Anchovy-Rubbed Rib Roast (bing bong)

Home Movies Tuesday!

Dec 21, 2021

Hello and welcome to Home Movies Tuesday! If you’ve found your way over by some miracle but are not yet subscribed, here, let me help you with that:

Hello, it’s almost the end of the year, we made it, sort of! I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that these videos are made “in advance” and not “in real-time.” In the optimistic light of November we thought, wouldn’t it be great to make a HOLIDAY BONUS video for RIB ROAST so everyone can feel inspired to make this for their HOLIDAY FEAST? Well, things have really escalated in the last two weeks and I realize that many of us will not be celebrating the end of year as planned. That said, YouTube is forever, baby, and you can watch this whenever the time IS right for said celebrating.

Photo for *Nothing Fancy* by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott, props by Kalen Kaminski.

While I love a pantry-staple recipe and accessibility is my guiding light, I will not pretend that making a standing rib roast is something that people might find themselves doing on a regular Tuesday. This is what I would file under “special occasion,” as in, it’s expensive, takes some effort to find and requires some patience to make. As always, I advocate for sourcing the meat from a place you trust and heading into the situation expecting to spend more than your average grocery store run. Good meat costs money– as it should.

Anyway, for all the money and time you’ll spend, it pleases me to offer you a foolproof recipe that will bring you success regardless of your experience level. Roasting the large meat low and slow greatly reduces the chances that you’ll overcook (in fact, it’s near impossible, even when you ignore the timer and let it go 20 minutes over—a thing I have done on accident), and rubbing it with a meaty mixture of anchovies, rosemary and garlic gives you the sense of the sear—even without the sear (we do provide instructions for searing if you simply must, which I respect).

As much as I am not a fan of “precision,” I can’t deny the usefulness of this Thermapen thermometer. I’ve had mine for YEARS and it’s still kicking, which is saying something.

To accompany this large hunk of beef, we have two perfect and simple things which also happens to mirror precisely how I order at Keen’s, my favorite New York establishment: The Greatest Creamed Greens (creamy enough to be saucy and indulgent, green enough to remind you you’re eating greens) and Boiled, Buttered Potatoes with Chives (elegant! austere! 10/10, no notes). Not pictured: a lemony salad dressed with lots of pepper.

Special thanks to Dan and David for introducing me to the world of “Bing Bong!”; TW for any Knicks fans out there.

Click HERE for a printable PDF.

Low and Slow Rib Roast with Anchovy and Rosemary

serves 8–12

When it comes to cooking for special occasions or large groups of people, I am a huge fan of focusing all your emotional and financial efforts on one, glorious, foolproof thing. Say, a very large piece of more expensive than usual red meat. Season it aggressively with anchovies, rosemary, and garlic. Love it passionately and cook it perfectly at a low and gentle temperature until a delightful medium-rare. If you feel it needs it, you can finish it further by browning it in a skillet (or a very hot oven), and then relish in the fact that it doesn’t even need to rest that long (thank you, “Reverse Sear!”). It’s a perfect thing on its own, only made better by a side of boiled, buttered potatoes and some creamy greens.

6- to 7 ½-pound whole bone-in rib roast (about a 3-bone roast), not frenched*

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 bunch thyme, divided

1-2 tins or jar of anchovy fillets (about 10-20 anchovies), plus more for serving if you like

6-8 garlic cloves, finely grated

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon canola oil (optional)

Flaky sea salt

1 cup fresh parsley, tender leaves, and stems, finely chopped, plus more for serving

1. Season the meat with salt and pepper (you want 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound). Place on a rimmed baking sheet (preferably lined with a wire rack so that the meat does not sit directly in the liquid that escapes from salting, and let sit at least 2 hours at room temperature or up to 48 hours refrigerated.

2. Meanwhile, finely chop 2-3 sprigs of rosemary and the anchovies and combine in a medium bowl with the garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 250°F.

