Look no further for your next special-occasion meal, because this is it. Also known as a standing rib roast, this cut—tender, juicy, and loaded with flavor—is the king of beef. And as long as we’re celebrating, this dish is pushed to its over-the-top status by the accompanying béarnaise butter. This deceptively simple compound butter with shallots, tarragon, and a bit of tangy vinegar delivers the delicately herbal, luscious taste of a rich béarnaise sauce without the hassle and heaviness of its hollandaise base. The only thing I find lacking in most prime rib dishes is that crusty exterior I love, but I’ve taken care of that by borrowing a technique from my friends in Louisiana—blackening. It encrusts the luscious meat in an extra layer of flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Serves 8
BÉARNAISE BUTTER
Step 1
With a sharp paring knife, make a series of 1/2-inch-deep holes every 2 inches all over the roast. Insert a garlic slice in every hole. Whisk 1/4 cup of the oil with the fresh thyme in a small bowl and rub the mixture over the entire roast. Place the roast in a large baking dish, cover with foil, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
Step 2
Remove the roast from the oven 1 hour before cooking.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 4
Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Put a rack in a roasting pan and place the roast on the rack. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat registers 135°F for medium-rare, 1 to 1 1/4 hours longer. Remove the roast from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes.
Step 5
Whisk together the paprika, ground ancho, ground pasilla, white pepper, black pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery salt in a small bowl.
Step 6
Slice the meat 1 inch thick and place on rimmed baking sheets. Rub the top side of each slice with approximately 2 tablespoons of the spice rub.
Step 7
Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet or a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat until almost smoking. Working in batches, brush the pan liberally with some of the remaining 1/2 cup oil and sear the steaks, rub side down, until blackened, about 2 minutes.
Step 8
Serve the steaks blackened side up, topped with some of the béarnaise butter and tarragon leaves.
BÉARNAISE BUTTER
Step 9
Combine the vinegar, wine, shallot, peppercorns, and 2 tablespoons of the tarragon in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 8 minutes Strain into a small bowl, pressing against the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Let the liquid cool to room temperature. Discard the solids.
Step 10
Put the butter into a medium bowl, add the cooled liquid, the remaining 2 tablespoons tarragon,the salt, coarsely ground black pepper, and parsley, and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days to allow the flavors to meld. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before using.
