Well-smoked, tender prime ribs can be the true definition of a juicy, savory, and mouth-watering meal. It provides an irresistible taste, which can add wonderful memories to your holidays. Today, we will share how to bring this experience into your backyard with an easy do-it-yourself recipe for smoking a juicy prime rib.
What Is a Prime Rib?
This refers to a rib roast obtained from the middle section of the cow’s spine. This cut has a lot of marbling because of the cow’s movement.
A prime rib cut can weigh up to 30 pounds and comprises seven rib bones as well as a large amount of marbled, delicate muscle. The rib roast is divided into separate rib eye steaks. Essentially, the term “prime” rib roast alludes to the fact that this cut is made from a long primal muscle, not to the meat’s grade.
The highest grade offered at your butcher or big box warehouse is usually prime. The next grade down, choice, is carried by most grocery store butchers, and below that is select grade beef. However, these lower grades are still considered “prime rib” in most recipes. It’s also good to note that the beef’s grade significantly impacts the final smoked product. The marbling contains extra fat that will help enhance the beef’s tenderness, flavor, and moisture.
Smoking a Juicy Prime Rib
Once you have bought your prime rib from the butcher, the first step is to trim the excess fat off the roast. This involves getting rid of the hanging or loose fat, as the prime rib contains plenty of fat sufficient for the smoking process. This will also help the seasoning to diffuse well into the meat.
It’s also essential you keep your seasoning simple by starting with olive oil and then adding salt and pepper. Thyme, garlic, rosemary, and sage are typical flavors you can never go wrong with. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. It clings better to the meat, and the moisture from the paste aids with the meat’s flavor retention when applying smoke. Remember to season the part where the butcher cut it from the bone and coat it all over.
Regardless of the type of food smoker you are using, the prime rib smoking process will be almost the same. The key thing to note is that a good smoker can improve your whole food smoking experience. It will carry out the most important tasks without the need for regular human intervention to get the intended result.
Luckily, the Bradley Smoker has the most up-to-date features, such as a wood auto feeder, twin heat sources, and a computerized console to automatically handle feeding, cooking time, and temperature regulation.
Bradley Smokers can do both hot and cold smoking thanks to their dual heat sources. Faster cooking and user safety are ensured by the magnetic door and insulted body.
Method:
- Start a fire and ensure the cooking chamber temperature is between 225 °F and 250 °F (107 °C and 121 °C), which is the recommended temperature for smoking a prime rib.
- Place your seasoned prime rib on the grill in the well-heated food smoker. You can take your well-seasoned prime rib straight from the fridge and put it in the food smoker. When smoking, the meat will warm up as it cooks, allowing the flavors to infuse into the meat perfectly. This is achieved because prime rib sweats as it warms up, and this liquid aids in the flavor of the smoke.
- Smoke the prime rib until the internal temperature reaches the desired level of 125 °F or 135 °F (52 °C or 57 °C) for rare and medium-rare, respectively. A food thermometer or cooking thermometer would be best to monitor the meat’s internal temperature to avoid either undercooking or overcooking.
- Once ready, remove the smoked prime rib roast from the food smoker, wrap it with foil and set it aside for 30 minutes to rest. The temperature can rise by another 5 degrees as the meat rests and cools. This is an important stage, as it allows the tissues to reabsorb the juices, keeping the sliced meat juicy.
- You can also opt to remove the bones from the prime rib roast to create a roast without the bone—it can be more stylish and easier to present. Place the roast on a chopping board and cut it into slices of your desired thickness. Now it’s time to plate and serve your favorite sides.
Best Meals to Serve With Smoked Prime Rib
A smoked prime rib roast is a fantastic main dish, which implies you’ll need superb sides to complete your meal. The great news is that there is a wide variety of side dishes that you can have with your perfectly smoked prime rib. Mashed potatoes and greens are some of the foods you can pair with your well-smoked prime rib. Pairing your smoked prime rib with a glass of wine is another great way to add an entirely different experience to your dinner.
Check out a few more steak articles below:
5 Steak Doneness Internal Temperatures & Times
The Way You Should Be Tenderizing Steak
How to Cook the Perfect New York Strip Steak
Here’s the Best Way to Tenderize Your Smoked Steaks
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