The "Ultimate" Standing Rib Roast

This New Years Eve we hosted a small dinner party. It was suppose to be six people but one couple caught an awful bug that had been going around. Luckily my husband was on the recovery slope from it at this point. So it ended up just being the four of us. It took me no time to figure out the menu but was a little worried about how to pull it off flawlessly. I know the rule of thumb is to always serve dinner guests a meal that you have made before..... Well I would like to take that little rule, crumple it up and toss it away. I personally think that it is a perfect opportunity to try something new.. something you have always wanted to make. For me, it keeps cooking fun and adventurous. As a friend has recently taught me "if it ends up sucking, you can just throw it away and order pizza". I mean who doesn't love pizza?!?

So I decided to tackle my very first standing rib roast. I approached this as I would any competition. I had to find the perfect strategy. I definitely did my research, consisting of You Tube and google searching. It seemed everyone had a different way to flavor and cook the "perfect" or "best in the world" standing rib roast. In the end, I combined a few cooking techniques and came up with my own flavor blend.

Two of my biggest decisions were brining home the right amount of meat and what internal temperature to cook it to. 

Here is a good rule of thumb for the amount of meat needed per person:
3/4 lb. per person or:

1 rib per  2 people

2 ribs per 4 people

3 ribs per 6 people
4 ribs per 8 people
5 ribs per 10 people
and so on.... 

I ended up buying a 6.25 lb (3 bone) standing rib roast from Costco. For 4 people it was more than enough. Since I had originally planned for 6 we had about 6 healthy slices of meat left over. 

For the internal temperature and doneness of your meat I used this:

Rare           120-125 degrees

Medium Rare    130-135 degrees

Medium         140-145 degrees

Medium Well    150-155 degrees

Well Done      160-165 degrees

We cooked the roast to about 133 degrees, removed it from the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes. It ended up being closer to a medium doneness. The meat still cooks after you remove it from the oven. So, be aware of how long you allow the roast to rest and allow for more cooking while resting. Honestly, for me it was a little overdone. Next time I would remove the roast at about 125 degrees and then allow to rest.

The "Ultimate" Standing Rib Roast

Helpful Tools
Food processor or blender
Roasting Pan
Butchers twine
Roasting meat thermometer

Ingredients                                                

5-6 pound rib roast with bones                      

2 tablespoons olive oil                                   

10-12 cloves of garlic, smashed                    

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary                          

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2-3 tablespoons butter, softened

You want your standing rib roast to be at room temperature before it even goes near the oven. I would recommend taking it out about 2-4 hours before cooking, depending on the size of the roast. However you can lather that hunk of meat up the night before to save you a little time and to let the flavors absorb into the meat.

The rub - In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme and salt. Saute for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse into the olive oil. Stir frequently to make sure your garlic and herbs do not burn. Add the garlic, herbs and oil to a food processor. To that, also add the pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and mustard powder. Pulse until well blended. Pour rub into a bowl and add the 2-3 tablespoons of butter. Mix together well.

The meat - I decided to cut the rib bones away from the roast barely leaving them still attached. Taking a very sharp knife, cut as close to the bone as possible. This will make removing the bones after cooking and slicing the meat easier. You will want to tie the ribs to the roast with butchers twine at this point. Wrap the twine completely around the meat and the bones, making sure the twine goes between the bones. I tied the meat in 3 different places. This will prevent the roast from pulling away from the bones and overcooking of the meat.

After the bones have been cut away from the roast and you have tied the meat up, place the roast rib side down, into the middle of your roasting pan. You do not need a roasting rack as the ribs will act as the rack. Take the butter and herb mixture and rub it all over the meat. Make sure you coat the whole roast, even the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until 2-4 hours before you are ready to cook the meat.

Now you are finally ready to cook this thing. Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, making sure not to heat any bone, if you decide to keep them attached. Once the oven has reached 500 degrees, quickly place the roast in the oven and shut that door. You should NEVER OPEN THE DOOR AGAIN, until you are ready to take the roast out of the oven. 

Cook the roast at 500 degrees for 20 minutes. This will be putting a nice sear on the meat. 

After 20 minutes reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Again no need to open the oven door. If you are anything like me and need a peak, just turn on that oven light and do a little window gazing. 

Cook the meat at 325 degrees until you have reached your desired doneness. Your meat will take about 15-17 minutes per pound for medium rare. This is an estimate and I highly recommend to keep a close watch on your meat thermometer. 

After removing the roast tent it with tin foil and allow it to rest for 10-20 minutes. Your roasts internal temperature will rise about 5-10 degrees. So keep this in mind.

The rest of my menu:

I served my standing rib roast with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, a fall harvest salad, pan drippings gravy, and a horseradish sauce. 

Pan Drippings Gravy

Add the pan drippings into a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk into the drippings. Add about 2 cups of beef broth, stir well until completely combined and there are no lumps. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken, constantly stirring. 

Horseradish Sauce

In a bowl combine 1/4-1/2 cup horseradish, 1 container of sour cream, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and a splash of lemon juice. Mix well.

All in all I would say the dinner was a success!!!  And remember, never be afraid to be a little adventurous in the kitchen!!!

Happy New Year from the Rogers!!

Simply,

Meg