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1
Prepare beef: Pat meat dry. Blend coffee, brown sugar, bourbon, 2 tsp. salt, and the pepper. Rub all over and into meaty parts of roast. Set, bone side down, on a rimmed baking sheet and chill, uncovered, at least 1 and up to 2 days.
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2
Preheat oven to 450u00b0. Pat roast dry, removing any excess rub, and sprinkle all over with remaining 1 tsp. salt.
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3
Put a V-shaped rack in a roasting pan and add shallots beneath rack. Set roast, bone side down, in rack. Roast 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350u00b0 and roast another 30 minutes. Remove shallots with tongs and let cool. Keep roasting beef until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of thickest part reaches 130u00b0 for medium-rare, 1 to 1 3/4 hours longer. Lift to a cutting board and let rest 30 to 40 minutes, loosely tented with foil.
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4
Make gravy: Trim tops from shallots and squeeze soft insides into a blender. Add broth, cream, bourbon, and coffee and whirl until smooth.
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5
Pour off and discard all but about 1 tbsp. fat from pan and scrape out anything that looks burned. Set on stovetop and pour gravy into pan. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until gravy thickens slightly and turns a nutty brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and strain into a serving bowl.
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6
Snip twine from roast, and lift meat from bones. Slice meat 1/3 to 1/2 in. thick and cut between bones. Serve with Coffee Cream Gravy.
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7
*For easy carving, ask the butcher to cut the meat from the bones and tie them back together for roasting.
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8
Wine pairing: Rib roast calls for a firmly structured, dark-fruited red like Pepper Bridge 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley; $60). Layers of intriguing leather, tobacco, and spice set off black currant; florals wrap around gripping tannins.
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9
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving, with 1 tbsp. gravy.
