Rib Roast

Christmas means so much to so many. Traditions endure with carols, tinsel laden fir trees surrounded by wrapped presents, mistletoe and a newer entrant, the family Zoom call. This year, the stakes are higher, the  holiday feeling is sacred, so we tread carefully and lovingly. The sentiments of the season echo in our love, our smiles and the Christmas table.

My parent's wedding gift, a seventy year old English bone china dinner set, gets its annual dusting. The festivities start with a cranberry-spiked Moscow mule. A substantial charcuterie platter keeps us well-fed while the roast cooks.

We start our meal with roasted marrow bones and homemade bread. A salad of roasted pears with Gorgonzola and cranberries over a green salad is next. The highlight of course is the rib roast, the chef's choice. Accompanied by potatoes roasted in duck fat, trumpet mushrooms roasted with garlic and thyme, balloon- like Yorkshire puddings, glistening sugar snap peas and a pungent horseradish sauce, the grand roast has star plating. 

My three-rib roast is liberally coated with salt, pepper, garlic and thyme, tightly wrapped and refrigerated for a day prior to roasting. I cook the roast for two hours at a high temperature as this gives the meat a crisp, crusty exterior, leaving the insides a rosy pink. Medium rare, just the way we like it. 

Wintery weather doesn't dampen spirits! The house is toasty. Laughter and smiles  abound. Christmas music fills the air. Blessings of the season to all!

RIB ROAST

Serves 5-6

1  6-7 pound Beef Rib Roast with 3/4 ribs

2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

2 teaspoons ground Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon dried Thyme 

Whisk salt, pepper, garlic and thyme in a bowl. 

Place the roast in a shallow pie plate. 

Apply the powders to all sides of the roast. Use your hands to pat the coating in place.

Cover with plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight. 

It is best to marinate the beef overnight. The powders dry forming a nice crust. If not possible, then coat the roast with the powders the morning you cook.

Heat oven to 425F/ 220C. 

Place the roast rib side down in a baking dish. The ribs act as a natural  rack as the roast bakes.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes per pound. My roast took 2 hours. 

Remove beef from the oven.  

Use a meat thermometer to check temperature. The thermometer needs to register 125-130F for medium rare meat. The meat will cook some more as it sits under a foil tent. 

Cover beef with foil and leave for 15 minutes. 

Use the fat in the pan to make Yorkshire pudding. Or save and use as a cooking medium. It is really flavorful.

The roast is traditionally served with roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and a tangy horseradish sauce. 

Carve and enjoy! 

Each Christmas is special. This one is even more precious as we celebrate together in tumultuous times.

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