Perfect Prime Rib with Red Wine Jus

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef shins or oxtail
• 1 pound beef or veal soup bones
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 parsley stems
• 1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 standing rib roast, 3 to 12 pounds
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Move an oven rack to the lower part of the oven, then heat the oven to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C). Set a large Dutch oven over high heat, add the oil, and warm it until it just begins to smoke. Add the beef shins or oxtail along with the soup bones, and brown them thoroughly, turning and moving the pieces around now and then, about 15 minutes. Lift the beef out with tongs, set it on a large plate, and leave it there for the moment.
2. Add the carrot, celery, and onion to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables begin to take on a little color, about 8 minutes. Pour in the wine, then add the bay leaves, thyme, and parsley, scraping the browned bits from the bottom as the liquid heats. Bring it up to a boil and let it cook down by half, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, return everything to a boil, and reduce it by half again, another 10 minutes.
3. Put the beef shins or oxtail and the bones across the bottom of a large roasting pan. Pour everything from the Dutch oven over them, then spread the vegetables out evenly. Set a V-rack over the top, shifting the meat and vegetables as needed so the rack sits firmly on the bottom of the pan.
4. Coat the rib roast generously all over with salt and pepper, then set it on the rack fat side up. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center shows 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) if you want medium-rare, or 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) if you want medium, 4 to 5 hours.
5. Take the roast out of the oven, move it to a large plate, and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Set it somewhere warm while you take care of the jus. Raise the oven as high as it will go, 500 to 550 degrees F (260 to 288 degrees C).
6. With tongs, move the shins or oxtail from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan. Strain everything left in the pan through a fine-mesh strainer into that saucepan. Throw away the strained vegetables and bones. If you like, save the marrow for bread or for stirring back into the jus.
7. Skim and discard the extra fat from the surface of the liquid with a ladle. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower it to a simmer, and cook until the shins or oxtail are fully tender, about 20 minutes. Move the shins or oxtail to a serving plate and cover with foil so they stay warm. Taste the jus and season with salt and pepper as needed, keeping in mind that it may not need salt. Take it off the heat, stir in the butter, and keep it warm.
8. Clean out the roasting pan and put the V-rack back in place. Uncover the prime rib and set it on the rack again, fat side up. 10 minutes before everyone is ready to eat, return the roast to the very hot oven and roast until the outside is deeply browned and crisp, 6 to 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven, carve right away, and serve with the shin or oxtail meat alongside and the hot jus passed at the table.