Prime rib is one of my favorite holiday meals. It is buttery tender, rich in taste, and so....so....beefy.
I've mentioned this before but the "prime" in "prime rib" is just a common term, it is not referring to the USDA grade of prime. It's also called a standing rib roast or beef rib roast. [Click here for my 20 Tips for Beef Rib Roasts]
This year I cooked a USDA choice boneless rib roast for Christmas and I used the reverse sear method on my Big Green Egg. I have cooked rib roasts a variety of ways (high temp roast, low temp roast, sear/roast) and in my opinion, a reverse sear gives the most tender and evenly cooked rib roast. If you cook it at 350f straight, you'll end up with the outer edges (the "lip" or "cap") a dull grey medium while only the center is medium rare. Reverse searing a roast creates the same degree of doneness all the way through, edge to edge.
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Perfect medium rare, all the way through. Even the spinalis dorsi is pink. |
Reverse Seared Beef Rib Roast
serves: 8-10
Ingredients
- 5 lb boneless beef roast, left off refrigeration to temper for up to one hour
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, coarse ground
- 1 tsp dried minced garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed but left whole
- 1 sprig rosemary
Instructions
- Set up your grill for indirect heat and preheat to 225f as measured at the grate (250f dome temp on a Big Green Egg).
- Tie your roast and season on all sides with a dry rub made of the salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Place the roast on a roasting rack above a roasting pan filled with the stock, garlic, and rosemary.
- Place the roasting rack/pan on the grill over the indirect (no coals or heat) area. Roast until the internal temp reaches 10 degrees less than your desired final temperature (see chart).
- Rest the roast while you raise the grill temp to 500-550f and change to a direct heat set up. Watch the internal temperature of your roast after it comes off. You want to "carry over cooking" to finish and you should actually see the internal temperature of your roast start to drop before it goes back on the grill for searing.
- Remove the garlic and rosemary from the au jus that has formed in the roasting pan and discard. Season au jus with salt and pepper as needed.
- Sear the roast directly over the coals for 1 minute per side on all sides.
- Allow roast to rest another 10-15 minutes after the sear. Slice and serve.
Notes
- For your guests that want more than medium rare, a quick "bath" in beef broth in a heated skillet will quickly make the pink disappear and get the slice of roast to their liking.
- Big Green Egg set up details: lump coal, no wood, platesetter in "legs up", V-rack set on top of platesetter and stoneware drip pan.
- You can use a bone in rib roast as well but make sure to have the butcher slice the rib bones off. Make sure to season the roast all over and THEN tie the bones back on. After roasting and prior to searing, remove the bones so you can sear on all sides.
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Here is the roast rack set up. Rendered fats will drip into the beef stock below, giving flavor. |
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Resting on a raised rack avoids steaming the surface of the meat, which loses juices. |
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Contrary to popular believe, searing does NOT seal in juices but it does create color and flavor. |
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Don't forget to remove the twine before slicing. If you do forget, just tell guests that it's floss. |
Here is the cooking log for this cook. Click on the picture to make it larger so you can read it.
Be sure to check out my posts on Twenty Tips: Prime Rib on the Grill and Tips for Making a Good Au Jus.
Looks perfect!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
OMG - that looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThis is a technique I wrote about sometime earlier this year. Thank you for a year of ideas and inspirations.
ReplyDeleteI meant to say that I was writing about you using the reverse sear technique.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic, Chris! I'm ashamed to admit that I still have not tried the reverse searing method. I'm such a slave to my own ways at time, I tend to forget there are other ways to cook things! :)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! One day...when I can afford it...prime rib will be on my christmas menu every year =)
ReplyDeleteNicely done. I'm kind of drooling right now at your photos Chris. Looks like you had a perfect meal!
ReplyDeleteChris - your prime rib looks perfect and I'm sure it tasted it as well. You always post such great how-to info. Ours was very good as well and I need to look at more triming and tying.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous - my all time favorite cut and yours looks perfect!!
ReplyDeleteEven this vegetarian can tell that that is one perfectly cooked piece of meat.
ReplyDeleteMy father would insist that it's too pink. But he'd be wrong.
That's a good looking hunk of meat...I'm going to have to try your reverse sear method one day.
