Slow-roasted rib of beef

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 75°C, or as low as it will go. Take rib out of refrigerator 2 hours before you intend to cook it, and season it well with sea salt. Let it come to room temperature. (Alternatively, you can season it the night before.)
2. Rub rib with extra virgin olive oil and put in a large roasting tin. Roast in oven, turning it every 30 minutes or so. About 1 ½ hours into cooking time, slide meat thermometer into centre of the beef to check the core temperature. Remove thermometer and continue to cook until reading is 53°C. This will take up to 3 hours or more; it may even take up to 4 hours. Remember, if the oven is a little hotter, you will need to take meat out a degree or two earlier.
3. When meat is done, remove it and transfer to a chopping board. Carefully remove bones from beef and turn oven down as low as it will go (you may need to pin the door slightly ajar), as you want to create a warm environment of around 60°C in which to rest the meat.
4. Put a frying pan large enough to hold beef on the stovetop. Add a healthy splash of extra virgin olive oil and heat to just below smoking. Add beef and sear, turning 3 cm at a time, until entire rib has a lovely crust. Return to roasting tin and put in the oven for about 30 minutes to rest while you get the other parts of the meal together, or at least get your guests a drink. Alternatively, you can sear the beef as it is and serve on the bone.
5. Red wine sauce: Put a little olive oil in a small saucepan and add carrot, onion, garlic, mushroom and meat trimmings. Cook until they are lightly coloured and the meat is sealed well. Add vinegars and reduce to barely 2 ½ tbsp. Add port and again reduce to barely 2 ½ tbsp. Add red wine and thyme and reduce to 150ml, then strain.
6. On a chopping board, cut rib into four beautiful rose-red round slices and place one each in the centre of four plates. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season liberally with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately with red wine sauce.