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.
The best way to check the meat is with a cooking thermometer. It should read 50°C for medium rare, 55°C for medium and 60°C for a 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 each slice cut-side down on the chopping board and slice the meat into 3–5mm slices
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.
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.
