Sunday Supper: Coffee-Crusted Standing Rib Roast

My husband and brother-in-law both celebrated birthday's a few weeks ago and so last night we finally had a family dinner in their honor.  I had a standing rib roast

in the freezer that did not get used during Christmas, which made the perfect main course. My mother-in-law whipped up the sides and my sister-in-law brought a fabulous appetizer.

Standing rib roast is amazing in its own right but lately, I have been hearing so many chef's use a coffee crust for their steaks.  I had to try it out and who better than your family to be guinea pigs, right?  I have very agreeable taste testers.  Fortunately, we all agreed the meat was fantastic.  Similar to putting coffee in chocolate to make it richer, the rub did the same for meat - tasting nothing like coffee yet gives a charred crust with intense flavor.

1 5 pound 2-rib prime rib roast
3 Tablespoons very finely ground dark roast coffee
2 Teaspoons salt
2 Teaspoons cracked pepper
1 Teaspoon light brown sugar

Place roast, rib side down, in a roasting pan.  Stir together coffee with remaining ingredients.  Rub mixture over roast and sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Arrange oven rack in lower third of a very clean oven.  Preheat to 500 degrees.

Bake at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 300 and cook for about an hour- until meat registers 135 degrees for medium-rare.  Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Serve with Au Jus or Horseradish.

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Lee