Christmas Prime Rib

[Porter4dmfd]

So I've committed myself to preparing prime rib for our family's Christmas dinner. I've only smoke one other prime rib. It was OK but not spectacular. I plan to use Meathead's technique. A few questions...

1. We have a head count of 20. Do I need 20 lbs of meat? Seems like a lot. I usually figure 1/2 lb per person when I do pork shoulder, but everything I've read says 1 lb per person of prime rib.

2. Is there a ballpark estimate of cook times? I cook by IT, but I can't find a good rule to estimate cook times. I plan to cook at 225.

Wish me luck!

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[Huskee]

1lb raw weight per person is a good rule, it accounts for a mix of large & small appetites, trimming during prep, and shrinkage during cooking. It will usually result in some leftovers too. Another rule of thumb is 1 bone per two people, so in your case if it's bone-in a 10-bone roast should suffice, or more realistic two 5-bone ones, give or take. 20 people is a LOT of hungry mouths.

Cook time of course varies, but a good rule is +/- 2 hrs plus the sear time.

By the way, welcome to The Pit! We'd love to get an intro from you over in the Introduce Yourself channel when you get a minute. https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...troductions-aa

[Huskee]

tbob4 We wouldn't be who we are w/o our better halves!

[tbob4]

You are right, and I remind her of how lucky she is all the time!

[rip1877]

My wife found this recipe for leftover Prime rib roast...

http://www.onlyfromscratch.com/leftover-standing-rib-roast-beef-stew/

I can attest that the smokey flavor in the meat will pour out into the stew and adds additional flavor.

[DWCowles]

Welcome Porter4dmfd

[Nate]

Welcome from Indiana

[Mr. Bones]

Porter4dmfd , Howdy from Kansas Territory! Welcome to the Pit, glad yer here! Good Luck on yer Christmas cook!!!

[Gator Lau]

Meathead's recipe and technique have produced a couple of real winners for me. Enjoy and welcome!

[lschweig]

A hearty welcome from Illinois.

[Mosca]

I count ribs: 1 rib serves two people. So you would want 10 ribs worth of roast. Me, I'd get 12, because you never want anyone to go hungry. Plus, you'll have your mediums and your medium rares, so you can get two 6 rib roasts and do one roast each way.

Figure 3 hours in the oven at 225, I usually start mine at 1PM to serve between 4 and 5. If they're done early there's no reason you can't FTC a rib roast, at least I don't think so.

I love smoked meats, but rib roasts don't need the smoke. Use Cow Crust or BBBR, or SPG.

[Porter4dmfd]

What do you think about buying a whole ribeye?

[Gator Lau]

Buy the whole rib. Cut off the ribs for smoking (doing it yourself will give more meat on the bones). Cut the cap off and save for steaks and cook as to directions contained here in the Pit. Now you have a whole ribeye for Christmas dinner. If too large,you can cut off a ribeye steak or two.

[emil.glatz]

Rib roast:
Low and slow is great, but smoke is way to strong for a cut that is so wonderfully beefy: I admit I will often use a very hot grill to sear at the end. Meathead's spice recommendation is pretty good, but go light and easy so it's a hint of freshness not a spice. So I recommend oven cooking as low as you can get (180 is nice although it takes many hours) and for the love of all beef lovers, don't go beyond 120 internal temp. Save the drippings for yorkshire, add a side or two (garlic spuds are awesome, and include a house horseradish).

Rib eye:
I don't quite understand the ask. Any cut is awesome if prepared right. My favorite right now? Chuck roast or perhaps salmon.

I suggest it's all your taste. Pick a cut and cook it 10 times while recording exactly what you did and how you liked the results.

[ecowper]

I know I'm a bit late to the show, but here's some of my tips and tricks. I cook a rib roast every year for Christmas Dinner.

1. I buy mine at Costco, I buy Choice, and it's always amazing.
2. Size - 1 bone for every two people, count girls and young children as 1/2 a person as a rule of thumb. My wife and 13 year old daughter eat about 1 person's share between them. This year I will have 5 adults plus my wife and daughter, which is the smallest Christmas Dinner I've done in 10 years. I will buy a 4 bone roast.
3. Definitely do follow Meathead's technique. Don't listen to the old wive's tales about leaving the bones on, searing first, etc.
4. Definitely do use Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Crust. If you don't want to do that, use Montreal Steak Seasoning. Crust it on good and heavy!
5. Definitely cook it on the grill. I run my grill around 250. I make gravy following Meathead's technique, too. The drippings and smoke make it amazing.
6. Secretariat sauce is the bomb!
7. Don't be afraid to make your sides somewhat different. At the end I'll post my dinner menu.
8. If your guests like wine, go with something big and bold .... a good Bordeaux, a Cab from Napa .... my personal favorite is Chris Sparkman's KingPin Cabernet Sauvignon. Have been serving that with Christmas Dinner for 5 years now.
9. Don't be timid with this thing. It's a big, beefy roast and it can handle seasoning like a champ.
10 Don't be timid and go traditional with a gloppy gravy, store bought horseradish sauce, etc. Introduce yourself and your guests to a fantastic gravy that requires no au jus and a homemade horseradish sauce that is killer.
11. If you have 20 to serve, get two roasts and cook one to medium. This will mean that you have some medium well and medium ends for folks that like that sort of thing.

Our Christmas Dinner menu this year

Rib Roast
Cheesy potatoes (shredded potatoes, sour cream, butter, cream of chicken soup, shredded cheese ... mix it together, bake it in oven)
Brussels Sprouts and bacon
Asparagus
Green salad
Fruit salad
Pickles (the little cornichons)
Assorted olives
Beef gravy
Secretariat horseradish sauce
Hollandaise sauce
Creme Brûlée for dessert

Sparkling Apple Cider
Domaine Carneros Brut
Sparkman's King Pin Cab
Coffee with dessert

[Spinaker]

Eco, Mind sharing what you do with your B sprouts? I love them. But I would like to try the Bacon addition. Let me know man! Thanks!

[ecowper]

Porter4dmfd I forgot to answer your cooking time. If you cook at 225-250 (250 is my preference) and your roast is 4" in diameter, it will take you about 2 hours to reach medium rare, and 20 minutes to sear. It is roughly 30 minutes per inch of diameter to get to 130 degree internal temp. If you are going for medium on one of your roasts, then you are looking at about 40 minutes per inch of diameter.

[EdF]

What time and where, ecowper ?

[ecowper]

Can you make it to the boondocks of Washington by Dec 25th around 3 PM?

[BruceB]

I can probably make it there

[ecowper]

BruceB you aren't that far away LOL

[EdF]

Going to be tough - I appreciate the invitation, though.

[ecowper]

No worries man ... if you are ever going to be in my neck of the woods, give me a shout.

[EdF]

Thanks Boss!

[sgtrecon212]

If it's a bone-in, I cut the bones off and trim the roast. Then I tie it into somewhat of a cylinder shape. Dry brine overnight, and when it's time to cook, Mrs. O'Leary's goes on with water like Meathead suggests. I've only done prime rib in the PBC and it's amazing. Back to the OP's original question.. I'll buy a 3-4 pounder and feed roughly six of us. Takes me around around an hour to hit 140.. That's too done for me, but my usual guests appreciate less red. So I kind of split the difference for them.