Black Pepper-Crusted Standing Rib Roast au Jus

Boning the roast makes slicing the meat much easier at serving time: Have your butcher remove the backbone, or chine, from the whole rack and cut the meat off the ribs in one piece, then tie the meat back onto the bones. The roast can be served on or off the bones. To crack whole peppercorns, enclose them in a resealable plastic bag and crush slightly with a meat mallet. What to drink: A medium- to full-bodied red with peppery spice, such as Syrah (called Shiraz if it's from Australia).