Lucky you!!!! Cooking this is dead easy. While it roasts, you have time to do the sides. Be sure to bring the meat to room temperature before cooking and salt about it about 4 hours before or even overnight. It makes a big difference. You can even put the mustard glaze on in the beginning to help form a nice crust. Serve with a potato gratin and some fresh asparagus or a creamed spinach. Standing Rib/Prime Rib roast 1/3 cup Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves 2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper Kosher salt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil One 5-rib 12- to 13-pound prime rib roast, chine bone removed Preheat the oven to 450ð. In a small bowl, mix the mustard with the garlic, thyme, pepper and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Whisk in the olive oil. Set the meat, bone side down, in a roasting pan and season it lightly with salt. Roast the meat in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350ð. Brush the mustard coating all over the top and sides of the meat and roast for about 1 1/2 hours longer, rotating the roasting pan 2 or 3 times for even browning. The meat is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast at the thickest part registers 120ð (for medium rare). Transfer the roast to a carving board, cover it loosely with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Set the roast on its side and run a long, sharp knife between the bones and meat; remove the bones and set them aside. Turn the roast right side up. Carve the roast 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and transfer the slices to warmed plates. Pour any carving juices over the meat and serve at once. For bone-gnawing carnivores, cut down between the rib bones and pass them on a plate. *If the bones are not cut loose by the butcher, do so with a very sharp knife and tie them back on. Enjoy your feast. This is the same way I did 4 roasts for about 60 people for Dads 75th birthday.

One of my husband's friends was a chef who gave us directions on how to cook a perfect prime rib roast. For medium-rare: Salt and pepper roast. Place it on a pan which has no sides; do not add any liquid. Place in a preheated 450 F degree oven for 10 minutes; turn roast over, cook for another 10 minutes (this seals in the juices). Reduce oven temperature to 350 F degrees and cook for 1 hour. Let rest for 20-30 minutes. You can then add some liquid to the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Perfectly medium-rare! The roast I used for these directions had 4 bones... sorry not sure what it weighed.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I bought the roast today. The largest they even had was 3 ½ pounds. I took a good look at the sides, looks like a good proportion of meat vs. fat. I should have bought on Sunday when there were more size choices, but I was afraid it might be too long to hold it til Friday. I bought it at a different store today, so no pop-up timer. Dcarch, I paid $ 9/lb, almost twice that! I pay 4.99/lb for pot roast (not willingly: grumble, grumble...) It looks like none of you sear the meat first? Interesting idea, going slow at first and finishing on high. 175 F is the lowest my oven goes. If you take it out when the thermometer registers 120 F for medium rare, how much standing time can you allow? An advantage of finishing it on the higher temperature would be that I would have enough time for the Yorkshire pudding to cook. That needs a hot oven too. I could start baking that, then pop the roast in for the last 10 minutes. I bought asparagus to go with it. I have not decided how to prepare that yet. They are very thin.

Let'sremodel, will you post more info about what you do with the fish sauce and brown sugar method? I never cooked country style ribs before a couple of years ago when I read about them here. I was never any kind of a rib fan, having been raised on what I think were short ribs and I hated the way my mother fixed them. But then I saw country ribs at our farmer's market butcher stand and decide to try them. I used AnnT's recipe and it is so delicious, I've never tried another, although I use red bell pepper instead of green because I prefer it. Oh, and I use a little less cayenne because I'm a wimp. Ann, I hope you don't mind me reposting your recipe (posted in 2008). Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Ribs - Country Style Ribs ========================= This is adapted from a Paul Prudhomme Recipe. Seasoning Mix 1 Tablespoon Salt 2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 to 4 pounds of country style ribs 1 onion chopped 1 large green pepper chopped 1 cup of chicken stock (may need more) . Mix ingredients for seasoning together. Place ribs in a ungreased baking pan and rub the meat with the seasoning mix. Rub meat with a small amount of oil and roast in a 500° oven for 30 minutes turning often until the ribs are brown and the fat is crispy. Reduce temperature to 350° and sprinkle the meat with the onions and green peppers and add the chicken broth. Return the pan to the oven and roast additional hour or until meat is tender. Check occasionally and add more broth as needed. Serve over white rice.