Last Minute Prime Rib Question

[zupanj]

I picked up a 4 bone roast yesterday and trimmed it this afternoon. It has been brined and is wrapped in plastic wrap and in the fridge. Here's the issue; one end has a larger diameter than the other, roughly 4 inches and 5 inches on each end. I didn't notice this this last year but a 4 bone roast is longer than the 3 bone I made then.

I am concerned that the thinner end might end up overdone before the larger end is finished.

Has anyone run into this before? The roast is tied with string and as round as I can make it.

[DaveD]

You will be just fine. You can put a temp probe in each end and watch how things are going, or if you don't have those, use an instant read every so often. Never seen a prime rib that was perfectly symmetrical, they've all got some irregularity or other.

You didn't say how you plan to cook it - some methods are more prone than others to having this kind of diameter difference be significant. For example, if you were going to sous vide the rib roast, it wouldn't matter at all.

Let us know how it goes!

[captainlee]

Just cook it you are good to go.

[zupanj]

Sorry I should have mentioned the cooking method. I will cook in the oven at 225 degrees and probably not sear.

Thanks for this a probe on each end is a good idea.

[jfmorris]

I had that issue today, but it was a much longer roast with probably 2 inches difference in diameter. The thick end ran 20 degrees behind the thinner end for a big portion of the cook. When the probe in the thin end hit 120, in spot checked it and ended up cutting the roast in half and pulling half off. In my case I cooked at 225 until the roast hot 120, then seared until 130, and carryover may have gone to 135.

[zupanj]

The meat turned out very good. I cooked at 225 degrees for about 2.25 -2.5- hours and there was less tha a four degree spread between the large and small ends. At about 120 degrees internal, I turned on the broiler and did top and bottom for about 5 minutes per side. The final temp was 130 degrees, just right.

Thanks for the feedback.

[fzxdoc]

Congrats on doing such a great job on that roast, zupanj . Sounds perfect.

Kathryn

[jgreen]

Nicely done. Did you get a picture?