A Ribeye Roast is normally not in my price zone, but with my 14-year old out of the house for a few nights getting his legislative groove on with the Kentucky Youth Assembly (KYA), that is one horse-sized appetite removed from consideration. There was a gorgeous 5-pound Bone-In Beef Ribeye Roast at Kroger that originally was $32, marked down to $20. That still isn’t exactly cheap, but it sounded like a nice treat to share with the family.

In the interest of full disclosure, I had never cooked such a roast before and sought ideas. After 30 minutes of cruising about on the Internet I hammered together an interesting recipe.

BONE-IN RIBEYE ROAST

Ingredients: 5-pound Bone-In Ribeye Roast; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika; and 1/2 teaspoon zesty garlic herb blend (optional).

Remove Ribeye Roast from refrigerator and allow to warm up toward room temperature, about an hour if possible.

Place a heavy cast iron skillet in the oven. A heavy baking pan is fine as a substitute. Make sure there is room between the upper and lower oven racks to add the roast into the pan once warmed. It’s better not to have to move the pan and adjust the oven rack after it’s heated.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Place balsamic vinegar into a bowl, and using a basting brush, apply a thin coat of balsamic to the outer layer of the roast. The entire bowl does not have to be used and don’t apply so much that it streams down across the face of the roast. You just want enough so that it absorbs into the fatty layer to offer a flavor addition.

Now we’re going to concoct a spice paste.

Place the olive oil into a bowl. Add in kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried rosemary, onion powder, Spanish smoked paprika and zesty garlic herb blend. Stir together to create a dense mixture. Rub this paste across the two open faces of the roast. If there is extra paste apply it across the outer layer of fat across the top that insulates the meat. If it’s a boneless roast apply the rub to all sides.

Open the oven door and slide out the lower oven rack. Using a carving fork and tongs (or your hands to keep it simple), gently place the roast into the pan, fat side up, so it sits tall, and the two open faces of the meat are exposed to the heat.

Close the oven and cook at 500 degrees for 25 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue roasting for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the Ribeye Roast reaches an internal temperature of between 130 to 140 degrees. Essentially the meat needs to be cooked 20-22 minutes per pound to reach medium rare.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes on a rack or rest it on a cutting board.

Carve and serve. Should feed 6 comfortably.