Standing rib roast


 

MikeH-MA

New member
Hi all...for my second cook on my recently acquired 18” WSM I am going to attempt a standing rib roast. I’ve done quite a bit of reading, both here and other web sites, and am looking for any helpful tips and tricks that will help me make this cook as successful as my first one. Granted I didn’t go all crazy on the first one. A couple of whole chickens, vertical on the top grate. A little issue at the end of the cook with temps, but that was because I don’t think I started with enough fuel. Easy fix and they came out great. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Mike
 
Welcome to the forum. You'll find this is a friendly place with helpful folks. I hope you're here to stay. The 18" WSM is a great cooker and the first one I bought. Do you have a remote thermometer to monitor the meat internal temp? Knowing that will help folks give you tips.

I haven't done a Rib Roast on the WSM BUT if I did I would spend a lot of time reading this and watch the video. http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ribroast2.html I would use his technique without changes. 9 years ago I got my first WSM and I spent hours reading Chris's extremely helpful articles on The Virtual Weber Bullet. My cooks never failed when I followed his advice.

Have fun with your cook. :wsm:
 
Agree fully with method, I am not as fond of Montreal seasoning as some, I prefer a rub of fresh garlic, rosemary, thyme, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Maybe a drizzle of EVOO to help it all stick.
That is my preferred seasoning but, everyone likes something different.
 
I did a rib roast for the whole family at Christmas last year. I didn't specifically follow the linked recipe, but it was very close to what I did. The biggest difference was I pulled the roast off the smoker 10F shy of my desired temp and let it rest for an hour. During this time the temp rose to where I wanted it for doneness and then started cooling a bit. That's when I did the high temp sear to brown the exterior. I used the WSM, removing the middle section and putting the top grate right over the coals. While I was making the necessary adjustments the coals got plenty hot. Too hot, really. I ended up more singeing the outside than browning it. The 500F oven might be a better alternative. The idea behind the long rest before searing is so you aren't applying massive heat pressure to the exterior right after pulling it off the smoker. Let it stop cooking first and then brown the outside. This will keep it from going well beyond your desired level of doneness.

With a large enough roast you can actually hold it for several hours before doing the sear. I miscalculated the cooking time and the roast was ready to pull hours before I had planned, so it sat on the stove covered with foil for about three hours. After searing it was still plenty warm for serving.

Oh, almost forgot. I trimmed and tied the roast and salted the exterior 48 hours before cooking. You could use Montreal Steak instead of plain salt, or mix some herbs in with the salt if you prefer that. I let it sit, uncovered, in the bottom of the refrigerator on a rack in a baking sheet. You lose a bit of moisture this way and concentrate the beef flavor. The salt works its way well into the meat. It also forms a pellicle on the exterior that holds on to the smoke really well.
 

 

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