Standing Rib Roast, Au Jus

My recent battle with the Dreaded Flu of 2008 restricted my culinary efforts to items of the broth nature. To celebrate a return to health, I decided to make a treat from the freezer I had picked up a few weeks ago.

Standing rib roasts are usually in the neighborhood of $10-12 a pound in this area, but if you're lucky you can find them discounted, as I did, to less than $7. (I think a lot of people don't know what to do with them, especially at a premium price, so they languish in the butcher case until the smart shopper gets a deal!) This 2.5# roast was $17-- about what you'd pay for a single steak at the Outback!
I found this site a great source of info on cooking your standing rib roast and highly recommend that you give it a complete read before starting. As instructed, I prepared the roast by first pulling the thawed meat from the fridge 2 hours before roasting, to allow it to adjust to room temperature... (might give it even longer the next time, as the probe read an internal temp of 37F when it went into the oven). In the picture, I've also prepped it with a nice slathering of melted butter and forks in either side for support.

Roasted in preheated 425F oven for 15 minutes, then reduced the temp to 325F. It took another hour for the internal temp to hit 122F, which is when I removed it from the oven. Roast sat for 15 minutes out of oven (important to let juices settle!) This yielded the perfect medium-rare cut you see below:

~= The Finished Goods =~

Served with: Au Jus. Baked potato/sour cream and/or butter. Cauliflower w/cheese. I started the potatoes about an hour before I increased the oven temp to 425F, removed and kept warm for the high temp stage of the rib roast, then returned them to the oven for the 325F stage.
Verdict: A carnivore's delight. Absolutely delicious. And none of those peanut shells on the floor.
Leftovers: Plenty! There was easily enough for 2x2 meals, plus a sandwich!
Sources: See above