How to handle Prime Rib

[jfmorris]

Ok guys and gals. I followed Meathead ‘s video on breaking down a 7 bone ribeye primal last night, and I have my long tubular eye of ribeye aka prime rib dry brining in the fridge.

The question is, will the skinnier end of this get overdone if cooking the larger end to medium rare? Do I need to cut it in half and start the halves separately or does it all work out?

You can see the length is the same as my sheet pan, thickness is pretty uniform but width varies from one end to the other. Trust me, I couldn’t cinch it up any tighter with the string.

Plan is to cook on the SNS Deluxe Kamado using the SNS and lump charcoal, at 225, the open up the grill when it is time to sear and get the coals fired up good and sear over the SNS.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Davek8282]

I'm no help but that is a great looking piece of meat.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

I cut about 1/3rd off the narrow end...I have a couple in my crew that are posers (they say they are meat eaters but like it Med-Well-Well Done)
Larger pieces make a great presentation....

[Joey877]

I'm no expert but I have done my fair share of prime rib roasts. If this were mine, I would cut it in half for several reasons. First, the thickness looks pretty uniform on both roasts if you cut it in half, so doing so would definitely eliminate any concern for over-cooking one end to get the other end up to medium rare. Second, my family and I love the crust, so cutting it in half doubles your end cuts. When I have a piece of meat this nice, I tend to be overly careful. You probably don't need to cut it, but that's what I would do.

[jfmorris]

Good point, plus it may make searing over the SNS easier if it’s two shorter roasts.

[Huskee]

I'm with Joey877. Similar principle to separating the point & flat on a brisket, so each hunk can get the TLC it needs. I think if it were in my fridge waiting for cook day, I'd cut it in two. But in all honesty I'm not sure it'd matter too much. I believe you've cooked plenty of tri tips, right? Them babies definitely have a thin end that gets overcooked, but your prime rib wouldn't suffer the same fate to nearly the same degree. But with two you could put the thicker one on 10 min earlier.

[jfmorris]

Only ever did one tri tip here - from Porter Road - you just can't get them locally, but I get what you are saying. I'll chop it in half when it comes time to put the rub on and head out to the grill later today. And put a leave in probe in both hunks 'o beef.

[wrgilb]

I would definitely cut it in half. Start the smaller end maybe 45 minutes after the big end. I'm just guessing on time, as I've never cooked both halves at the same time. I want to see some pictures of what you did with the spinalis. Here's a picture of the last 4 bone eye I did on the PK360.

[jfmorris]

This is not the same one I took a photo of that had a big thick spinalis on it. That one is in the freezer, whole. This 7 bone roast the spinalis ended up looking like a large well marbled flank steak, about an inch thick. It's vacuum sealed and in the freezer for the moment.

[barelfly]

Do you have some people that prefer a piece that is cooked a bit more? If so….that’s the side for them.

Now, cutting in half you can still do that and get multiple ends, but. Just a thought if you weren’t totally sure on cutting.

[jfmorris]

About half the family is medium to medium well, the other half is rare to medium rare… I would rather fix up slices in a skillet than overcook the entire roast however.

[Mosca]

jfmorris you answered your own question, you just don’t see it. Do the whole roast, and skillet the smaller end. There isn’t that much difference between the two. You’re going to have medium rare at the big end, and no worse than medium at the small.

[bbqLuv]

Sous vide and reverse sear is a suggestion.
Problem solved. BTW, have a good PBR. (Prime BBQ Roast)

[jfmorris]

Yeah, it’s an option but defeats the ability to do gravy under the roast…

[Clark]

jfmorris Having been to a foot doctor for a bunion yesterday, your long, skinny toes caught my eye. Take good care of them.

[jfmorris]

Haha - all 3 of my kids inherited those long ‘monkey’ toes too.

[Murdy]

In my experience, not everyone likes their meat exactly the same way anyway, so a little variation from one end to the other isn't the end of the world. That said, I can't really see any downside to cutting it in half. The narrowest point will not change, so it should cook the same, save for the ends that will get seared a bit.

[jfmorris]

About 1/2 like it medium rare and the other 1/2 like it medium-well. My plan was a hot cast iron skillet on the stove next to the cutting board to fix up 1/2 inch thick slices to medium well quickly as I serve.

[Murdy]

jfmorris -- Are you going to sere the meat after you cut it into serving size slices? If so, aren't you really doing a reverse sere steak rather than a prime rib? Which, of course, is just fine.

[jfmorris]

Murdy I am searing the entire prime rib to medium-rare. The plan was for those few that like medium-well doneness, I would toss their slices into a skillet on the stove.

[jfmorris]

Thanks guys…. And I didn’t realize I caught my toe in that picture, haha….

Next question. Water in the SNS or no water for this cook? This is on the SNS kamado…

[smokin fool]

Boy, tough crowd when they're coming at you over your toes....
No right answer here, I'd leave it whole but the whole more crust thing has its merits too.
Maybe a stupid idea but you could always place a piece of foil under the thin portion once the bark has set to somewhat deflect the heat from the thinner end.

[FlashHokie]

I don't have the SNS Kamado but I typically put water in the reservoir of my SNS for my Weber kettle in the winter when the humidity is lower. Not sure if it really helps. What rub are you using? I'm trying to decide for mine in Saturday.

[jfmorris]

FlashHokie I am following Meathead's recipe, which calls for Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Crust.

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/prime-rib-and-other-beef-roasts/#recipe

[jfmorris]

Ok - I'm off to mix up the cow crust rub, and then start the gravy. I've got until about 3pm to decide to cut in half or leave whole...

[Troutman]

Couple of my thoughts here Jim. I'm 50/50 on the cutting versus no cutting. You claim you have different finishing needs, that's classic for a prime rib. There's always a more well done end versus the middle. You could set temp probe in three places (I do that with brisket or chuck) and monitor each area for doneness. Cutting it in half would amount to the same difference. It would make it easier to sear, so that's a point in favor of the cutting option.

I'm a big proponent of SV then sear these days. It's nearly full proof. The thick and thin ends will essentially remain at whatever temp you set it at. The sear will determine the final product. But here's the thing, even if you do roast it conventionally, let it rest for a good 20-30 minutes before the sear. That way you avoid the gray banding or overdone edges.

Good luck, looks like a gorgeous piece of meat !!

[jfmorris]

Thanks! I plan to let it rest on the cooking grate with the lid up while I open the kamado bottom vent fully and stir the SNS up to a full blaze for searing. That should let it cool a bit before the sear, to avoid being overdone.

[Meathead]

Yes, the skinny end will cook more than the fat end. I have found that often my preference of 130-135 on the fat end is met by a few who like it pinker, 135-140 and they get the skinny end. The other option is to cut it in half and start one 20 minutes before the other.

[jfmorris]

Thanks Meathead - and your video was a lifesaver on how to trim this hunk of beef. I am thinking based on your comment here that I will leave it whole and monitor both ends. If I get 130 at one end and 140 at the other end that may just be about perfect for those who like more or less pink.

[fracmeister]

That is why I am in the sous vide and sear camp. I get the prefect internal temperature and the outsides all sear at the same time...

[Meathead]

Yes, I have 2 7 bone roasts for Christmas Day and I will SV then sear both.

[smokenoob]

Meathead Do you apply the Mrs O’Learys Cow Crust to the roast and then vac pack it before it goes into the sous vide?
I may try that next time.

[Meathead]

You get the Sous Vide Que ebook I wrote for free elsewhere in The Pit. I discuss this in it. SHort answer: NO. It washes off in the bag. Add the rub and smoke AFTER sv.

[FireMan]

Interesting, the more you talked, the more you knew.