This roast makes an impressive centerpiece for a holiday meal. After you coat the meat with the seasoning mixture, it needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before roasting, so plan accordingly.
Herb-Crusted Prime Rib with Horseradish Cream
1 Tbs. dried whole thyme leaves
1 1/2 Tbs. toasted onion powder
1 1/2 Tbs. roasted garlic powder
3 Tbs. kosher salt
3 Tbs. freshly ground five-pepper blend
1 Tbs. Hungarian paprika
3-rib standing beef rib roast, about 5 lb., tied with kitchen string
2 Tbs. olive oil
For the horseradish cream:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated or prepared horseradish
In a small bowl, stir together the thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, five-pepper blend and paprika. Set the seasoning mixture aside.
Remove the roast from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the roast all over with the olive oil and then with the seasoning mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
To make the horseradish cream, in a nonreactive bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and sour cream until smooth. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and horseradish and whisk until blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Remove the plastic wrap from the roast and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 450°F.
Place the roast, fat side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat, away from the bone, registers 125° to 130°F for very rare to medium-rare, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.
Transfer the roast to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carve the roast and arrange on a warmed platter. Pass the horseradish cream at the table. Serves 6 to 10.