Prime Rib - what temp and how long?
- Thread starter Saxguy
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Tatonka3A2
New member
We do ours a long slow cook, never really timed it so I can't say for sure. Pull when it hits around 130 and let it rest for a medium rare. This is what we like. We are horrible about planning meals for a time - Marty and I have no kids at home so it is just us we have to worry about. Sometimes we eat at 7pm, or as late as midnight! 
RickB
New member
The weight of the roast will not make alot of difference. A bone in roast will take a bit longer than a boneless. I cook a 5# boneless at 260-265 for about 3 to 31/2 hours. Pull at 125-130 let rest for 30 minutes. Medium rare.
Ps be sure you set the roast out a room temp for at least 45min to an hour before you cook.
Ps be sure you set the roast out a room temp for at least 45min to an hour before you cook.
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scooter
Moderator
Pull from fridge and set on counter for 45 mins, put it in cooker at 225 (I sometimes go up to 250F) and pull when it gets to 140 IT, loosely tent with foil and rest for 1 hour. You'll get a 5-10F push in IT during the rest. Slice.
Will look something like this. Medium to medium rare. 6lb roast will take about 3.5 hours.
Will look something like this. Medium to medium rare. 6lb roast will take about 3.5 hours.
I should have taken a picture. I ran it at 260 until the IT hit 131 and pulled it to rest for 30 minutes (No sear). Mine definitely didn't look as pink as everyone's photos - I'll probably take it to 125 next time. It tasted good, though - I used a balsamic reduction as a glue with Marvellous Cherry Rub and served it with a parsnip/apple puree.
BTW, I picked up first cut (loin) roasts. Is there a cut preference when cooking them at lower temps?
Also, for what I paid at Whole Foods I would have been better off picking up a whole one from Big Poppa.
BTW, I picked up first cut (loin) roasts. Is there a cut preference when cooking them at lower temps?
Also, for what I paid at Whole Foods I would have been better off picking up a whole one from Big Poppa.
TentHunter
Moderator
Saxguy said:
It's really all in what you like. The back section (first cut, or small end) is considered the "prime" or best section (not to be confused with a "Prime Grade" of beef). The front section (second cut, or large end) is not quite as tender as the first, but tends to be fattier, and some like the flavor better. The front end is often priced a little lower than the prime section, but both ends make excellent roasts. Try both and see which you you like.
I also will get a strip loin from time to time and cook it the same way as rib roasts and they turn out great. Because they're not as thick, they don't take as long to cook; usually around 2 1/2 hours or so.
Saxguy said:
The best advice anyone ever gave me for buying meat was to find a local butcher who is actually butchering his own beef (and not merely getting in sub-primal cuts and then slicing them into roasts or steaks). Start buying from him, develop a relationship. That's were you will end up getting your best quality vs. price. In the end it saves me a lot of money.
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scooter
Moderator
Adding to what Rick said, it's verrrrry important to let the rest period unfold completely. You should keep the thermoprobe in your roast during the rest. Generally, when the temp stops increasing and begins to decrease that's a pretty reliable indicator the push has ended and you can now slice. If are impatient and slice before the rest is complete and while the roast is still contracting, the action of the contracting muscle fibers will in essence wring your juice out of the roast similar to how you wring water out of a wash cloth. It will take what should have been a very pink slice of roast and turn it brown as all the juice flows out onto your cutting board. The cutting board will be your indicator. If you have a pool of juice, you sliced too soon.
IMO, a proper rest period is where many pitmasters blow their game at the last minute! Terrible to march all the way down the field only to fumble at the end zone...
IMO, a proper rest period is where many pitmasters blow their game at the last minute! Terrible to march all the way down the field only to fumble at the end zone...
scooter
Moderator
IMO, the best part of the rib roast is from the chuck end. See that muscle outlined below? It is most pronounced on the chuck end of the rib primal. I don't know if they call i first cut or what. I just know it's biggest at the chuck end and almost nothing at the short loin end.
In my mind, that strip of meat outlined below is by far, without a doubt, hands down the best tasting, perfectly marbled, and most tender part of the entire steer! When I buy ribeyes I always buy them from the chuck end with the biggest amount of that top meat I can find.
Look at BP's roast, a massive strip of that muscle! Remember, from the "chuck end".
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TentHunter
Moderator
scooter said:
It's about time you got around to giving your "Let it Rest and Leave the Probe in" talk (great advice that I follow, by the way). I was beginning to think you were slipping!
scooter said:
That section (closer to the chuck) is the, larger front end or "Second Cut." It's not considered as tender, as the "Prime" or "First cut," but I agree; it has better flavor. It's what I try to get too.
Really Nice!
