Rib Roast with Celery Smash & Thyme Red Wine Jus

➊ Prepare the grill for indirect grilling, including a water pan, and set to 140°C. Take the rib roast out of the fridge 1 1/2 hours beforehand. Finely chop the garlic and rosemary, and mix everything with the tomato paste, onion chutney, salt, pepper, and olive oil to form a paste. Rub the rib roast with it and place it on the grill. Turn it once every hour so that it gets nicely crispy and browned on all sides. Optionally, baste it with red wine occasionally and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 56°C (depending on preference), remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.

➋ For the celeriac puree, place the unpeeled celeriac on the grill (indirect heat) for approx. 1 hour to give it a slight smoky flavour. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into equal-sized cubes. Remove the celeriac from the grill, peel it, and also cut it into equal-sized cubes. Put everything in a pot with nutmeg, salt, and a pinch of sugar, and cover with milk or cream. Simmer slowly until everything is soft but not overcooked!

➌ Drain and reserve some of the milk/cream. Add the butter to the celeriac and potato mixture and mash everything until fluffy (or press, do not use a stick blender!). To achieve the desired creamy consistency, add the cooking liquid spoonful by spoonful and season with salt and a little white pepper. Chop spring onions and use as a garnish.

➍ For the jus, heat a little olive oil and butter, sauté the onion, add the thyme and let it infuse briefly. Briefly roast the tomato paste as well, add the sugar and let it caramelize, then deglaze with red wine. Reduce the sauce by a third and pour in the beef stock. Reduce by half again, add the bay leaves and let it simmer gently.

➎ Optionally, mount with cold butter just before serving to create a nice sheen. Of course, you can also pass the sauce through a sieve to avoid any chunks! Slice the rib roast, remove the bones, carve against the grain and sprinkle with a pinch of good salt (e.g., Murray River Salt). Serve with celeriac puree and jus. Enjoy your meal!