Standing Rib Roast With Pan Gravy

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/13/23
Tested by Joan Velush
Standing Rib Roast With Pan Gravy

The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total: 3 hrs
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 roast

This standing rib roast is a very special dish. It's the perfect roast for a Christmas dinner, Boxing Day, or New Year's feast. And while it's certainly special occasion-worthy, it's also surprisingly easy to make. The key is to cook the meat low and slow, checking for the correct internal temperature to keep from over-cooking it. Let it rest to retain the juices when sliced.

The gravy is a simple mixture of pan drippings, flour, and beef broth. Conveniently, the gravy takes the same amount of time to make as it does for the meat to rest. Slice the beef and serve it with the warm gravy drizzled over top or on the side.

Serve the standing rib roast and gravy with mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes and creamed spinach for a meal worthy of a fine steakhouse. The leftovers make fabulous sandwiches. You can also use the leftover roast beef to make a cottage pie or a casserole.

What You'll Need to Make This Rib Roast Recipe
A Wireless Meat Thermometer
A Sharp Carving Knife
A Dependable Roasting Pan

“A standing rib roast is an ideal entree for holiday dinners or special events. All that you’ll need is your beef, a hot oven, and a dependable meat thermometer. The gravy recipe, made with pan drippings and a few pantry ingredients, is the finishing touch to this spectacular main course.” —Joan Velush

Standing Rib Roast With Pan Gravy/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Roast:

  • 1 (5- to 6-pound) standing rib roast

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons salt

  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Gravy:

  • 1/3 cup beef pan drippings

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 3 cups beef broth or water

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Standing Rib Roast With Pan Gravy ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  2. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Place roast, fat-side up, on a rack in an open shallow roasting pan.

    Place roast, fat side up, on a rack in an open shallow roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  3. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the roast so that the tip reaches the center of the meat. Don't let it rest in a pocket of fat or touch bone.

    Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the seasoned roast

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  4. Roast, uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. For rare beef, the meat thermometer should reach 115 F. Medium-rare will be 125 F, and medium will be 135 F. Remember that the internal temperature will continue to rise by 5 to 10 degrees as it rests.

    Note: The USDA states that the safest minimum temperature for beef is 145 F, but it's helpful to remember that the interior of a roast does not typically harbor bacteria (hence why beef can be dry aged without the interior being contaminated even over long periods of time). The exterior of the roast will reach high enough temperatures to kill any bacteria lingering there.

    baked rib roast

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  5. Remove the rack from the roasting pan and let stand, covered loosely with foil, while making the gravy. Pour off the fat into a measuring cup.

    Cover meat loosely with foil and pour off the fat into a measuring cup

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  6. To make the gravy, return 1/3 cup of drippings to the roasting pan. Place the pan on the stovetop over medium-low heat.

    roast drippings in the pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  7. Stir in the flour until well blended.

    add flour to the roast drippings

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  8. Add the beef broth, stirring constantly.

    add water to the flour mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  9. Cook until thickened. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste.

    gravy in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  10. Slice the rib roast to the desired thickness. Serve with the hot gravy.

    Standing Rib Roast With Pan Gravy

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

Tips

  • Take your standing rib out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for three hours before roasting it.
  • After cooking, let your meat rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing it. The gravy takes about 10 minutes to make, so if you'd like to let the meat rest for 20 minutes, wait 10 minutes to make the gravy.
  • If you have the time, season the roast with salt and pepper up to 2 days before cooking. Let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator during this time. This will dry out the surface of the meat, which will help it brown in the oven. It will also give the salt time to penetrate the meat via osmosis, making for a well-seasoned roast inside and out.

Recipe Variations

If you'd like to add a bit more flavor to your gravy, consider adding one or two of these optional ingredients:

  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme (remove before serving).
  • 2 to 3 smashed garlic cloves (remove before serving).
  • A knob of butter added at the end.

Instead of gravy, you can use the beef drippings to make Yorkshire puddings.

How to Store

Refrigerate leftover meat and gravy in airtight containers for up to 5 days.

When reheating, there are a few ways to prevent overcooking the meat:

  • Slice the meat very thinly.
  • Instead of warming the meat itself, warm the plates until hot.
  • Heat up leftover gravy until very hot, then spoon over the meat.

Leftover beef is also excellent thinly sliced and served cold on its own or on a sandwich with horseradish sauce and blue cheese.