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For the Roast Rib of Beef:
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Take your beef out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature, which could take an hour or possibly more, and preheat the oven to 425F.
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Put the onion slices into a roasting pan and sit the rib of beef on top of them.
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Use the onion slices as props to help the rib sit up on its bones in an L shape.
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Smear the oil over the white fat of the rib and sprinkle with the salt, thyme and cayenne pepper.
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Cook according to the beefs weight and your taste.
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I like my beef nice and rare, so I give it 15 minutes per pound, which means, for a roast this size, a cooking time of about 2 hours unless the beefs straight out of the refrigerator, in which case, add another 20 minutes or so.
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If you want medium beef, give the roast, from room temperature, 20 minutes per pound, and if you like well-done meat, 30 minutes per pound.
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As for feeding capacity, this size of roast will certainly look after a big tableful, from 8 with lots of leftovers to 14, without the definite promise of them.
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When the beef comes out of the oven, remove to a carving board and allow to rest in a warm part of the kitchen under a tent of aluminum foil for 30 minutes before carving; or just leave, tented in its pan, for the same time.
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Do not start cleaning up the pan, even if you have taken out the beef, however, as you will need some of the pan juices and onions for the gravy.
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For the Port and Stilton Gravy:
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Make a roux by adding the 2 tablespoons of fatty juices from the roasting pan to a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and then the 1/2 cup of port, and keep heating and whisking over a fairly gentle heat, until thick and bubbling.
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If you want to blend the onions and broth, do so now, by putting any but the blackened onions in the blender goblet with the beef broth, and liquidizing.
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Or leave the broth just as it is, straight out of the carton.
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Take the saucepan off the heat, and gradually whisk in the beef broth.
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When all the broths added, put the pan back on the heat and cook, whisking to make sure any lumps are banished, over a medium heat for 2 minutes.
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Crumble in the blue cheese, then drop in the red currant jelly and turn up the heat to let the gravy bubble for 5 minutes.
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Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed, and then the remaining tablespoon of port, along with any bloody juices what we called red gravy when I was a child from the carved beef.
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Pour into a warmed gravy boat.
