Here’s my holiday conundrum, and I bet you can relate: I am in charge of this year’s holiday meal, which will feature a big standing rib roast. Everyone in my family wants their meat rare, but I want the outside to be nicely seared. How to have both?

Cooking a big roast at high heat can get you that crisp crust, but at a price. Cooking at high heat for even part of the time generally means you end up with just a small core of rare meat down the center. 

Luckily, the fix is easy. Instead of roasting the meat at high heat for any amount of time, I briefly sear the roast on the stovetop before it goes in the oven. Then it is hands-off time while the beef slowly roasts in a 200-degree oven. That’s it. Perfect outside, perfect inside.

You’ll want to make sure your oven is well calibrated and that you have a proper instant thermometer. And don’t forget to let the roast rest after you have cooked it so the juices have time to re-distribute, ensuring juicy meat.

When shopping for your roast, ask for a partial rack of bones, three to four bones from the loin end, also referred to as the small end or the first cut. This half of the rack has less fat and more meat than the shoulder side. Ask the butcher to remove the chine bone, which allows you to cut between the ribs when the roast is done. 

I like to serve my roast with a rich bearnaise sauce. It is the holidays, after all. Make the reduction for the sauce while the roast is in the oven, then finish it while the meat rests. Using both dry and fresh tarragon yields more intense flavor. The dry stuff goes in the reduction, then I strain it out and finish with fresh.

SLOW-ROASTED STANDING RIB ROAST WITH BEARNAISE SAUCE
8- to 10-pound standing beef rib roast (3 to 4 ribs), the top 2 inches of the bones frenched, if desired
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
>> Bearnaise Sauce:
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
4 large egg yolks
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, or to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Set roasting rack into large roasting pan.

Trim surface layer of fat on top side of roast to 1/4-inch thickness. Using sharp knife, score remaining fat layer in a crisscross pattern, cutting down to, but not into, the meat. 

Season roast all over with salt and pepper.

In large skillet over high, heat oil. Reduce heat to medium-high, add roast and brown on all sides except bone side. Transfer roast, fat side up, to prepared roasting pan. Roast on middle shelf until center of meat reaches 115 to 120 degrees for rare, or 120 to

125 degrees for medium rare, about 3 hours. Transfer to platter and cover loosely with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. 

While roast rests, prepare bearnaise. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine shallots, wine, vinegar, salt, pepper and tarragon. Bring to a simmer and gently cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Strain mixture through mesh strainer into medium metal bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Discard solids.

Add egg yolks to liquid and whisk until combined well. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (water should not be touching bottom of bowl) and whisk constantly until mixture feels warm to the touch (do not let it get too hot or eggs will scramble). Immediately start adding butter several pieces at a time, whisking until almost melted before adding the next piece.

When all the butter is added, remove bowl from saucepan. Whisk in fresh tarragon, lemon juice and some of meat juices that have accumulated on platter, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Slice meat and serve each portion topped with bearnaise sauce. Serves 14.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 980 calories, 89 g fat, 40 g saturated fat, 265 mg cholesterol, 1 g carbohydrate, 41 g protein, 470 mg sodium, no fiber or sugar