INGREDIENTS: (Serves two)

Single-rib beef rib roast, about 2 pounds (less than 1 kilo)
Garlic
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

PROCEDURE:

1. Cut the garlic into slivers and poke them into slits all over the roast. Dust it generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put it on a plate and leave at room temperature for an hour or two.

2. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).

3. Put a small amount of olive oil in a heavy, black-iron skillet, just enough to paint the surface with a thin coat. Sear the roast on one side for 2 minutes, then turn and brown the other side for 1 minute. Then put it in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 225F (100C) and roast for about 20 minutes more, checking the meat temperature toward the end to ensure that it's cooking to your liking. Aim for 130F (55C) at the center for rare or 140F (60C) for medium, bearing in mind that the meat will continue to cook for a few moments after you take it out of the oven. (Yes, you can cook it longer for well-done, but why would you want to do that?)

4. Remove the roast from the oven and move it to a warm plate. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so before carving. For convenience, I like to trim off the bones and any gristly end bits to leave a pretty, lean "eye" for slicing.

OPTIONAL EXTRA: To make the feast a little more traditional, I roasted some tiny new potatoes and small whole onions along with the beef. Because the short roasting time wouldn't be long enough to cook the potatoes and onions through, I gave them a head start by gently braising them for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter with a smashed garlic clove and a little salt and pepper, then lifted them out of the melted butter and put them in the skillet around the seared beef before popping it in the oven.

MATCHING WINE: Fine roast beef calls for fine red wine, and we celebrated Christmas dinner with two good ones from the cellar: Livio Felluga 1999 "Sossó" Colli Orientali del Friuli Rosazzo Rosso Riserva and Chateau Monbousquet 1995 Saint-Emilion. The specifics aren't important, but do treat this festive dish to something special in the dry red wine department.