A Christmas tradition from Whoville that the Grinch himself would be proud to carve.
This recipe is for a 4 bone standing prime rib roast (10lbs) which will feed 6-8 adults as a main course, with some leftovers. Great for holidays and special occasions.
When making a Roast Beast, the most important thing to remember is that the flavor in this cut of meat is the star, so you are really just seasoning the fat cap. Some like a thick salt crust and others like it more garlicky, totally up to you!
Do not bring the meat to room temperature. You want the center to be medium rare, so it’s ok to go, basically, straight from the fridge to the oven.
Preheat oven to 400 and pull the beast out of the fridge. Rub with a thin layer of olive oil, just enough to have the herbs stick. Rub on fresh cracked pepper, sea salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Just enough to make a layer. You can go heavy if you want bold flavors on the crust, but it’s not a must. Be sure to get the bottom side as well. For added flavor, you can inject some whole garlic cloves into the fat. Use about 8 on a 4 rib roast (2 per bone), but you can add more, if you want.
Place the seasoned roast on a cookie sheet, rib side down. No need for a dripping pan, the ribs keep it elevated enough. Put in on the center oven rack and cook on 400 for the first 15 minutes just to start the crust and seal in juices. Then lower the heat to 325 and cook 20 minutes per lb, so roughly 3 and 1/2 hours for a 10 pounder.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN
When the time is up, pull the roast out and transfer to your serving tray. Cover in tinfoil and let it rest for an hour. This redistributes the juices back into the meat and insures a juicy center.
Carve with a serrated knife and serve with a little horseradish on the side. You can use the drippings to make a thick beef gravy, or as an au jus.
*To make a simple gravy, transfer drippings into a nonstick pan and bring to a bubbling simmer, slowly add table spoon of flour with a rubber whisk. The more flour, the thicker it gets. The longer you simmer, the thicker it gets. If you over do it, you can add some cold water to thin back out, but you may have to add a beef bouillon cube if it gets too watery.
You are not likely to find a true Beast cut in the supermarket, so look to order in advance from a butcher or specialty store. Ask the butcher to “trim and tie” it and double check that it’s “bone in”.