SERVES: 6 | PREP TIME: 5 minutes | COOK TIME: 60 to 90 minutes
Ingredients
For the paste
4 cloves garlic, peeled
pinch of coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
4 pounds (1.8 kg) bone-in standing rib roast
coarse sea salt
Process
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Using a chef’s knife, finely chop the garlic and sprinkle on a small pinch of salt. Continue chopping to work the salt throughout the garlic, then, using the side of your knife held at a 20-degree angle to the board, drag the garlic across the surface of the cutting board while applying pressure. The salt acts as an abrasive and helps break the garlic down into a paste. Using the back edge (not the cutting edge) of your knife, scrape the garlic into the center of the board and repeat—chopping and scraping the garlic across the board with your knife—until you have a pastelike texture.
- Place the garlic paste in a small bowl. Add the thyme, pepper, and olive oil and mix together to make a paste. Rub the roast with the garlic-thyme paste and massage it into the meat. Season liberally with salt.
- Place the roast on an elevated rack in a roasting pan, insert a leave-in meat thermometer (if you have one), and place in the oven.
- Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C). Continue cooking until the roast reaches the desired doneness: 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare; 130°F (55°C) for medium; or 135°F (57°C) for medium-well, the latter being criminal, of course. Let rest for 20 minutes, then carve and serve.
