Three Ways to Grill Prime Rib for the Holidays

 Three Ways to Grill Prime Rib for the Holidays

Prime Rib (standing rib roast) is a traditional Christmas feast that I've enjoyed most of my life. Every Christmas Eve, my stepmother (who is British) made a Prime Rib in the oven with roasted potatoes, au jus, and yorkshire pudding. It was a great welcome home meal. Now 30 years later, Prime Rib has become a welcome home meal for our adult kids too. We are excited to have 14 family and friends joining us this year for a Christmas Eve buffet. We've already got the menu mapped out:

• Twice seared Prime Rib paired with slow roasted Beef Ribs
• Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
• Wild Rice Casserole
• Winter Salad

I've been on a Prime Rib kick all year.  Like clockwork, rib roasts go on sale at Easter, Thanksgiving,

Prime Rib on Sale during the holidays

and Christmas. I finally got smart at Easter and bought two! One for the freezer and one for the holiday meal. We're doing the same thing this Christmas and adding Beef Ribs to the buffet.

My journey to perfect Prime Rib on the grill also got me on a Beef Ribs kick. My appreciation for Beef Ribs took a major spike this fall when I visited Barn & Company with Dave Raymond (Sweet Baby Ray). Dave wanted to show me some of the best barbecue in Chicago and he introduced me to chef Gary Wiviott of Barn & Company who brought us the most beautiful and delicious Beef Ribs I had

ever eaten! I left Chicago on a BBQ high and a mission! Then, right on cue at Thanksgiving, there were Beef Ribs on sale packaged separately at the supermarket. A Beef Ribs Bonanza! Two great tasting parts from one gorgeous hunk of beef!

So here are three ways to take Prime Rib & Beef Ribs to your grill or smoker this holiday season:

1. Primal Rib If you find a Standing Rib Roast the size of a Volkswagen it is a great candidate to cut your own “Primal Ribs” by leaving more meat on the bone for a meal of its own. The large 6-8 Rib Roasts with the bone in (not cut away by the butcher) is really two meals in one. We recently did just this and I had Chef Michael show me how to cut off a beautiful rack of ribs and then roll and tie up the boneless roast as normal. Don't try to serve those huge ribs and a slab of prime rib- it's way too much. Make it two meals if you want to make Primal Ribs!
2. Beef Ribs & Prime Rib This is what we are grilling this year. We're buying extra Beef Ribs that have been cut by the supermarket butcher. Try to buy intact slab of ribs if possible. They are sold already cut into ribs and as well as slabs. Butcher cut ribs are cut much closer to the bone and are not nearly as meaty. We plan on serving a plate of beef ribs alongside the sliced prime rib. Folks can choose either or a bit of both.
3. Prime Rib- Boneless or Bone In. The purest form is often the best. Just red, rare Prime Rib sliced thick. Sliced Prime Rib is ideal for buffets as a variety of rare to medium will suit many tastes. The Christmas red slices of Prime Rib is the star.

Here's my game plan for grilling #2- Twice seared Prime Rib and Beef Ribs

Preparation of Boneless Prime Rib Use butchers twine to tie the roast in a round shape for even cooking. Dry brine with salt 2-12 hours before cooking. Meathead from amazingribs.com suggests 1 teaspoon of salt per pound. Then apply the wet rub just prior to grilling.

Rub- Look no further than Meathead's Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Crust. This recipe makes enough paste for a 10 pound roast. I like how the paste sticks to the roast. Mix everything in a bowl and then add the olive oil.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
5 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation of Beef Ribs. I've been using Denny Mike's Cowbell Hell religiously on my Beef Ribs. An overnight in the fridge is great, but even an hour or two of seasoning time helps.

Grilling Times & Temps. I use two grills, one for searing and one set low for the roasting.

• Beef Ribs - 4 hours at 200-225F. (5 hours if you are cooking the Primal Rib). I learned from Gary at The Barn & Co. that it's okay to aim for 190F internal but get there very slowly which allows the fat and connective tissue to just melt away while the meat slow roasts on the bone. Bone down for 90% of the cook.

• Prime Rib- Approximately 2 hours at 200-225F.  Meathead says cook to an internal temperature not by the clock. Ideally use a remote temperature probe like the ET 732 and monitor internal temperature. I pull the roast at 110F internal (early because I will sear the slices at the end of the cook) and let it rest before slicing as it will climb in temp a bit.

Sear the Prime Rib in the beginning and at the end of the cook.



Quick searing prime rib roast prior to smoking

• I find a brief initial sear (3-4 min total) over high heat (450F) aids in crust formation and
  jump starts the maillard reaction for more flavor and you get to play with fire!
  
• On either a gas grill or charcoal hold the Prime Rib end down for 15 seconds, lift and twist for another 15 seconds. Then flip to get the other end the same way. Then take 2-3 more minutes and sear the sides of the roast to get equal browning and off to the smoker it goes.

     Quick sear after slicing and just before serving.

1. 1. 

      Primal ribs with twice seared prime rib

      I pull the Prime Rib off when the temperature reaches 110F internal (not yet even rare). The roast needs to rest a good 10 minutes so the juices do not just pour out when you cut slices. I'm aiming for medium thickness in the slices.  Back to the hot grill for 1 minute a side. We like the final sear for 3 reasons:  This gives an added flavor pop and a bit more browning. The slices will still be rare.
   2. You can cook to an individuals taste from rare to medium.
   3. Adds flexibility to timing and serving. Getting the buffet set and everything ready, then take those 2 minutes to sear and make sure the Prime Rib is hot and beautifully seared when it is brought to the buffet! Notice that we plan on sides that can also be warm and ready when the meat is done.

   
    Our game-plan is complete, we'd love to hear your holiday meal plans and traditions!