Standing Rib Roast with Portobello Mushroom Sauce

By Nancy Caivano

Standing Rib Roast
with Portobello Mushroom Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
5 cloves garlic, chopped
   (or 1 tbsp jar chopped garlic)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
A 3-rib standing beef rib roast
   (about 8-1/2 lb), all but 1/4" layer of fat removed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 lb Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean
2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp softened butter kneaded with
   2 tbsp flour to form a beurre manie

Method:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

In a small bowl stir together herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Put roast, ribs side down, in center of a large flame proof roasting pan, and rub oil on top and sides of beef. Reserve 1 tbsp seasoning mixture and rub remainder on top and sides of beef. Roast beef in oven 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast beef 1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in fleshy part of beef registers 130 degrees for medium-rare.

While beef is roasting, separate mushroom stems and caps. Slice caps 1/3" thick; set aside. In a food processor pulse stems until chopped coarse. In a small saucepan combine stems with beef broth and water. Simmer mixture 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids.

Transfer beef to a platter and let rest, loosely covered with foil, 20-30 minutes.

With baster skim all but 1/4 cup fat from pan. In pan on top of stove sauté mushroom caps on medium-high heat, stirring 2 minutes. Add reserved seasoning mixture, mushroom liquid and wine, and boil 5 minutes. Stir in beurre manie and boil, stirring, about 5 minutes or until thickened.

Serve immediately.