Prime Rib of Beef

Preheat the oven to 400?F.

Put the roast in a small roasting pan, bone side down. With a small sharp knife, make sixteen 1/2-inch-deep slits in the meaty side of the roast. Insert 1 garlic clove into each slit, pressing it into the meat. Pinch with your thumb and index finger to close the openings.

Combine the chopped thyme, salt, Essence, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly stir in the oil to make a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the roast, and place the thyme sprigs under the roast.

Roast for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the roast for even browning. Reduce the oven temperature to 350?F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast reads 125? to 130?F for medium-rare, about 45 minutes, or 140?F for medium, about 1 hour.

Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Yield : 4 servings