This rib roast is rubbed with a punchy mixture of rosemary, anchovies, and garlic. The reverse sear (starting low and slow, finishing hot and fast!) is excellent when cooking large cuts of meat for a crowd, not only for its foolproof results, but because it’s the ultimate do-ahead. Slow-roast it up to two hours before guests arrive, then finish in a hot oven at the last minute. This is the stunning main course from Alison Roman’s “Steak House Night in America” menu, alongside: Martini Bar, Baked Potatoes Deluxe, The Greatest Creamed Greens, and Upside-Down Apricot Tart.
Recipe adapted with permission from Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over by Alison Roman (Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC). Copyright © 2019.
Recipe information
Yield
8–10 servings
Ingredients
1
10
6
6
¼
¾
Preparation
Step 1
Season roast all over with salt and pepper (use about 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt per pound; this guideline is especially important with large cuts of meat). Place roast on a wire rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet (this setup will keep the meat from sitting directly in the liquid that will get drawn out by the salt, allowing it to cook more evenly later). Let sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or cover and chill up to 2 days. If you’re chilling the meat, move it back to the counter and let it sit at room temperature for the final 2 hours. Taking the chill off of the roast before it goes into the oven means it will cook in less time.
Step 2
Meanwhile, finely chop 10 anchovies and 2 rosemary sprigs. Transfer to a small bowl and add garlic and olive oil. Mix well to combine and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 250°. Scatter remaining 4 rosemary sprigs across another rimmed baking sheet. Place meat on top and smear anchovy mixture all over. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 110° for medium-rare, 2–2½ hours (temperature will rise as it sits; it should eventually hit 125°). Let rest at least 30 minutes.
Step 4
About 20 minutes before you want to sit down to eat, increase oven temperature to 500°. Roast meat on the same baking sheet until fat is golden brown, 10–15 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board, leaving any pan juices behind. Remove rosemary sprigs from baking sheet; discard. Add ¾ cup parsley to juices and stir to coat. Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 5
Slice roast away from bones (you can separate bones and crisp up in the oven or serve them as they are). Slice meat to your preferred thickness. Arrange on a platter and pour parsley mixture over. Sprinkle with sea salt and more parsley. Serve with more anchovies alongside if desired.
Step 6
Do Ahead: Meat can be roasted 2 hours ahead. Store loosely covered with foil at room temperature.
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Reviews (21)
Back to TopIncredible recipe! This was my first time making a rib roast and I was nervous about it, but I followed the directions and it worked perfectly! So easy and delicious. All the cook times were right. I also did a mix of thyme and rosemary based on another review. The smoke detector will go off, but it’s worth it!
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
12/27/2023
Oh man! I can’t believe this doesn’t have more reviews! I wound up with an 8lb roast, but followed the temp directions (I used an igrill probe to alert me when it reached 110. And it came up to temp nicely.) I DID take it out an extra 40 mins early, and it sat for about 4 hours before we put it back in to crisp up , bc I started it to early (I was worried it would take forever) all told it took about an extra hour 20 with sitting out and cooking) I sliced the roast thin, and we had enough for 9 people with at least a pound of left overs. And I didn’t even serve the bones! (Make sure you serve the bones! Man they’re good!) I didn’t double or increase any of the other ingredients and we felt it could use more garlic and a lot more salt (even tho I let it sit 2 days in the fridge covered in diamond crystal) BUT our roast didn’t produce any juices, only oily fat on the tray, so I didn’t toss the meat in the parsley oil and I really think that was a drunken mistake. I think that’s where all the flavor was (I decided as I gnawed on the bones the next day) BUT this produced a most beautiful rare all the way roast and it was well loved by everyone. Get some horseradish. Spring for the Ortiz anchovies (get two tins) And don’t be put off by the lack of reviews. This roast is glorious.
Alohalife
Austin TX
12/29/2021
Would this recipe work with a lamb rack as well? And if so, is there anything to watch out for or change?
Julia H.
Zurich, Switzerland
2/25/2021
Making this roast for the third time! It’s a keeper of a recipe. Not too much rosemary for me. The anchovies are best, but I have also replaced them with capers for folks who are squeamish about fish.
Kate
Asheville, NC
12/25/2020
This tasted superb! I was worried about previous comments about too much rosemary, so I used thyme leaves for the paste and rosemary for the baking sheet. Perfection! It was a challenge to calculate the proper cooking time for a 9lb roast. We pulled it out at 3 hours when the thermometer read 114, let it sit 45, hen back in the 500 oven for 15 mins. After the smoke alarms calmed down, we took the meat out & saw it was only at 135. So had to put it back in for another 40 mins to keep cooking.
Anonymous
San Pedro CA
12/26/2019
This recipe was amazing! A very flavorful crust and it looks beautiful too. Will definitely make again.
Anonymous
Calgary, AB Canada
12/23/2019
Okay, but... can I do this in the instant pot?
Anonymous
Ireland
12/12/2019