Recipe Details

If your holiday isn’t complete without this yuletide stalwart, may we suggest a refined roast: boneless, butterflied, and slathered with a mellow roasted-garlic-and-herb marinade that flavors the entire cut, inside and out. While the meat rests, roast potatoes in the pan drippings along with some duck fat -- the rich flavor is well worth the extra ingredient.

Slicing the rib-eye into a spiral is easier than it sounds (and a great way to flavor the entire roast, not just the outside). For the butterflying technique, see our step-by-step photos. You can also ask your butcher to butterfly it. Serve with Duck Fat-Roasted Potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 large head garlic 
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 
2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves (from 1 large bunch) 
¼ cup packed fresh sage leaves 
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar 
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
1 boneless rib-eye roast (4 to 5 pounds)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Using a serrated knife, slice off top quarter of garlic, exposing as many cloves as possible. 

Place garlic, cut-side up, on a piece of parchment-lined foil. 

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, wrap tightly, and roast until cloves are tender, about 40 minutes. 

Let stand until cool enough to handle. 

Squeeze garlic to push out cloves; transfer to the bowl of a food processor. 

Add parsley, sage, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. 

Process until smooth. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Arrange roast on a large cutting board, fat-side down, with short end toward you. 

Holding a long, sharp knife parallel to (and about 1 inch above) cutting board, make a shallow cut along length of roast, stopping about 1 inch from edge. 

Open roast to the side, and continue slicing until about 1 inch from next edge. Open to same side again, and continue slicing until roast is completely flat. Season meat all over with salt and pepper. 

Spread all but 2 tablespoons of garlic-herb mixture over meat. 

Roll meat up, starting from left side. 

(Fat cap should end up on top of roast.) 

Tie at 2-inch intervals with kitchen twine. 

Rub outside with remaining garlic-herb mixture. 

Let stand at room temperature 1 hour (or refrigerate, covered with plastic, overnight; bring to room temperature before cooking). 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Place meat on a rack in a roasting pan and roast, rotating pan once, until meat is golden brown, 40 minutes. 

Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue roasting until a thermometer inserted in thickest part reads 125 degrees, 50 to 60 minutes. 

Let rest at least 30 minutes before slicing.