For our first Rosh Hashanah as a married couple I wanted to make a standing rib roast to impress the in-laws. I read in a cookbook that a standing rib roast was approximately 10-12 pounds, and in 2004 it was going for around $10 a pound. I excitedly called a butcher and placed my order for a standing “whole” rib roast. My wife went to pick it up during her lunch break and almost fell over that it cost $210 and not the $100 she had anticipated. Once I got home and looked at the gorgeous meat I realized that there were three floating ribs and an end cap that my cookbook had left out (or I skimmed over).

I learned from that purchase to be more specific when placing meat orders. Here is the recipe that I use to cook standing rib roasts of all sizes.

Best wishes for a good yom tov from @home cooking with @dam.

Ingredients:

1 4-lb. bone-in standing rib roast (take out of refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking to bring to room temperature)

Olive oil, kosher or pickling salt, fresh ground pepper, fresh rosemary (optional)

2 cups water

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Fully dry the roast with paper towel and coat with oil and a liberal amount of salt, pepper and spices. Place water in the bottom of the roasting pan and place roast bone-side down. Place in oven for 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°. Remove from oven and rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Carryover heat will bring the meat to 130° for a perfect medium-rare.

Often, the simplest preparations are the best and allow a great ingredient to shine!

Adam is an at-home chef who runs @home cooking with @dam. He started working in restaurant kitchens as a teen and has honed his cooking skills through the years at home. Adam can be reached at [email protected]. Contact him for cooking lessons, cooking parties or cooking demonstrations in your home or for your organization.

By Adam Gussen