Standing Rib Roast

Summary

• Source: Good Eats, Alton Brown
• Genre: Meat
• Active Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 1-2 hours
• Cooking Time: 3-4 hours
• Total Time: 4-6 hours
• Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• ~6 pound boneless or 3-bone-in standing rib roast, either choice or prime grade (purchasing tips)
• Canola oil, to coat roast
• Kosher salt, to coat roast
• Fresh coarsely-ground black pepper, to coat roast
• 4 cups low-sodium beef stock (optional)
• 2 cups red wine (optional)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the roast from the refrigerator. Place the roast inside a roasting pan slightly larger than the meat itself (if using a boneless roast, place on a rack inside the roasting pan). The meat should be placed with the rib bones down and the fatty side up. Pat the roast dry with paper towels.
2. Let the roast warm to room temperature for at least one but no more than two hours. 15-20 minutes before the warming time is up, remove the upper rack from the oven and move the lower rack to the bottom position in the oven. Place an oven thermometer on the oven rack next to where the roasting pan will be placed. Preheat oven to 250°F/120°C.
3. Rub the entire roast with canola oil (I mean the entire roast; bones and all). Coat the roast with kosher salt and pepper. Place a probe meat thermometer into roast, making sure the tip of the probe is in the thickest part. Place the pan on the remaining oven rack, close the oven door and reduce the heat to 200°F/95°C. Make sure that you can easily read both the oven thermometer and meat thermometer when the door is closed.
4. Occasionally check the oven thermometer and adjust the oven temperature to ensure the oven stays as close to an even 200°F/95°C as your oven can manage. Do NOT open the oven for any reason until the roast reaches the desired temperature (see below).
5. Determine how your would like your roast cooked. Use the table below to determine the correct temperature at which you should remove the roast from the oven:

   Level of doneness	Remove from oven at	Comments
   Rare	110-115°F/43-46°C	110°F will be very rare
   Medium-Rare	118-125°F/48-51°C	By far the most popular choice
   Medium	130°F/54°C

   
   The meat will need to roast for approximately 2-3 hours to reach the desired temperature, depending on the size of the meat and your particular oven. The moment that the meat thermometer shows the roast has reached the indicated temperature, remove the pan from the oven and cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
6. Increase oven temperature to 500°F/260°C. When the oven thermometer confirms the oven has reached the target temperature, return the roast to the oven (still covered in foil) for 8-10 minutes to achieve a nice crust on the roast. Remove meat from oven and place on a clean cutting board with juice grooves. Cover the meat loosely in foil and let the roast rest for 20-30 minutes. During this time the roast will be redistributing juices throughout itself, increasing the flavor and texture of the meat. It will also continue to cook due to carryover heat, bringing its temperature up another 10-15°F from when you first removed it from the oven.
7. (Optional) Build an au jus for the roast. Pour out all but 1 tbsp of the grease from the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan over two burners on the stove. Set both burners to high heat. Add beef stock, red wine, and thyme. Scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (meaning to scrape up any cooked-on bits of food). Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cook until liquid is reduced by half, approximately 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain before serving.
8. When roast has rested for 20-30 minutes and au jus is ready, remove foil. Carve and slice roast using a long, extremely sharp knife (demonstration video); a quality dedicated slicing or carving knife is strongly recommended. Pour au jus over meat or serve alongside.

Notes:

• If the group will not be ready to eat in 20-30 minutes when the roast has finished its 500 degree roast, lower the heat on the oven to its lowest setting (usually 170°F/75°C) and leave the oven door ajar until the temperature drops to the selected setting. Place the foil-covered roast in the oven until 20-30 minutes before eating at which time you can continue with the resting step. The roast can safely sit at this temperature for quite some time (I had to leave it for 90 minutes and it was perfectly fine).
• If you would like to cook the roast to more than medium, I would urge you to consider another recipe. This combination of meat and cooking method does not produce good results when cooked above medium.