Rotisserie Rib Roast with Blue Cheese and Horseradish Sauce

There's something genuinely spectacular about a rib roast turning slowly on a rotisserie. As it rotates, the meat bastes itself in its own juices — no fussing, no basting brush, just patience and heat doing their job. The result is a joint with a beautifully crusted exterior and a tender, juicy centre that's hard to beat for a special occasion. Paired with a punchy blue cheese and horseradish sauce, this is the kind of centrepiece that earns you a reputation.

Ingredients

For the rib roast

• 1 bone-in rib of beef (roughly 2.5–3kg, ask your butcher for a 3-bone joint)
• 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

For the blue cheese and horseradish sauce

• 150g creamy blue cheese (Stilton or Gorgonzola work brilliantly), crumbled
• 120ml soured cream
• 2 tbsp creamed horseradish (from a jar)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh chives, finely snipped, to serve

Method

1. Take the rib roast out of the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking to let it come closer to room temperature. This helps it cook more evenly throughout.
2. Mix together the olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and smoked paprika to form a paste. Rub this all over the joint, getting it into every crevice and pressing it against the bones.
3. Thread the joint onto your rotisserie spit, positioning it as centrally as possible so the weight is balanced. Secure the forks firmly — an unbalanced joint puts unnecessary strain on the motor and cooks unevenly.
4. Set up your rotisserie for indirect heat, aiming for a dome temperature of around 180–190°C. If you're using a gas grill with a rotisserie burner, light the back burner only and let the ambient heat do the work.
5. Start the rotisserie motor and close the lid. For a 2.5–3kg joint cooked to medium-rare, expect roughly 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, but always cook to temperature rather than time.
6. While the roast is cooking, make the sauce. Combine the crumbled blue cheese, soured cream, horseradish and lemon juice in a bowl and mash together with a fork until you have a rough, creamy sauce — a little texture is a good thing here. Season with salt and black pepper, then refrigerate until needed.
7. Check the internal temperature of the roast using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone. Pull the roast at 52°C for rare, 57°C for medium-rare, or 63°C for medium. Remember, the temperature will continue to rise by around 3–5°C as it rests.
8. Remove the joint from the spit and transfer to a carving board. Tent loosely with aluminium foil and rest for at least 20–30 minutes. Do not skip this step — the resting time is what keeps all those lovely juices in the meat rather than on your board.
9. Carve between the bones for generous slices, or remove the bones first and slice across the grain. Serve with the blue cheese and horseradish sauce alongside, scattered with fresh chives.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.