Holiday Standing Rib Roast

Step 1

Remove any plastic wrapping or butcher's paper from the roast. Place the standing rib roast upright onto a rack set inside a half sheet pan — the rack is essential for drainage. Place dry towels loosely on top of the roast; this will help to draw moisture away from the meat. Place into a refrigerator at approximately 50 to 60 percent humidity and between 34 and 38ºF. You can measure both with a refrigerator thermometer. Change the towels daily for 7 days. The roast will lose some of its mass, approximately 2 1/2 percent. (See note.)

Step 2

When you’re ready to roast, remove the roastYou can leave it on its rack and half sheet pan. from the refrigerator and rub with the oil. Remember to rub the bones with oil, as well. Once the roast is completely coated with oil, cover the roast with kosher salt, using about 2 teaspoons per bone, and the pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 3

Place a probe thermometer into the center of the roast and set its alarm for 118°F. Set the roast on the lower middle rack in a cold oven and turn the oven to 250°F. Let roast until the meat hits its target temperature, about 3 hours for a 3-bone roast or up to about 4 hours for a 4-bone roast. (It is more important to keep an eye on the temperature than the time here; your times may vary depending on the exact weight and shape of the roast.)

Step 4

When the thermometer alarm goes off, remove the roast from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest while preparing the pudding. (The roast’s internal temperature should rise up to around 130°F, then very slowly start to fall.) Pour off the drippings from the sheet pan into a heat-proof liquid measuring cup. Let the roast rest for 30 minutes. Hang on to the sheet pan and rack; you’ll use it again later.

Step 5

After 30 minutes, return the roast to the rack and sheet pan, then return to the oven. Crank the oven upas high as it will go; ideally 550°F, but 500°F will also work, and cook until the exterior of the roast is browned, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how hot you can get your oven to run.

Step 6

Return the roast to the board, carve, and serve with Yorkshire pudding. And no, you don’t need to rest it again.