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Prime Rib – Here's what happened.

FM Former Member
Here is what I did, how it came out, and why I am still confused. I was trying to basically follow Stuart's method # 1 for prime rib and want it finished at Medium Rare. I seasoned a 6 ½ pound standing rib roast w/ EVOO, Montreal Steak Seasoning and garlic powder and left in the fridge a few hours. Took it out of the fridge and straight into a preheated Amerique at 250 Degrees with garlic, rosemary and .7 oz cherry. The meet was so cold and moving so slowly that it made me wonder if I should have let it warm at room temp first, so instead of 12 minutes/pound before resting at 140, I just let it keep going until it hit an internal of around 90 degrees, then turned the AQ down to 140*. Meat continued on and then stalled at 116*. It was getting late so I cranked AQ back to 250 and pulled the meat when it hit 127*, wrapped and let sit for 30 minutes. It came out great !!!

Here are my questions: PR is too expensive experiment with alot and I am just looking for something I can replicate each time for Medium Rare. It was suggested that I take it out and wrap it at 118* for medium rare. I assume that is if you are cooking at 225 or 250 that the internal temp continues to rise faster and longer than if the meat is on hold at 140*. If the oven is only at 140*, seems like the 118* takeout time might not let it finish cooking. So:

1) Has anyone used Stuart's method for medium rare and if so, do you bring it partway to room temp before putting it in the Cookshack, and at what temp would you pull it from the 140* hold in the CS for a final medium rare cut?

2) If no one has a clear answer to that, should I just cook at 250* and take out and wrap at 118* internal ?

3) What would you consider a final resting temp for medium Prime Rib after resting ?

Without any further advice, my current plan for next time is to sear in 500* oven, then 12 min/pound at 250, hold at 140* until around 127*. Can you help me with something that will consistently work with this expensive meat ?
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T tomMember
Set it out on the counter for 3-4 hrs to start,and that will help.

Your definition of med rare might vary,but if the roast had been held at 140* for a long time,I suspect you wouldn't get more than a couple degrees of rise.

I'd probably pull about 130*.

As you can see,this is why Smokin'Okie is so adamant about keeping detailed notes on your cooks.

This is especially true for cooks that you don't repeat often.

Shape,quality[select,choice,CAB,prime]will all affect your times.
FM Former Member
I think for medium (overdone in my opinion), you should take it to 130* in the 250* or even 300* smoker and take it out right then, don't wrap, just let rest for a few minutes on kitchen counter, slice and serve. The thang is, you need to do one this way so you will have a ballpark time of how long it will take.

I also think that even if you cook it at 300* and take it out at 120* and wrap for 30 minutes to an hour, it will be about right.

Shoot, it might almost be there after the searing!

Do not worry with getting the temps exact or right on. Not an exact science, by far! Also, be careful about over-seasoning this delicately flavored cut.

Give the end cuts to the folks that like it overdone.

Above all, take Tom's advice, and have fun!

Cool
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Putting cold meat in the smoker allows more smoke to penetrate (theory)


Goes hand in hand with the thinking that meat will take on smoke up to about 140*. More time below 140 equals more smoke taken. At least that's how I've taken it.

Some with even more experience like SmokinOkie and others may have a different way of looking at it.
T tomMember
Reference time on the counter,a store will be holding meat at 28* in their meatkeeper.

If you are holding in the home refrig,you should be holding at about 34*.

The danger area for meat would be the meat be between 40*-135* for more than 4 hrs,to develop toxins.

It has been my experience that large chunks of meat left in an A/C house on the counter,will not reach that level of toxins forming in 3-4 hrs.

I could always be incorrect,but I won't even begin to tell how long some comp cooks may leave meats out before going in the cooker. Eeker

I'll withdraw the holding time,as that is to let them cook more evenly and not create such a heat sink in a fully loaded cold cooker.

Just as the outer heat will cook the center,so will the cold center cool the outer.

That said,I am often looking for smokering and go straight from ice to the cooker.

When cooking quality standing ribs,I am also not looking for much smoke.

I often hotcook standing rib roasts,and most cooks would leave it on the counter a minimum of 2 hrs.

Craig Claiborne,a great Southern cook that often cooked with the modern French and American masters,advised up to four hrs on the counter.

I am merely answering the question on possible holding times,for safety, and not any particular method of cooking.



I must admit it has been years since I cooked a standing rib in a Smokette,using Stuart's method.

I certainly don't claim to be an authority on it. Big Grin
Q qnorthNear Traverse City, MI
If you want to experiment, try some other form of roast. Might be a bit tougher but still good eating.

