A recipe from William Slater: My family has become tired of the traditional turkey for Thanksgiving.  We often alternate turkey with a standing rib roast—one of my favorites.  It’s a simple recipe, but I enjoy cooking it.  Here goes:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 heads roasted garlic
• 3 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 standing rib roast of beef (about 6-7 pounds) fat trimmed in one strip and reserved
• 1/2 cup beef stock, plus two more cups if making au jus (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup red wine, plus 2 more cups if making au jus.  (The remainder of the bottle for the cook).

STEP ONE
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

STEP TWO
Separate the heads of roasted garlic into cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peels.  Place the garlic in a small bowl and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth.  Add one teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the rosemary and thyme and stir to blend.  Pat this mixture evenly over the top and sides of the roast.  Place the trimmed strip of fat over the garlic-herb mixture and tie with a kitchen string in several places to secure the fat onto the top of the roast.

STEP THREE
Season the roast all over with the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.  Place the roast in a roasting pan and add 1 1/2 cups red wine and 1/2 cup beef stock to the bottom of the pan.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350 and continue to roast to the desired degree of doneness, about 20 minutes per pound for rare and 23 minutes per pound for medium.  Let stand at least five minutes before carving.  De-fat the pan juices and serve alongside the beef.

STEP FOUR
If making au jus, place the roasting pan on the stove burners over medium-high heat.  Add one cup red wine and scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add two cups beef stock and season with salt and pepper.  Continue to cook until the wine is reduced by half, about five minutes.  Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the solids before serving.
 
STEP FIVE
Our vegetable of choice is asparagus.  We often make a starch for guests, although I’m not much of a potato or rice person.  Some type of bread (dinner rolls, etc.) is available for guests.