The butcher wraps it in white paper, the bones still attached, the fat cap thick and marbled like old parchment. It sits heavy in the bag on the drive home, cold through the paper, already beginning to shape the day.

Two days before serving, it goes into the fridge uncovered—dry brined with coarse salt, left to firm up and deepen. The salt draws moisture out, then draws it back in, carrying flavor into the muscle. No rush. The roast doesn’t know it’s for Christmas. It only knows time and temperature.

On the day, the oven stays low. 250°F. The meat goes in cold, straight from the fridge. It hisses faintly as the fat begins to render, a slow leak of aroma into the kitchen—beef, warm tallow, a hint of salt. The house fills with it by mid-afternoon. You check the thermometer, not the clock. 120°F is the turn. That’s when the heat goes up. 500°F for ten minutes, just enough to blister the surface into a dark crust. Blackened outside, blushing rose within.

Resting is not a suggestion. Thirty minutes, loosely tented, while a pan sauce comes together from the fond—deglazed with a splash of stock, reduced, finished with a knob of butter. The carving knife, sharpened the night before, meets the roast with a clean, soft resistance. Each slice holds its shape but yields easily. The bones stay on the platter, licked clean later by someone who lingers in the kitchen.

Standing Rib Roast

Serves 6–8
Time: 20 minutes active, 48 hours dry brine, 3–4 hours roasting, 30 minutes resting

Ingredients

  • 1 bone-in standing rib roast (4–5 ribs, about 8–10 lb / 3.5–4.5 kg), fat cap intact
  • 2 tbsp coarse kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup (240 ml) beef stock
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for finishing the jus)

Instructions

  1. Two days before cooking, pat the roast dry. Rub evenly with salt, covering all surfaces. Place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 48 hours.
  2. Remove roast from fridge 2 hours before cooking. Let sit at room temperature. Pat dry again. Season with pepper and rub with olive oil.
  3. Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Place roast bone-side down in a heavy roasting pan. Tuck rosemary sprigs around the bones.
  4. Roast until internal temperature reaches 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare, about 3–4 hours. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part, avoiding bone.
  5. Remove roast from oven. Increase oven temperature to 500°F (260°C).
  6. When oven reaches temperature, return roast for 10–15 minutes to develop a dark crust.
  7. Remove from oven. Tent loosely with foil. Rest for at least 30 minutes.
  8. Place roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add beef stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up the fond. Reduce slightly. Swirl in butter, if using. Strain for a simple jus.
  9. Carve between the bones into individual ribeye-style slices.

Equipment

  • Heavy roasting pan
  • Wire rack
  • Meat thermometer
  • Sharp carving knife

The last piece of crust disappears into someone’s pocket. No one says anything.