Horseradish-Ribbed Standing Rib Roast

By norsegal8

Two things to remember about preparing such a roast: season it well and cook it long and slow. I like beef to reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees. This leaves the misdection medium-rare, the end cuts well done and most of the rest of the meat close to medium, which satisfies a whole variety of folks.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 head of garlic, cloves coarsely chopped
• 1 cup prepared horseradish
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• 3 tablespoons chopped rosemary
• 3 tablespoons chopped sage
• One 16-pound rib roast of beef
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a food processor, combine the butter with the garlic, horseradish, thyme, rosemary and sage and process to a paste.

2. Stand the roast in a very large roasting pan. Season generously all over with salt and pepper and set it fatty side up. Spread the horseradish-herb butter all over the top. Bake for about 3 1/2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 125° for medium rare.

3. Transfer the roast to a carving board to rest for at least 20 minutes or for up to 1 hour before serving.
Make Ahead The horseradish-herb butter can be refrigerated overnight. Let the butter soften before using. Notes If making Pat's Popovers, reserve 3 tablespoons of the beef fat from the roasting pan.