PRIME RIB ROAST WITH MERLOT GRAVY AND YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Put beef, fat side up, in a shallow flameproof roasting pan. Sprinkle salt over top and season with pepper. Roast beef in lower third of oven 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. and roast beef 1 hour and 15 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat registers 115°F. Transfer beef to a cutting board, reserving pan juices in pan, and let stand 25 minutes. Beef will continue to cook as it stands, reaching 125°. (medium-rare).
• Prepare vegetables while beef is roasting:
• Trim onions. Diagonally cut carrots and celery into think slices. Remove stems from mushrooms and cut each cap into 8 wedges. In a large skillet cook onions in 1 1/2 tablespoon oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer onions to a bowl and cook carrots and celery in remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until carrots are crisp-tender. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Transfer vegetables to bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• While beef is standing, skim fat from pan juices and reserve 4 tablespoons fat for Yorkshire puddings. (Puddings may be baked while beef is standing.) On top of stove add wine to roasting pan and simmer over moderately high heat, scrapping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Add demiglace, jelly, horseradish, vegetables, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
• Discard string and with a sharp knife remove rib bones.
• Thinly slice beef and serve over Yorkshire puddings with gravy.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and by mail order from Citarella, (800) 588-0383.