Standing Rib Roast

Sometimes erroneously called a “prime rib” (the cut may or may not be graded prime, a rib roast is made of the cow’s ribs plus the eye of meat under them. We do not recommend boneless rib roasts; the point here is to char the bone taste into the meat. Otherwise, you might as well enjoy a rib-eye steak . Again, the temperatures are a little lower than those recommended for beef because this large roast will gain degrees as it rests.

1 three-bone 61⁄2- to 71⁄2-pound standing rib roast (see Notes)

Butcher’s twine

2 tablespoons coarse salt, such as kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (see Notes)

Cooking the roast in the oven:
• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F.
• To help the roast keep its shape while roasting, wrap and knot butcher’s twine securely but not too tightly around it, circling the twine in a single loop between each bone and over the eye meat. Coat the roast in salt and pepper, getting the seasonings all over the meat.
• Place the roast in a large, heavy roasting pan bone side down (so that the bones arc underneath the meat, holding the roast up). Roast until an instant- read meat thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of the roast without touching bone registers 118°F (our defi nition of rare), about 1 hour and 45 minutes 122°F (our defi nition of medium-rare), about 1 hour and 55 minutes 128°F (our defi nition of medium), about 2 hours 140°F (the USDA defi nition of medium-rare), about 2 hours and 10 minutes or 155 F (the USDA’s defi nition of medium), about 2 hours and 20 minutes
• Remove the roast from the oven, set on a carving board, and tent with aluminum foil for 10 to 15 minutes before carving ( see carving).

Cooking the roast on the grill:
• Wrap and knot butcher’s twine around the roast as in step 2 above; coat with salt and pepper. Seal the roast in aluminum foil; place it bone side down in a disposable roasting pan.
• Preheat a gas grill for high-heat cooking or build a high-heat, well-ashed coal bed in a charcoal grill.
• Set the roasting pan with the beef on the grill grate directly over the heat, 4 to 6 inches above it. Cover and roast until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted diagonally into the roast’s center without the probe touching bone registers 115 F, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Remove the pan and roast from the grill. Unwrap the roast—be careful: the juices in the packet are hot. Discard the pan, foil, and all rendered “juices” (they’re mostly fat).
• Return the roast bone side down to the grill grate. If using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium; if using a charcoal grill, partially close the vents and do not feed the fi re. Cover and grill for 5 minutes, then turn the roast onto its side and grill, covered, for 2 minutes. Repeat on the other side of the roast to char.
• Return the roast to its original position of bone side down and continue roasting until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast without the probe touching bone registers 118°F (our defi nition of rare), about 3 more Minutes, 122°F (our defi nition of medium-rare), about 7 more minutes, 128°F (our defi nition of medium), about 10 more minutes, 140°F (the USDA defi nition of medium-rare), about 15 more minutes, or 155°F (the USDA defi nition of medium), about 20 more minutes,
• Transfer to a carving board, tent with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature before carving

Note:

You can cook smaller or larger roasts: twobone, four-bone, or even fi ve-bone roasts. Plan on two healthy appetites per bone. The timing will be dramatically changed; fi gure on about 16 minutes per pound for medium-rare and adjust the timing accordingly, relying on your instantread meat thermometer.

For big parties, we prefer to roast two 3-bone rib roasts, rather than one colossal one.

Carving a Rib Roast
• Stand the roast so its bones are pointing up. Hold the roast in place with a meat fork inserted into the center eye. Use a long, thin carving knife to slice along and around the inside arc of the bones, thereby removing the entire center eye in one piece.
• Do not carve too close to the bones; leave some meat for those who like to gnaw. Stand the now-boneless eye cut side down on the carving board, hold it in place with a meat fork, and slice down, starting with one of the ends to create a thin slice and then carving off more as you move along the roast. We prefer steaklike, 1⁄2-inch-thick slices. Finally, slice between the bones to separate them.

Makes 6 hefty servings