Perfect Standing Rib Roast

2-rib to 4-rib roast of beef (4 ½-12 pounds), short ribs removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½-1 cup beef broth

Remove the roast from the refrigerator 2 ½ to 4 hours before cooking, the longer time for the largest roast.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the roast on a rack in a large, shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Put the roast in the oven and cook according to the chart below, timing exactly. When the cooking time is up, turn off the oven. Leave the roast in the oven for 2 hours, and DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR ANY REASON UNTIL 2 HOURS HAVE PASSED. Remove the roast from the oven, tent the roast loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

To make a thin pan gravy, remove the excess fat from the meat drippings, leaving any meat pieces in the pan. Stir in the beef broth. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the meat pieces. Simmer for 1 minute and season to taste. Serve hot.

Roasting ChartWeight......Roast at 500° F.
4 ½-5 pounds.....25-30 minutes
8-9 pounds.....40-45 minutes
11-12 pounds.....55-60 minutes

This works out to be about 15 minutes per rib, or approximately 5 minutes cooking time per pound of trimmed, ready-to-cook roast.If you prefer medium-to-well-done beef, add 10 minutes to the maximum cooking time for each size roast.

Note: If you purchase a bone-in rib roast, allow for the weight of the bones when computing the cooking time, as the added weight of the bones will result in overcooked beef if you stick to the recommended time of 5 minutes per pound. If you wish, you can carve the meat from the ribs and weigh the roast. After weighing, compute your cooking time and tie the roast back to the ribs using butcher's twine. French the ribs for better tableside presentation if desired.