Ingredients

3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-bone standing rib roast, with some but not all of the fat cap removed
3 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, washed and dried
2 to 3 Spanish onions, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
1/2 lemon
Leaves from several sprigs of savory or rosemary

Instructions

Ask your butcher to French the roast and tie the rib between the bones. (Note the exact net weight after the roast is Frenched, since that determines the roasting time.) Remove the roast from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the potatoes, onions, pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper with 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl, and mix well. Reserve at room temperature.

Rub the roast well with the cut head of garlic, season liberally with salt and pepper, squeeze over the lemon juice, and coat with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil. Place the beef on a rack in a heavy roasting pan, and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 275 degrees, and roast the meat for 12 minutes per pound for rare to medium rare, 15 minutes per pound for medium. When the roast has about 45 minutes’ cooking time left, add the potatoes and onions, and stir well to coat with pan drippings. Return the meat to the rack set over the potatoes (do not allow the meat to sit on the potatoes—otherwise the potatoes will steam). The meat is done when the internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reads 115 to 120 degrees for rare, 120 to 125 degrees for medium rare, and 125 to 135 for medium.

Remove the meat from the oven, increase the temperature to 450 degrees, and continue cooking the vegetables until the potatoes are crisp and the onions have caramelized. When they are just about done, add the savory or rosemary and stir the vegetables well to combine. While the potatoes and onions are finishing, cover the roast loosely with foil and allow to rest for about 30 minutes (temperature will rise another 10 degrees).

Carve the beef into thickish slices, and serve with the potatoes and onions. (Published 2003)