No longer is traditional holiday fare the only thing on the menu at Thanksgiving and Christmas; we're not just eating ham and turkey anymore. Two of our most sold items during November and December are prime rib roasts and beef tenderloins. They make a definite statement on your holiday table, and they pack a flavor punch.
They can also be pretty intimidating to prepare, if you haven't done it before. As butchers, foodies, and steak aficionados, we've typed up our family's no fail prime rib recipe and compiled a list of tips and tricks for cooking and purchasing.
Lee Family Smoked Prime Rib
SHOPPING LIST:
Prime Rib Roast (Cut to Order)
8oz MPC Steak Butter
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Smoked Paprika
TOOLS:
Meat Thermometer
Sheet Pan
Foil and Saran Wrap
Cutting Board
Carving/Slicing Knife
RECIPE:
The night before you're going to cook your roast, take it out of the fridge and season it liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika (this can substituted with your favorite steak seasoning). Wrap your roast tightly in saran wrap and place it back in the fridge. Remember, with prime rib specifically, these are usually larger, thinner slices, so the surface area of seasoned meat will be small, per steak. Don't be afraid to be heavy handed. (This step can also be done 15-20 minutes in advance of cooking.)
At least 30 minutes prior to cooking but no more than two hours, set your rib roast out to come to room temperature.
Prepare your smoker at 250 degrees Farenheit. We like a wood blend for this cook.
Place your rib roast on your smoker grates, with the tail angled downwards. Depending on what type of thermometer you're using, now would be the time toplace it in the roast. You want to place it directly in the center, avoiding bone if it is in your roast.
The cooking time will depend directly on the weight of your prime rib. We are targeting 130-132 degrees farenheit on the thermometer in the center for medium rare. Your ends will be more done than the center. If you target medium rare in the center- you should have slices that are meidum-well and medium. This process can take up to 4 hours.
At this point, you can pull your prime rib off of the smoker and place it onto your sheet pan. Evenly disperse scoops of MPC steak butter (or substitute your favorite steak or compound butter) over the top of your roast. Loosely tent it with foil and allow it to rest for 10-20 minutes. Keep in mind, the temperature of your ribeye will continue to rise as it rests.
Transfer your roast to your cutting board. Slice it into 1/2" pieces and enjoy.
TIPS & TRICKS & EXTRAS
A 'Prime Rib' Roast is not the neccessarily the same thing as quality grade Prime beef. A 'Prime Rib' is a cut or preparation of the ribeye section of the animal. It can be Prime grade, Choice grade, or Select grade and still produce a great end product. Select a Prime Rib that fits your budget.
Prime Rib Roast can be a bone-in prime rib roast, a boneless prime rib roast, or a standing rib roast, which is when the ribs are removed but tied back onto the meat for cooking. The choice here is strictly about personal preference.
Instead of paying attention to cooking time, invest in a good meat thermometer. Cooking times can be tricky from oven to oven or smoker to smoker, but a thermometer never lies. Taylor is a great brand.
Talk to your local butcher or producer about what size of prime rib roast to buy. This will be influenced by how many people you're feeding, whether it's primarily adults or children, and whether you want bone-in or boneless.
Invest in a good knife. Invest in a good knife. Invest in a good knife. Hardcore Carnivore sells a great carving knife. We use it for everything from prime rib to briskets.
If you try this recipe out, we'd love to hear from you, or drop your tips and tricks in the comments below! As always, thanks for letting our family feed yours!