New member
The prime rib is item 109 in the NAMP (North American Meat Processors Association) Meat Buyers Guide. The rib contains seven bones (6-12). The loin end is toward bone number 12, and the chuck end is toward bone number 6. The muscle you outlined is the spinalis dorsi, also known as the cap, ribeye cap, rib cap... whatever you want to call it. Its presence diminishes as it goes towards the loin end, as you mentioned. FYI, the larger muscle (the eye) is the longissimus dorsi.IMO, the best part of the rib roast is from the chuck end. See that muscle outlined below? It is most pronounced on the chuck end of the rib primal. I don't know if they call i first cut or what. I just know it's biggest at the chuck end and almost nothing at the short loin end.
In my mind, that strip of meat outlined below is by far, without a doubt, hands down the best tasting, perfectly marbled, and most tender part of the entire steer! When I buy ribeyes I always buy them from the chuck end with the biggest amount of that top meat I can find.
Look at BP's roast, a massive strip of that muscle! Remember, from the "chuck end".
When I was catering we would separate the two dorsi and then carve the eye and plate it. With the cap the rib was just too big even for a 10-inch plate. We'd keep those caps warm in the Cambro and after the event I'd cut them up into bite-sized pieces and the FOH staff would just devour them.
You can also separate the two dorsi before cooking and make steaks out of the spinalis dorsi.
TentHunter
Moderator
scooter said:
The "Chuck End" is the "Second Cut."
It's may not be considered as tender as the "Prime, or First Cut", but I agree with scooter; it has the better flavor. It's what I always try to get.
P.S. Again don't confuse the term "Prime Cut" with "Prime Grade" beef. They're not the same.
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A friend of mine owns a few restaurants and said I can sear it off and then cook it for 24 hours at 125. Being that my MAK won't do 125 and my wife will not be happy if I take up valuable oven space on Christmas, can I cook it on the smoke setting for a longer period of time? How long do you think it would take - I'm cooking for about 20 people so figure I'll need 10-15 lbs (I'll probably do two 7-8lb roasts).
scooter
Moderator
Here's a tip I picked up this year from a butcher after mentioning the cap meat is my favorite part of the whole steer. That cap meat, or top meat, that's so tender and flavorful is at the chuck end of the rib roast and continues on into the chuck primal for a little bit. My butcher cuts it into a few steaks and labels it "chuck eye" and refers to it as the poor mans ribeye. It costs about $6/lb at my store and is only available when they butcher up a chuck primal and each chuck primal only yields a few 1" thick chuck eye steaks.
Now the composition of these chuck eye steaks is about 60-70% made up of that wonderful cap meat and the rest is the eye of the loin. They are not available all the time so every time I'm at my store I cruise the meat looking for chuck eyes. If not eaten that day they get vacusealed and frozen for when pickings are thin at the meat counter.
Chuck eye steaks, the best steak on the entire steer no doubt. Mostly fork tender and so, so flavorful.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk while driving one handed!
Now the composition of these chuck eye steaks is about 60-70% made up of that wonderful cap meat and the rest is the eye of the loin. They are not available all the time so every time I'm at my store I cruise the meat looking for chuck eyes. If not eaten that day they get vacusealed and frozen for when pickings are thin at the meat counter.
Chuck eye steaks, the best steak on the entire steer no doubt. Mostly fork tender and so, so flavorful.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk while driving one handed!
RickB
New member
You certainly can....but whats the point. It will turn out no better at 170 than 225-250. The only thing is you will burn more pellets. Save yourself the hassel and cook at 250 to an it of 125-130.
Ps..he may own some resturants but I have NEVER heard of cooking beef at 125 for 24 hours except for sous vide. The meat would be in the danger zone for way to long. If you happen to eat at his house stick with the sides.
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IMO, the best part of the rib roast is from the chuck end. See that muscle outlined below? It is most pronounced on the chuck end of the rib primal. I don't know if they call i first cut or what. I just know it's biggest at the chuck end and almost nothing at the short loin end.
In my mind, that strip of meat outlined below is by far, without a doubt, hands down the best tasting, perfectly marbled, and most tender part of the entire steer! When I buy ribeyes I always buy them from the chuck end with the biggest amount of that top meat I can find.
Look at BP's roast, a massive strip of that muscle! Remember, from the "chuck end".
I agree with you, but the little bite you can get from the part under the fat directly opposite of what you outlined is pretty dang good too,especially if you've smoked the roast at all.
You certainly can....but whats the point. It will turn out no better at 170 than 225-250. The only thing is you will burn more pellets. Save yourself the hassel and cook at 250 to an it of 125-130.
Ps..he may own some resturants but I have NEVER heard of cooking beef at 125 for 24 hours except for sous vide. The meat would be in the danger zone for way to long. If you happen to eat at his house stick with the sides.
As long as you quickly kill off anything on the outside with a good sear, the danger zone is not a huge concern with beef as the interior of good quality beef has few to no microbes.