Smoked Rib Roast

For some time, I did not know the difference between a rib roast and a prime rib roast.  After doing some research, Prime Rib Roast and Rib Roast come from the same cut of beef…the Ribeye. The main difference is the meat grade and price point.  The prime rib roast is pricier than regular rib roast because it has more marbling on the meat, but at the end of the day…they both are still really good as long as you get USDA Choice or USDA Prime.

For Friendsgiving 2017, my buddies and I chipped in to buy a huge luxurious 15-pound boneless prime rib roast for me to smoke on the Weber and for us to celebrate Friendsgiving with each other and our families.  We ended up eating about 15 pounds of delicious smoked prime rib with a bunch of other tasty potluck side dishes, drank two bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue, and washed it all down with pickle juice.  It was definitely one unforgettable Friendsgiving with the homies.

After Friendsgiving, I ended up making prime rib a few more times over the holidays.  After a few cooks, I prefer the boneless prime rib roast over the bone-in prime rib.  With the boneless prime rib, I think it looks prettier because the meat cooks more evenly and you get more meat for the amount of money you are paying.  However, there is nothing wrong with bone-in prime rib..it’s still super good and at $7.99 a pound during the entire holiday season, that is a steal.

There are so many ways to prepare prime rib, but at the end of the day, getting the internal temperature of the meat to your desired temp/taste preference is the BEST way to go.  Please go ahead and cook this sexy piece of meat for your next gathering!

Ingredients:
8-pound Boneless Prime Rib Roast
2 tablespoons kosher salt. more or less to taste
1 tablespoon crushed black pepper
2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1-ounce fresh herb mix (sage, thyme, rosemary), finely minced
1 garlic bulb, finely minced

4 ounces cherry wood chunks

Steps:

Dry Brine Rib Roast-  Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Evenly sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of kosher salt on all sides of the rib roast. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight (or longer) uncovered. At least an hour before smoking rib roast, remove rib roast from the refrigerator and bring the roast to room temperature.

Prepare Compound Butter– In a medium bowl, mix together the softened butter, remaining 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt, crushed black pepper, finely minced herb mix, and finely minced garlic until evenly combined.  Rub the compound butter all over the rib roast and set aside.

Smoke Rib Roast-  Set up the smoker and bring the internal temperature inside the smoker to 275-300 degrees. Add four ounces of your favorite wood chunks.  Smoke the boneless rib roast in the smoker until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees.

Carve Rib Roast – Remove rib roast from the smoker and rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Carve rib roast to desired thickness and serve with your favorite side dishes.

Tips:

• Rib roasts are very thick so don’t hold back on the salt.
• I like to cook the rib roast to medium so I remove the rib roast at 135 and allow the carryover cooking to bring it to 140-145 degrees.
• To make a quick gravy with the drippings, whisk 3 tablespoons of dripping and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour until smooth and add 2 cups of beef broth.  Season with salt and pepper to desired taste.