Thyme Rib Roast of Beef- Christmas!

by Soma Sengupta

Thyme Rib Roast of Beef
For me, a beef rib roast is Christmas. And this is THE recipe. It is easy & foolproof, and allows you to spend time with your family while the meat cooks undisturbed. ONE basting! And the result is a show-stopper.

If you wish, you can add potatoes & carrots to the pan when you reduce the temp. I also add onions, chunked, or any whole smaller roasting onion, pearl, cipollini, etc. You can also add trimmed Brussel sprouts. One dish spectacular indeed!

Happy holidays!

Ingredients
1 (7 to 8 pound) trimmed prime beef rib roast (sometimes called standing rib roast; 3 or 4 ribs)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Put roast, rib side down, in center of a 13 by 9-inch flameproof roasting pan and rub all over with 1 tablespoon oil. Press thyme to adhere. Season beef generously with salt and pepper.
Roast beef in middle of oven for 30 minutes. Remove beef from oven. Baste beef with fat in pan. If you wish, add your vegetables now & toss with the fat & juices in pan.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Roast beef 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of meat registers 115 degrees. Transfer beef to a platter, reserving pan juices. Let beef stand 25 minutes. (Meat will continue to cook reaching about 130 degrees for medium-rare.)
Keep vegetables in pan until ready to serve.
Enjoy!