DivotMaker
New member
Now, here’s a treat for the senses! The standing rib roast (better known as a “prime rib”) is one of my very favorite things to put in the smoker! When prepared properly, it is one of life’s wonders, and a meal fit for a king (or queen)!
Picture 1 shows you see the beginning; a 10.88 lb. USDA Choice bone-in rib roast. I have smoked both USDA Prime and USDA Choice standing rib roasts, and believe Choice is the best value for this cut. Due to the low-temp approach, Choice comes out every bit as tender as Prime, but at nearly half the cost! Prime is worth the extra money on some things, but not "prime" rib! I use the “low and slow” method, with a reverse-sear at the end.
Here's the game plan:
First night: Trim the roast, coat it with olive oil and Jim Baldridge's Secret Seasoning (LOVE it on beef). Wrap in plastic, let it get happy in the fridge overnight (24 hours, actually). You can use any seasoning you like on beef, or just plain ol' salt and pepper. I'll score an X-pattern in the fat cap (like on a brisket) all the way to the meat to aid in spice and smoke penetration.
Second night: Remove from the wrap, re-sprinkle with the rub, and put back in the fridge, unwrapped, on a baking rack overnight. This step allows the surface to dry a bit, which aids in crust formation.
The next day: I'll put it in the smoker at about 10 am, with 5 oz of hickory and cherry @ 200 degrees. There, it will slow-smoke to an internal temp of 128 (medium-rare). When I remove it from the smoker, I'll wrap it in foil to rest while my oven heats to 500+ degrees. Once the oven is heated, I'll place the roast in there for about 7-8 minutes to "reverse sear" the outside.
When it comes out of the oven, no more resting needed; just slice and serve!
I know this method is backwards from the way most people tell you to cook a prime rib roast, but it works incredible! What you end up with is a roast that is medium-rare all the way from bark to bark - no over-cooked gray edges! And, it's the juiciest I've ever had! By the way, I normally eat steaks cooked to medium, but I make an exception for good prime rib! Medium-rare is great!
I like to separate the bone rack by cutting against the bones, but not all the way. Keep the bones attached on the thick edge of the roast. The reason for this is twofold: First, it makes the bones much easier to separate after cooking. Secondly, it allows you to season between the bones and the meat. Pure goodness!
Once the fat cap is trimmed, bones are partially-separated, we’re going to put it back together and tie it with butcher’s twine.
Here’s the roast seasoned and tied back together. At this point, it’s going to get wrapped and put in the fridge for 24-hours.
Below, we see the roast after drying, unwrapped, in the fridge for 12-hours. It’s ready to go in the smoker.
In the smoker with probe in place. Temp set to 200, with 5 oz. of hickory/cherry mix. On the right, we see the roast at 127-degrees internal temp, total time 4 ½ hours. At this point, it gets removed and wrapped in foil while the oven preheats to 500-degrees. (That takes about 30 minutes, which is a perfect rest time for the sear). In the post-sear photos, below, you can see how the reverse-sear really brings the surface to life!
The reverse-sear works by super-heating the surface for 5-8 minutes only. This short blast of heat will not further cook the internal meat, so you end up with a nice pink medium-rare center that extends all the way to the edges of the meat. No further “resting” is needed; the prime rib is ready to slice and serve. Finish removing the bones, then slice.
Picture 1 shows you see the beginning; a 10.88 lb. USDA Choice bone-in rib roast. I have smoked both USDA Prime and USDA Choice standing rib roasts, and believe Choice is the best value for this cut. Due to the low-temp approach, Choice comes out every bit as tender as Prime, but at nearly half the cost! Prime is worth the extra money on some things, but not "prime" rib! I use the “low and slow” method, with a reverse-sear at the end.
Here's the game plan:
First night: Trim the roast, coat it with olive oil and Jim Baldridge's Secret Seasoning (LOVE it on beef). Wrap in plastic, let it get happy in the fridge overnight (24 hours, actually). You can use any seasoning you like on beef, or just plain ol' salt and pepper. I'll score an X-pattern in the fat cap (like on a brisket) all the way to the meat to aid in spice and smoke penetration.
Second night: Remove from the wrap, re-sprinkle with the rub, and put back in the fridge, unwrapped, on a baking rack overnight. This step allows the surface to dry a bit, which aids in crust formation.
The next day: I'll put it in the smoker at about 10 am, with 5 oz of hickory and cherry @ 200 degrees. There, it will slow-smoke to an internal temp of 128 (medium-rare). When I remove it from the smoker, I'll wrap it in foil to rest while my oven heats to 500+ degrees. Once the oven is heated, I'll place the roast in there for about 7-8 minutes to "reverse sear" the outside.
When it comes out of the oven, no more resting needed; just slice and serve!
I know this method is backwards from the way most people tell you to cook a prime rib roast, but it works incredible! What you end up with is a roast that is medium-rare all the way from bark to bark - no over-cooked gray edges! And, it's the juiciest I've ever had! By the way, I normally eat steaks cooked to medium, but I make an exception for good prime rib! Medium-rare is great!
I like to separate the bone rack by cutting against the bones, but not all the way. Keep the bones attached on the thick edge of the roast. The reason for this is twofold: First, it makes the bones much easier to separate after cooking. Secondly, it allows you to season between the bones and the meat. Pure goodness!
Once the fat cap is trimmed, bones are partially-separated, we’re going to put it back together and tie it with butcher’s twine.
Here’s the roast seasoned and tied back together. At this point, it’s going to get wrapped and put in the fridge for 24-hours.
Below, we see the roast after drying, unwrapped, in the fridge for 12-hours. It’s ready to go in the smoker.
In the smoker with probe in place. Temp set to 200, with 5 oz. of hickory/cherry mix. On the right, we see the roast at 127-degrees internal temp, total time 4 ½ hours. At this point, it gets removed and wrapped in foil while the oven preheats to 500-degrees. (That takes about 30 minutes, which is a perfect rest time for the sear). In the post-sear photos, below, you can see how the reverse-sear really brings the surface to life!
The reverse-sear works by super-heating the surface for 5-8 minutes only. This short blast of heat will not further cook the internal meat, so you end up with a nice pink medium-rare center that extends all the way to the edges of the meat. No further “resting” is needed; the prime rib is ready to slice and serve. Finish removing the bones, then slice.
