DEAN SENSUI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
1. Get a good cut of meat. A rib roast that has a fair amount of marbeling worked for us. To dry-age the meat (this removes excess moisture and intensifies flavor), place it on a rack inside a large container. The rack allows for drainage. Refrigerate it uncovered for three to four days. CLICK FOR LARGE

DEAN SENSUI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
2. Before cooking, get the roast up to room temperature; it will cook more predictably. What's room temperature? According to Answers.com, 68 to 77 degrees. That's a value that didn't come from Hawaii but maybe from Seattle during early spring. Rub the roast with canola oil, then seasoned salt. Alae does a nice job. And give it a liberal dose of ground black pepper. CLICK FOR LARGE

DEAN SENSUI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (use an oven thermometer to confirm the temperature). Insert the thermometer probe deep into the thickest part of the roast. You want to monitor the core temp. Set the thermometer's alarm to 118 degrees. Set the roast in the oven. Roasting will take about three hours, depending on the size of the roast and your starting temperature. Judge the end product by temperature, though, not time. CLICK FOR LARGE

DEAN SENSUI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
4. When the roast reaches 118 degrees, remove it from the oven, cover it with foil, and let it "rest." At this point it's not going to look like much has happened. The temperature will continue to climb to about 132 degrees -- about medium rare. Resting could take a while. Eventually the temperature will start to drop and then it's time for the final steps. CLICK FOR LARGE

DEAN SENSUI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
5. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Again, confirm with the oven thermometer. Take the foil off the roast. Pull the probe thermometer out. You won't need that anymore. Place the roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. This will give the roast that final golden crusty and fill your kitchen with a wonderful aroma. Once it's done, place the roast onto a plate or a pan, and save what's in the cooking pan for the next step: Making the sauce. CLICK FOR LARGE

DEAN SENSUI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
6. Add a cup of water and a cup of decent red wine to the pan. Heat it up over the stove and gently start scraping off what's in the bottom. Crush a few fresh sage leaves and toss them in (don't chop the leaves or they'll be harder to remove later). Whatever's in the pan will slowly dissolve into the water/wine mixture. When the volume is reduced by half, pour it into a small pot, cool it down and skim the fat off the top. Carve the roast and amaze your friends. CLICK FOR LARGE