ReplyDeleteWe had prime rib on christmas and it was delicious!Happy New Year,Chris!
ReplyDeleteGuess what we're going to make for the new year?!??! Gorgeous!!
ReplyDeletethat is such a cool way to cook a roast, and it looks absolutely gorgeous! i hope you had a great christmas!
ReplyDeleteYour roast looks delicious and mouthwatering. I've never done a prime rib. I'm so afraid I'd ruin $80 worth of meat. One of these days. Happy New Year Chris.
ReplyDeleteThat is one awesome looking piece of meat - definitely making my mouth water! I never saw this method before - tucking it away for future use.
ReplyDeleteSo simple and so perfect! Yammy!
ReplyDeleteOh good Lord! Perfectly cooked and mouth watering prime rib. It looks so PERFECT! I really wish you were my neighbor!
ReplyDeleteJust cooked my prime rib like you Chris, even better!! Thank you for the tips. Gotta love the GREEN EGG!!
ReplyDeletecooking a rib roast on my egg tonight thinking about using this method green egg owners usually have great taste buds
ReplyDeletecooking a rib roast on my egg tonight thinking about using this method green egg owners usually have great taste buds
ReplyDeleteTried this method last weekend. I used a choice (not prime) rib roast. It was still PERFECT! This is going on the Christmas menu, with a prime roast!
ReplyDeleteWould like to try tise reverse sear method but have a question: how do you remove a hot plate setter and where do you put it? Thanks,
ReplyDeleteAnon - Very good question. To remove it, I use a pair of leather welding gloves. I put it on either a concrete paver or a metal plant stand (the kind that holds potted plants). The key is to have everything in place before you remove it and MOVE VERY QUICKLY.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris - I assumed the method was something as you described but wanted to see if there was a "magic bullet" I had not thought of. Agree completely with the MOVE VERY QUICKLY admonition. Thanks, again.
DeleteChris - This looks great - Thanks for sharing! I really like the cook log and temp graphs that you included. I have a BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi controller and have been looking for a program to record temps, etc. Would you please share the source for the Cooking Log that you included in your post? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHello I noticed that you did not have the ribs on your roast. Could I use this same technique with the ribs?
ReplyDeleteHello, I noticed that you do not have the ribs on your roast. Have you tried this technique with the ribs and if so would I need to change anything?
ReplyDeleteCat, yes, I've done quite a few bone in rib roasts. This one at Christmas last year was a reverse sear: http://www.nibblemethis.com/2012/12/tips-for-making-good-au-jus-on-grill.html
DeleteNo real differences other than a little longer cooking time.
We are trying this recipe today. Is there something on top of the platesetter before you put the stoneware drip pan on?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed response, I've been down since the weekend with flu. Yes, I generally put some type of spacer between the plate setter and stoneware to keep the pan from overheating and evaporating the liquid. I use a couple of 1/4" thick metal links but you could use an all metal or ceramic trivet.
DeleteI used this technique today on the Big Green Egg. It was delicious. I have one question - when I did the reverse sear, the fat on the rib burnt on the iron grid - it tasted fabulous but was not as attractive to look at and to serve. Do you have any suggestions for ensuring the Egg doesn’t flame up or that the grate is not so hot that it burns the rib
ReplyDeleteI am a seasoned egghead and I'm here to tell you this is a solid recipe! I cooked a bone in rib roast and it was phenomenal yall!!! The Au Jus was better than I've ever had. If I knew how to put pics on here I would.
ReplyDeleteRex
A simple and delicious recipe. This was my fist using the Apres-searing method and it turned out great. I have a Komodo grill (same concept as the BGE),and temperature monitoring is key to maintain the proper levels on the grill and the meat. A definite holiday tradition.
ReplyDeleteDid this on a bone in roast this Memorial Day. I have a Green Egg mini max we keep in our camper. Only complaint is I let it get a few degrees overdone. But it was still great!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much -- this was a huge hit at Christmas dinner today. Thanks for making it so simple. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI did a 10lb 2 days ago and cooked at 250 for about 4-4 1/2 hours. Took off and went to 600-700 direct heat and covered lightly with foil while i was waiting for it to heat up. Seared for 3 minutes on 3 of the sides and it came out to a medium rare plus to a tender medium. It was incredible!!!
ReplyDelete