4. Scatter the remaining 4 sprigs of rosemary on the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet. Smear the meat with the anchovy mixture and place on top of the rosemary. Place the whole thing in the oven and let it roast low and slow until a meat thermometer reaches 110°F (for medium-rare) when inserted into the deepest part of the meat, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven (the temperature will continue to rise as it sits—you’re looking for an eventual 125°F temperature). Let it hang out for up to 4 hours at room temperature.

5. When you’re ready to eat, if you’d like for the roast to be more browned, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is smoking, add the meat, fat side down. Cook, pressing lightly to encourage the whole underside to make contact with the skillet until it’s deeply browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the roast so that it’s fat side up and remove from heat. (Alternatively, increase the temperature to 500°F, or however high your oven goes (or turn on your broiler), and cook the roast until the fat is browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, leaving any juices behind in the pan.

7. Make a quick pan sauce by transferring all the juices to a small bowl. Add the chopped parsley and season with salt.

8. Slice the entire roast away from the bones then separate each individual bone (keep them for serving/nibbling). Slice the roast however you please; I like mine on the thinner side, about ¼ inch slices, but some prefer thinner (like roast beef) or thicker (like prime rib). Place the slices on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with flaky salt and parsley, and serve with the pan sauce alongside.

*To make this for a smaller piece of meat (say half the size), simply reduce the cooking time by half, checking it at 30-minute intervals to avoid overcooking.

The Greatest Creamed Greens

serves 8–12

[NOTE: THIS RECIPE IS FROM NOTHING FANCY; THE GREENS MADE IN THE VIDEO IS AN APPROXIMATION OF THIS RECIPE, BUT I WAS PLAYING IT PRETTY FAST AND LOOSE— THIS RECIPE WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT!]

I think spinach is the perfect green here, but kale also works well (it never quite softens and melts down the way spinach does, but it still tastes amazing). Broccoli rabe is great if you’re into bitterness, but if that scares you, I don’t recommend it. Anyway, I’ve been making creamed greens like this for years and think this recipe is perfection— not too rich, still reminds you you’re eating greens. Be sure to cook the cream down so that it’s thicker than you think it ought to be, the greens will introduce a lot of liquid back into the equation no matter how much you’ve cooked out.

¾ cup freshly made coarse bread crumbs or panko (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if using bread crumbs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

2 large bunches spinach, kale, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, or swiss chard, thick stems removed, coarsely chopped (about 16 cups total)

½ cup crème fraîche (optional)

1. If using bread crumbs, toss them in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast them in a large skillet over medium–high heat, tossing frequently until they’re well toasted and crisped, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and nutmeg if using, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes; it should be thick and very, very rich (it’ll dilute a bit once you add it to the greens).

3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the greens, a handful at a time, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, adding more greens when the ones in the pot wilt down. Stir frequently, until all the greens are bright green and the water starts to evaporate, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the type of greens. Continue to cook until most of the water has evaporated and they’re totally tender and looking dry, another 5 minutes or so.

4. Add the cream mixture, season with salt and pepper, and mix to evenly coat everything in the thick, creamy business. Add crème fraiche if using. Cook a minute or two to make sure everything is hot before transferring to a bowl. Scatter with the bread crumbs, if using, and serve.

Tiny Boiled Potatoes with Butter and Chives

serves 8–12

This can be endlessly scaled up or down to feed as many or few people as you like. While I find the butter + chive + salt combo to be perfect in its simplicity, you can always dress it up. Add crushed red pepper flakes or anchovies melted into the butter, use dill or parsley, etc etc forever and ever, amen.

2 pounds small, waxy potatoes

1/2 cup unsalted butter

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1 cup chives, finely chopped

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Add the potatoes and cook them until they’re completely tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain them and set aside to cool slightly.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Cook until the butter is melted and the pepper is very fragrant. Add a splash of water if needed to stop the butter from browning.

3. Slice the potatoes in half (or quarters if they’re on the larger side), transfer to a bowl, and toss them with the butter. Add the chives and toss them again to coat. Season with flaky salt.