I have yet to do a PR but I've done 3 or 4 chuck roasts or whatever (I can't remember what they were called) We like rare here so I usually took them out around 118 or 120 and they turned out great.

Here's a sample:

Nope... sorry. It says my ftp login isn't working to upload the picture. Yet I am logged into the forum. Sorry, it was great BBQ porn.
R ribdogMember
Mark,

Let me make a few observations here.

First, and this is not to say that Stuart is wrong or that I am right, but it always makes me stop and think as to why you would sear a roast before putting it into a smoker. Now I realize this is one big hunk of meat but placing the roast in the smoker, I want it to pick up some smoke penetration. It won't get much but to me it will get even less if it is seared first.

Second, I can understand Tom's suggestion to rest the uncooked roast on the counter for a while before cooking. A piece of meat that size will bog(for lack of a better term) down some smokers. IMO, it is more difficult to go from 35* up to 90* than from 90* up to 125*. It takes momentum to get it going. Such is the suggestion to let it warm up some. If you are not comfortable with four hours, make it 3, 2, or 1. But anything less than at least an hour won't do much for you anyway.

Like Qnorth says, do some other kind of roast. I like to make top sirloin roasts.

But most important, keep doing it! Practice makes perfect.
Last edited by ribdog
J jbjaxMember
Smoked prime rib is my favorite. I've cooked a bunch since I got my 008 six years ago. I have the butcher remove the bones and then tie them back on for quick removal after smoking.

Rather than Stuart's method, I use a rub of some kind, not very much & fairly mild so the full flavor of the meat comes through. Let it sit overnight with the rub in the icebox. Then let it warm on the counter for 45 minutes & start smoking.

I have tried longer times at 225 or shorter at 300 and it doesn't seem to matter since the meat does not need extra tenderness. I love pecan, but have used hickory and apple wood a lot too.

When it hits 117 degrees, I pull it out and let it rest under a foil tent for 5-10 minutes. It will coast up to about 122. This gives the medium lovers the end pieces, the medium rares the next 2 inches, and the rare lovers the middle portion.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by RibDog:
Mark,

Let me make a few observations here.

First, and this is not to say that Stuart is wrong or that I am right, but it always makes me stop and think as to why you would sear a roast before putting it into a smoker. Now I realize this is one big hunk of meat but placing the roast in the smoker, I want it to pick up some smoke penetration. It won't get much but to me it will get even less if it is seared first.

Second, I can understand Tom's suggestion to rest the uncooked roast on the counter for a while before cooking. A piece of meat that size will bog(for lack of a better term) down some smokers. IMO, it is more difficult to go from 35* up to 90* than from 90* up to 125*. It takes momentum to get it going. Such is the suggestion to let it warm up some. If you are not comfortable with four hours, make it 3, 2, or 1. But anything less than at least an hour won't do much for you anyway.

Like Qnorth says, do some other kind of roast. I like to make top sirloin roasts.

But most important, keep doing it! Practice makes perfect.


Searing isn't "sealing" Alton Brown did a series of scientifically controlled and highly reliable experiments comparing weight loss of seared and unseared meats of various types and weights. In each itteration the results showed that virtually no difference existed in the loss of weight/liquid thus searing does not seal the meat. It sho do make it taste mo betta though! Big Grin
FM Former Member
Pawclaws.

I"m a fan of Alton, but searing will prevent smoke from penetrating. While not as Scientific as Alton (and I'm an Alton fan) my experience in years and years of BBQ have shown me if it carmelize / sear / burn the outside of something, smoke can't penetrate.

Keep in mind also, that the issue of smoke penetrating, in theory, is that once the meat hits about 140, the protein seals up and smoke won't penetrate. If you sear the outside, I'll bet it's hit 140.

Now if we could just get Alton to run a test for us.

Mine tell me to smoke first, sear later. And most chefs do the same, cook then finish high
O olysmokesMember
I've done 3 prime rib roasts in my Amerique using the Cookshack cookbook method of 225/250* temp start, then the cool-down to 140 and continue smoking until meat temp reaches desired point. All 3 attempts have been ok, but nothing to rave about. I've cooked many a delicious prime rib in the regular kitchen oven so my feeling is to stick with that method for the initial roast cook, and then put the left-over roast sliced to 1" or so thick pieces plus them bones in the smoker for about 1-1/2 hours with your favorite wood. Both really pick-up the smoke flavor then, and that makes for some good eating - smoked prime rib sandwiches are very tasty!

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