Standing Rib Roast

I'm amazed at the fear a large piece of meat can strike in the hearts of most home cooks. Last year I was in Costco looking over the Prime Ribs and a woman next to me, who was doing the same, asked me how I was going to prepare it. Thinking....this will be great, I'll get some new ideas on how to prepare my prime rib. I quickly discovered that she had no idea how to cook one and needed advice. Ever the teacher, I took the moment to explain my method. After she thanked me and I looked up to continue my shopping I noticed that I had an audience! There were 3 more people who had been listening to the exchange and they began peppering me with questions. My husband found me shortly after and wanted to know what I had been doing all of this time. When I told him, he laughed and suggested that Costco hire me. I think what shocked me more was the number of people who were going to invest 50-70 dollars into their holiday meal but had no idea how to successfully prepare it. Well I'm here to tell you that preparing a roast is not difficult and with a few simple steps you can make your family believe that you are a cooking rock star.

Serves 8

1 61/2-7 pound standing rib roast( I look for one that has about 4-5 bones in it)
1 tablespoon each of fresh thyme and rosemary, chopped
2 heads of garlic
1 1/2 cups of dry white wine(get one you like to drink)
1 quart of beef stock
salt and pepper
olive oil

Remove the defrosted roast from the frig 2 hours before you plan to put it into the oven. This will allow it to come up to room temp and it will roast more evenly. Preheat the oven to 450. Trim off any excess fat off the roast but do leave about 1/2 inch of fat on the top. The roast needs some fat or it will dry out during cooking, so don't over do it. Remove several cloves of garlic from the head of garlic and remove the skin off of each clove. Making several small slits with a sharp knife at the top of the roast, insert a clove into each slit.(the top of the roast is the side with the most fat,place the bone side down to find the top) Depending on the size of my roast I will insert at least 6 or more cloves. I also choose the medium sized cloves for this job. Pour olive oil into a small bowl, making sure there is enough to coat the entire roast on all sides. Add the herbs to the oil and using your hands spread the herb oil over the entire roast on all sides. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire roast on all sides. Place the roast bones down into a roasting pan that you have coated with cooking spray. Pour the wine and 1/2 a cup of the beef stock into the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes at 450, then lower the heat to 350 and continue to roast to the desired degree of doneness. 18 minutes per pound for rare, 22 minutes per pound for medium. Do not attempt well done. This is not a piece of meat that does well over medium. Remove the roast from the pan to a warm platter, cover with foil and let it rest for about 20-25 minutes before carving. Strain the pan juices of excess fat. Add the rest of the beef stock to the pan juices. Place then in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. If you want to serve it au-jus style then serve it as is. If you want a light gravy, then you can thicken it with a cold water and corn starch slurry that you will pour in after the jus comes to a boil. Adjust seasoning to the gravy or au-jus if necessary.