Standing Rib Roast Recipe

As you're planning your holiday dinner menu, you may be looking to include a hearty main dish. Of course, a beautiful ham is delicious, or you could even serve a roast duck or goose. But if you want something truly eye-catching to wow a crowd, a standing rib roast will be your best bet.

This cut of beef is hearty and tender and truly makes a statement thanks to the textured bones that pop out from the meat. And luckily, recipe developer and food photographer Petar Marshall has a simple recipe to put it together. "While it may look complicated, this roast only requires a few minutes of prep work," he says. "Then, you can let the oven do the rest of the work to create an impressive centerpiece," he adds. With just a handful of ingredients, you can pull off a striking dish to place on your holiday table this year. 

To dive in and make this standing rib roast recipe, you'll first want to check that you have all of your ingredients. For this recipe, you'll need one 10-pound rib roast, an entire head of garlic, one container of fresh thyme, two containers of fresh rosemary, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to mince the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. According to Marshall, the addition of rosemary and thyme adds a beautiful, herbaceous flavor to the exterior of the roast. "If you end up with a larger or smaller roast, that will be fine," says Marshall. "You may need to slightly adjust the amount of herbs and oil used, but it will be very similar."

With your ingredients prepped, it's time to assemble the roast for the oven. First, preheat your oven to 375 F to give it time to warm up to the proper temperature while you get the meat ready. Using a pastry brush or rubber brush, cover the top, bottom, and sides of the roast with olive oil. Be sure to thoroughly coat the entire roast. "This will help the herb mixture stick to the meat," says Marshall.

Once the roast has been thoroughly coated in olive oil, it's ready for seasoning. In a bowl, mix together the minced rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Then, mix in salt and pepper to taste. Use your hands to rub the herb and garlic mixture all over the roast. Be sure to thoroughly cover the roast and use all of the seasoning mixture for best flavor results. Once the roast is covered, wash your hands before moving on to the next step.

After the roast has been prepped, cook the meat in a roasting pan in the oven for about 2 hours. "You'll want a meat thermometer to reach at least 120 degrees for a rare roast," says Marshall. Once the roast is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. To dress it up for serving, place it on a platter and garnish it with additional sprigs of fresh rosemary.