare, pull it at 135º.

4.  Wait, you're thinking, that's barely 2 hours and you told me to allow 3.  The roast has to "rest" for a minimum of 20 minutes.  The residual heat of the outer layers and the bone will continue to cook the core until it reaches 145º, aka rare.  Also, the juices will resettle in the meat so they don't all run out.  If you're making Yorkshire pudding, this is when you drain off the pan juices and make it.  You can also put the drippings in a gravy boat, or use them to make brown gravy by boiling them with a bit of flour.

5.  The rest of the time I'm allowing you is to carve the stupid thing.  I need my knives sharpened.  It's easier when the meat is cooked to at least medium.  Place slices on a warm platter for serving.  If it's still going to be a while, put the platter in the oven with the heat off and the door cracked.  You don't want it in an environment warmer than 145º, rare temperature.

Difficulty rating  π