Salt-and Herb-Crusted Prime Rib with Fresh Horseradish Sauce

Salt-and Herb-Crusted Prime Rib with Fresh Horseradish Sauce

Photograph by James Baigrie
SERVES 8, with leftovers
TIME 3 hours, plus overnight to marinate and 1 1/2 hours to rest

Ingredients

1 four-rib beef rib roast (about 8 lbs.), fat trimmed to 1/4 in.*
8 garlic cloves, slivered lengthwise
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup each chopped fresh rosemary and thyme leaves
3 tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup coarse sea salt
Fresh Horseradish Sauce (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Rinse roast and pat dry. Make small slits all over the meat and insert a piece of garlic in each.

2. Combine oil, herbs, and pepper. Rub all over meat, wrap airtight, and chill overnight.

3. Remove beef from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 450°. Set roast, fatty side up, in a roasting pan. Mix salt with 2 tbsp. cold water to moisten. Press mixture over the fatty side and the ends of meat.

4. Roast for 25 minutes, then lower oven to 350°. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the center of meat reaches 125° for rare (or 130° for medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer. Let rest 30 to 40 minutes.

5. Scrape as much salt off roast as you can. Cut off string. Transfer roast to a cutting board, cut into 1/3- to 1/2-in.-thick slices, and arrange on a platter. Cut between bones and add them to platter. Serve with Fresh Horseradish Sauce.

*Have the butcher cut the rib-eye muscle from the bones, then tie the meat and bones back together.

PER 6-OZ. SERVING, WITHOUT SAUCE 427 Cal., 53% (225 cal.) from fat; 47 g protein; 25 g fat (9 g sat.); 1.7 g carbo (9 g fiber); 859 mg sodium; 136 mg chol.

Fresh Horseradish Sauce
Peel 4 oz. fresh horseradish root* and grate finely. In a small bowl, mix horseradish with 2 tbsp. white-wine vinegar. In another bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups crème fraîche or sour cream until slightly thickened. Stir in horseradish mixture, 3 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Makes about 2 cups.
*If you can't find fresh horseradish, substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup prepared and omit the vinegar. Either way, make sauce a day ahead of time.

PER TBSP. 44 Cal., 84% (37 cal.) from fat; 0.5 g protein; 4.1 g fat (2.6 g sat.); 1 g carbo (0 g fiber); 7.9 mg sodium; 9.4 mg chol.