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26 replies

Prime Rib Seasoning Paste

D dlsMember
To me, prime rib is the king of roasts. Because of the expense of quality prime rib, especially one that’s prime grade and dry aged, it’s generally reserved for special occasions. As such, it’s not something that I want to mess with by adding seasonings that would alter or overpower the pure taste of the meat. Normally, I season the roast prior to cooking by sprinkling a generous amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper over the surface. From time to time, I add Montreal Steak Seasoning to the salt and pepper.

I cook prime rib 5 or 6 times a year, and I almost always get the roasts from the same source, a wholesale meat purveyor of very high end specialty cuts. The day prior to cooking, I generously rub the roast with some kosher salt and let it air dry in a refrigerator overnight on a rack placed over a drip pan. Just prior to cooking, I’ll add a little more salt to the black pepper and apply.

That said, with my most recent prime rib I must have been really bored, and decided to do something different. I know, changing what has worked well for a very long time can be dangerous. Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to come up with something of a combination rub and paste. The paste was kind of an impromptu thing I threw together on the fly with a few ingredients that we all like at our house. Smokin’ asked me to post the recipe as a new thread in the PR forum, so here it is.

I put the following in a bowl:

- 1 tbs kosher salt (I kept this low since I had already salted the roast somewhat the night before)
- 3 tbs freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbs Montreal Steak Seasoning (It’s a bit gritty so I ran it through a grinder to get it closer to a powder)
- 4 tbs fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 10 cloves garlic confit, mashed
- 3 tbs Dijon mustard

I then added equal amounts of EVOO and red wine vinegar to the bowl until the mix had a paste consistency that could be applied to the roast with a silicone brush. I started on the low end with ¼ cup of each, and added in small increments until I got a “paintable” consistency that didn’t run off.

The results were very good and a nice compliment to the meat. Subtle background hints of rosemary and the sweetness of the garlic confit. Not at all overpowering. I will definitely do this again and can’t think of anything I would change.

So, what do the rest of you do to season your PR, or other fine cuts of quality beef? I’d be interested in hearing.
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FM Former Member
Did you reverse sear this or just cook it like this then hold when target temp was reached.

I do dry brine (salt) my PR's now, although I go heavier on the salt then wash it off.

I add some worster sauce before I rub, so I'd proably add that to the mix.

I'll try this next time thanks for creating the new post, I think it's an excellent topic!!!
D dlsMember
quote:
Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Did you reverse sear this or just cook it like this then hold when target temp was reached.

I do dry brine (salt) my PR's now, although I go heavier on the salt then wash it off.

I add some worster sauce before I rub, so I'd proably add that to the mix.

I'll try this next time thanks for creating the new post, I think it's an excellent topic!!!


Yes, I did a reverse shear, or sear at the finish. Cooked it at 180F to an internal of 121F, foiled and rested for 40 minutes, then seared in a 550F oven for 10 minutes. I concluded a long time ago that searing a large piece of meat such as a PR at the beginning was a waste of time and detrimental to the end result. Because of the moisture in the raw meat it will take nearly twice as long to get a good sear. So, for example, if you do 20 minutes at 550F, you've gone beyond just searing, and you're well into cooking the roast. It's a guaranteed way to end up with the dreaded outer band of grey, well done meat. That said, I'm not beyond giving the PR a quick hit with a blow torch from time to time at the beginning. Gives it a little initial color and starts the fat rendering.

I didn't use much salt in the paste because I initially sprinkled the roast with around 2 tbs. of kosher salt and let it rest overnight ~ 17 hours. So, yes, I do a dry brine or salt cure also, and have been doing so for several years. When done with the cure, most of the salt has disappeared, but I give it a quick rinse anyway and pat dry with paper towels. I do the same for other cuts such as steaks, loins, etc, but for a shorter length of time.

Funny, I was going to add Worcestershire Sauce to the paste but we were out of it. Since I was winging it anyway I just moved on with what we had on hand. Obviously, if you add 2-3 tbs WS you'll need less oil and vinegar to get it to the right consistency.

Summarizing this recent cook from beginning to end:

Overnight Cure > Rinse/Dry > Apply Paste > Cook (180F) to 121F Int. > Rest (Foiled) 40 Min. > Sear (550F) 10 min. > Carve/Serve/Eat.
D dlsMember
quote:
Originally posted by seasoned1:
what are you thoughts on adding some bottled garlic juice to the paste?


