How to roast a rib of beef

See how to cook meat

A three or four bone rib of beef is an expensive but incredibly delicious luxury, perfect for a family celebration or a Christmas meal. Ask your butcher to trim and tie your beef to save time before you start cooking. It's crucial that the meat is at room temperature before roasting so that it cooks evenly throughout, so remove the beef from the fridge about an hour before cooking to get it up to temperature.

Ingredients

Roast rib of beef
1 three-bone rib of beef
salt
pepper
oil

Shopping List

Method

Preheat the oven to 140°C/gas mark 1

Rub the beef with a little oil then season liberally with salt and pepper

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and sear the beef all over until nicely browned

Place on a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 2 hours

The best way to check the meat is with a cooking thermometer. It should read 55°C for medium rare, 60°C for medium and 65°C for medium well to well done finish

Remove the beef from the oven and cover with tin foil. Leave to rest for about an hour before carving

To slice the beef, run the knife between the bones and the meat, keeping the knife as close to the bones as possible to prevent excess waste

Place the cut-side down on the chopping board and slice the meat into 3–5mm slices and serve

How to truss beef for roasting

How to cook beef

Variations

To add extra flavour to the beef try garnishing with herbs such as thyme and rosemary or cloves of garlic when roasting in the oven. You could also rub with beef with butter before cooking for extra richness.

Serving suggestions

A whole roast rib of beef is a true celebration dish, so is a firm favourite for those planning an extravagant Christmas dinner. Serve the beef with classic Sunday roast trimmings and gravy, or branch out with a delicious mushroom sauce as Marcus Wareing does with his roast sirloin recipe.