Salt-Aged Rib of Beef with Truffled Pommes Dauphinoise and Red Wine Jus

⏱ 180 min · Serves 4

A proper showpiece: a bone-in rib roasted to a blushing pink, rested until it sighs, and carved over layers of potato baked slow in truffled cream. A glossy red wine jus ties it together. This is the roast you cook when you want the table to go quiet.

Per serving: 1180 kcal · 62.0g protein · 45.0g carbs · 82.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in rib of beef, about 1.5kg (2 bones), tied
• 2 tbsp beef dripping or vegetable oil
• 50g butter
• 3 garlic cloves, bashed
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• Flaky sea salt and coarse black pepper
• 1kg Maris Piper or Desiree potatoes, peeled
• 350ml double cream
• 150ml whole milk
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tbsp truffle paste or 2 tsp truffle oil
• 15g fresh black truffle, shaved (optional but glorious)
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 60g Comté or Gruyère, finely grated
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• 250ml full-bodied red wine
• 400ml good beef stock (fresh or homemade)
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp cold butter, to finish the jus

Method

1. Take the beef out of the fridge at least 2 hours before cooking and season generously all over with flaky salt and coarse pepper. Sitting uncovered in the fridge overnight beforehand dries the surface for a better crust.
2. Heat the oven to 150C fan / 170C conventional. Bring the cream, milk, grated garlic, truffle paste, a good grating of nutmeg and a big pinch of salt to a bare simmer in a wide pan, then take off the heat to infuse.
3. Slice the potatoes 2-3mm thick on a mandoline. Do not rinse them; the starch binds the gratin. Tip them into the warm cream and turn gently to coat.
4. Layer the potatoes into a buttered 20cm baking dish, overlapping neatly, seasoning lightly every few layers. Pour over any remaining cream, press flat, cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes.
5. Uncover, scatter over the cheese and bake a further 25-30 minutes until bronzed and a knife slides through with no resistance. Rest at least 20 minutes; it slices far better warm than molten.
6. Meanwhile, heat an ovenproof heavy pan over high heat with the dripping. Sear the beef hard on every surface, including the fat cap and ends, 10-12 minutes total, until deeply crusted.
7. Add the butter, garlic and herbs, baste for a minute, then transfer to the oven (it can share with the gratin). Roast for 35-45 minutes, basting once, until a probe in the centre reads 50C for rare, 54C for medium-rare.
8. Lift the beef onto a warm board or rack, tent loosely and rest 25 minutes. The temperature will climb about 4-5C. Do not skip this.
9. For the jus, pour off all but a spoonful of fat from the roasting pan. Soften the shallot over medium heat, add the red wine and reduce to a syrupy 2 tablespoons, scraping the base. Add the stock and reduce by half until it coats a spoon.
10. Strain the jus, add any resting juices from the board, sharpen with the vinegar and whisk in the cold butter off the heat. Season.
11. Carve the beef off the bone, then into thick slices across the grain. Serve with a square of dauphinoise, the jus poured around, shaved truffle over the top and a little flaky salt on the meat.