- 8
Ingredients
- Stuffing:
- 1 lb. sliced applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups cooked (or 3 10-oz. bags frozen, thawed) spinach, squeezed dry, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
- 2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from day-old white bread
- 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, whisked to blend
- Roast:
- 1 5-bone standing beef rib-eye roast (10-13 lb.) chine bone removed, fat trimmed to 1/4" thickness
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh thyme
Preparation
Step 1
Stuffing: Pulse bacon several times in a food processor to coarsely chop. Scrape into a large skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until bacon is browned but not crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off and reserve 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings for another use. Return pan to medium heat. Add celery, shallots, and garlic; cover and cook, string occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and creme fraiche; cook stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes longer. Scrape mixture into a medium bowl.
Stir breadcrumbs, scallions, sage, thyme, and nutmeg into stuffing mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in eggs. Spread stuffing out on a rimmed baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until stuffing is firm, about 1 hour.
Roast: Let meat stand at room temperature for 4 hours.
Arrange a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 450F. Set a V-shaped rack inside a large roasting pan. Place roast on a work surface with bones standing straight up. Using a knife, cut along bones so only 1" of meat is attached at base of bones.
Pull bones away from meat to create a 3"-4" wide pocket at the top. Lightly pack stuffing into pocket. Starting at one end, tie kitchen twine horizontally around the bones to keep them in place and secure the stuffing. Tie the roast vertically between each bone.
Season the roast (including the bones) generously with salt and pepper, rub with oil, and sprinkle with thyme. Place roast, bones facing up, in prepared pan; wrap bone tips in foil to prevent burning.
Roast beef for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and continue roasting for about 3 hours - beginning to probe center of roast at the 2-hour mark-until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of roast registers 110-115 for rare and 120-125 for medium-rare.
Transfer the roast to a carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let rest for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour. Remove the twine.