Bone-In Prime Rib Cooking Questions


 
P

Patrick Sullivan

TVWBB Fan
I plan to do a reverse sear with a 10 lbs bone-in prime rib using my WSM 18".

What temp is good for the low & slow portion of the cook?

How much time will this take from start to finish approximately?

What smoke woods would be recommended?

Any other tips/techniques?
 
I bake tomahawk ribeyes @ 200 degrees for about an hour. So, I'm SWAGing about 2 hours for a 4-rib prime rib.
 
I usually do an 8lb bone-in prime rib in my Weber Kettle every Christmas. In Iowa, it can be quite cold, and sometimes quite breezy, making temp control a challenge. I try to maintain a temp of 225-250. Once the internal temp hits 130, I pull it off, tent with foil, and rest for 30 minutes. From the time I set the roast onto the grill, until I pull it off the grill, can take anywhere from four to six hours, depending on ambient conditions.

As far as wood, I prefer Mesquite for this type of cut.

I rub all sides with olive oil, put slices or slivers of garlic into piercings in the fat cap, pack the surfaces with a mix of Kosher salt, marjaram, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and coarse black pepper. I do this the day before it goes on the grill.

Not sure what reverse searing a 10lb prime rib will gain you, but let us know how it turns out. May want to give it a try sometime.
 
I do this in the oven every year, so, while not exactly the same, it should be pretty similar..... I don't smoke mine, as I just prefer not to add smoke flavor to this particular roast (and, this is how my dad always made them.) I'm sure that oak, cherry, hickory would all be good options. Here are my time/temp notes from last year. This was for a 4-bone, 13-lb standing rib:

TIME - IT @ OVEN TEMP
12:30 - 34 @ 225
1:30 - 41 @ 225
2:30 - 57 @ 225
3:30 - 76 @ 225
4:30 - 94 @ 225 (up to 275)
5:30 - 109 @ 275
6:30 - 130 @ 275

I don't mind it taking a long time, as it's all inactive cooking time for me. If you wanted to speed it up a bit, you could run closer to 275F the whole time. Once it reaches 130F, I remove, crank the oven up to 550F, then sear/roast for another 10 minutes. The IT on the roast doesn't go up too much in this time since it's a large cut of meat!

I couldn't find a picture of last year's, but I do it the same every year.....I think this one was in 2016:

1608567545991.png
 
Dave Mazz said:
In Iowa, it can be quite cold
Click to expand...

Hold my beer.... :D

I smoke bone-in prime rib generally around 250-275, although lower is certainly an option. We like medium-rare so I take it out of the smoker at 125-130 F. Seasoning is relatively simple, coarse ground black pepper, salt, granulated onion, granulated garlic. I smoke bone side down. It should only take a couple of hours at most for the basic smoke, then however much time you want/need for the sear. Wood? This is a case where less is more, as a prime rib is such a tasty meat, I usually just burn hickory or oak lump charcoal.
 
I cooked my first one in my Master Touch last year, and kept the temp between 250 and 275. I don't remember how long it took, but it felt like it went faster than I expected. I just sprinkled coarse salt and pepper on it, and used some apple wood. I pulled it off at 125 degrees, tented, and let it rest while I finished the rest of dinner.

I liked it so much that I picked up one for this year. The high temp on Christmas day is predicted to be 18F. I think I'm going to have to stay inside and use the oven. Considering using the rotisserie in the oven.
 
These roasts seem to cook a bit quicker than you expect, due to their shape, it's long & skinny. As a result, it's really not that far from center [of mass] to the outside, heat penetrates fairly rapidly, even with the bones against the heat.
 
I live in Minneapolis so I'm used to cold weather. I did an overnight smoke last year and the outside temps were -20. I have an old cardboard water heater box that I put around the WSM if it is really windy, but usually I just let 'er rip.
 
About 30 min a pound ( temp at 230-245) for bone in.... I just did 2 bones (5.5 lbs) a week ago pulled it at 130 rest 30 min. ( simple prep, olive oil and coffee rub. 2 chunks of cherry wood with KBB)( I used apple, cherry, or pecan woods with mine)
79231D86-0378-409D-8792-7F8843159ED6.jpeg2940E710-AECD-4C49-9F8D-428E28B25302.jpegE846A2A8-6C47-421E-9F40-B49F714DCF1E.jpeg
if you want to sear it I’d pull it at 120-125 and sear it.....

let us know how it works out!
 
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when I do a bone in prime rib I get it boned and tied. On my WSM 22 it usually take about 20 minutes a pound at 250F. Once I take to off the smoker, I tent it and let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on size.
After the rest, into a 500 degree oven till outer crust gets good, 5 to 10 minutes. The reason for the rest before searing is the internal temp goes low enough that it is not affected by the high heat. Remove it from the oven and carve right away. No need for second rest.
 
Ever since I got my WSM (over 12 years ago), I've wanted to do a rib roast, but have never really had the occasion. Too fatty for the wife, so I normally have to go with tenderloin. Today, I picked up one of each. I'm going to do the rib roast tomorrow, using the garlic/herb rub from the Cooking Topics section. Should I apply that tonight? Tomorrow morning?
 
My reply won't be at all helpful to you, Patrick, but this thread is a painful reminder to me that while some cooks progress with great simplicity and without stress, others can destroy my sense of confidence.

I bought a 2-bone 7 lb. rib roast with plans to smoke it for dinner last Sunday. But by mid-morning I was scheduled for a Zoom meeting at 5 PM. I pouted a little bit but life has thrown bigger punches, so I decided to use the air fry oven. There were several mishaps, including the sounds of several smoke detectors, and dinner was served considerably later than anticipated.

We are not high-class folks and we roll with the punches but I was so frustrated because I envisioned a much simpler and timely meal for the family. So much so that I'm tempted to buy another one and do it according to my original plans this weekend. It might enable me to feel I'm on top again, lol.

Best of luck to you on your prime rib!
 
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