Ingredients

• 1 10-12 pound rib roast with bones  
• 4 bulbs of garlic, slice off the tops of the garlic heads to expose the cloves inside
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature so it is soft
• 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and roughly chopped 
• 1 ½ cups beef bone broth or stock, plus about 1 cup if you want to have au jus for serving 
• Salt and coarse black pepper or Rachael Ray’s steak seasoning blend 

 

My mom, Elsa’s special:

• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce  
• 2 cups sour cream 
• ½ cup finely chopped chives 
• 1/3 to ½ cup prepared horseradish to taste 
• Salt and coarse black pepper 

 

Optional sides:

• Baked potatoes, prepared your favorite way
• Green beans or Haricot vert cooked with butter and shallots
• 2 baguettes, sliced into sandwich size portions or 10 baguette style French rolls in case you want the sandwich option at serving
• Upland watercress, about 3 bunches 

Directions

Preheat oven 400F.

 

Place the rib roast on a rack in a roasting pan and let it sit out on the counter to bring the rib roast to room temperature.

 

While the rib roast is coming to room temperature you can prepare the rib roast “slather”. Place the prepared garlic heads in a large sheet of foil with the exposed cloves side up.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with a little bit of salt, wrap the foil around the garlic and put in the oven, roast until the garlic is very soft and the cloves are golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool, and turn the oven down to 325F.

 

Have the softened butter in a mixing bowl and add the roasted cooled garlic by squishing from its jackets/skins by grabbing the bottom of the garlic heads and gently squeezing until the cloves pop out. Add the chopped rosemary to the bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.

 

Slather the roasted garlic butter evenly over roast including sides and season liberally with salt and pepper or steak seasoning.

 

Add the beef bone broth or stock to the bottom of the roasting pan.

 

Transfer the rib roast in the roasting pan to the 325F oven for about 2 hours 45 minutes, to crisp the exterior towards the end of roasting turn the oven up to 400F for a few minutes.  Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature by inserting it in the very center of the roast.  You will want to remove the roast when the thermometer measures about 5 to 10 degrees below your desired doneness.  For rare 120F for medium-rare 130-135F for medium 140F.  By the way, if you want to check the accuracy of your thermometer, you can dip it in a pot of boiling water, if it reads 212F then you know it is reading accurately.

 

Remove the roast from the oven and transfer to a carving board where it needs to rest for at least 20 minutes.

 

While the roast is resting you can prepare My mom, Elsa’s special sauce or an Au Jus, or both!

 

For Au Jus, remove the rack from the roasting pan, tilt the pan to one side so all the juices collect in one place and spoon off the excess fat and discard.  Place the roasting pan on a burner over low, add as much of the 1 cup of beef bone broth or stock as desired, add some, stir and taste as you go until it is the flavorfulness you like.  Just bring to a simmer for about a minute, remove and serve alongside the carved roast.

 

 

My mom, Elsa’s special:

 

In a medium bowl let the applesauce stand with breadcrumbs for 10-15 minutes then add sour cream, chives and horseradish, adjust seasoning to taste and transfer sauce to serving bowl.

 

To carve the roast, once the roast has rested, stand it upright with rib bones facing up, use a sharp knife and using a fork or your hand hold the roast steady, cut along the rib bones, following the natural curve of the ribs to remove the meat in one large piece.  Once removed you can slice into desired serving thickness.

 

Serve up the sliced rib roast along with any sides and sauces you like. I do the au jus and my mom’s special sauce, watercress, and baguette (in case anyone wants to make a sandwich and dip it in the au jus!) baked potatoes and green beans cooked with butter and shallots.