You can certainly do this, but are you thinking about adding garlic juice to the paste, which already has garlic, or replacing the garlic in the paste with the juice? Either way, remember that 1 tsp. of the juice is equivalent to one garlic clove.
D dlsMember
quote:
Originally posted by seasoned1:
i was think of replacing the garlic confit with garlic juice. Just thought it might give a more even garlic flavor. just a thought.


I've never done that, but I don't see why you couldn't. Probably wouldn't need much, if any, oil and vinegar to come up with a "paintable" paste. You might even need to increase the spices a little to get the right consistency. Let us know how it works out if you try it.

That said, while the confit mellows out what some call the harsh "bite" of raw garlic, it doesn't change the flavor profile noticeably. It also softens the garlic so it can easily mashed or spread.
FM Former Member
I coat the brisket, not snow heavy, more like snow flurries. I've never measured. Sorry. This year I will and take photos.

The worcestershire I apply just before putting on the rub to put on the smoker, NOT before putting on the salt.

And I do rinse the salt off before all of that step and dry it off, then worcester then rub then cook.
S seasoned1Member
i have one setting on the counter right now coming to room temp. dry brined a 14 lb Choice bone in last night with no worcestershire. have garlic confit in oven (decided why fix what isn't broken DLS). Going to apply worcesersire and apply DLS rub and smoke per DLS method. serving to friends this evening with creamed spinach, trufled gratin potatoes and lobster tails.
will post results. Thanks for all the suggestions.
D dlsMember
seasoned1 - Now, that sounds like one grand meal. Somebody once told me that a special holiday meal should include at least one item that's a luxurious splurge. You've got that point very well covered.

Kind of funny - Our holiday plans may be taking an abrupt change, but if everything goes as originally planned, New Year's dinner coincidentally features prime rib accompanied by creamed spinach and a gratin-like truffled potato pave.

Enjoy, and let us know how everything goes.
Last edited by dls
D dlsMember
quote:
Originally posted by seasoned1:
DLS you nailed it. Prime rib was perfect. Rare from end to end and seasoned just right. I did add the worchestire sauce as smokin suggested prior to the rub but everything else done to your method. everyone said it was the best prime rib they ever tasted. I will post details and pics a bit later.

thanks again.


You're welcome, and thanks for the compliment. Glad it worked out well for you.
FM Former Member
Hi! Saw your post, and have a question. If I may!! I have cooked a prime rib with cheesecloth/mustard/rocksalt, on my webber. I have had a Smokette Elite (7/17/10 and want to know if the meat will brown in my Elite with this setup??? I have cooked many good, and OOPs! meals on my Elite but don't want ruin my Christmas dinner.
I posted my first time today on the roll-call forum. I have Smoked many meals from forum recipes Mainly Dave, SmokinOkie etc.
Thanks in advance. Thanks for the many ideas on this forum.
B.J.
D dlsMember
quote:
Originally posted by Pags:
OK. Paste made. Used one less tablespoon pepper and one more tablespoon Candian Steak Seasoning. Also, threw in a couple extra mashed garlic confit. Resting till tomorrow so flavors meld. Finger tasted...great.

Dry brining the PR overnight.


Nothing wrong with those changes. The way I see it, more garlic is always better than less. Enjoy.
D dlsMember
quote:
Originally posted by Pags:
This is an excellent recipe. The prime rib turned out great. Plenty of compliments. I'm stuffed. Thanks for sharing dls.


You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

I was about to defrost a PR to prep for New Year's Eve when we abruptly decided to travel to Spain for the Holidays. It will have to wait until until early 2012.
B bobbarrowsMember
Thanks Pags. The first meal of the new year is now in the smoker. I used a few cabernet oak chips for just a hint of smoke.

I once saw a cooking show where the chef completely encased the meat in a shell of salt. I believe he cooked it inside that shell and broke it apart before serving. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any idea what it would be called? "en sel" perhaps?
B bobbarrowsMember
The choice rib drew raves, though my family and I thought it was too heavy on the pepper so I will be cutting that back next time. Maybe some thyme instead ...

Due to the oven being used for sides, I had to try to do the sear on my Weber Spirit grill after letting the meat rest for 40 min. ... there were lots of flareups despite the resting time - I wound up having to shut off the middle burner entirely and shift the meat to new positions every couple minutes for the first 5-6 min. to avoid the flames. The butcher twine I used to tie the bones to the meat of course ignited and broke, so there was a precarious balancing act keeping the meat perched on the bones Big Grin

All in a day's work, eh?
Last edited by bobbarrows

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