MGoBBQ: The Ultimate "Harbaugh Vitamin" - Prime Rib Comment Count

Seth

IMG_1233

It's the last game of the year and time for the ultimate "Harbaugh Vitamin". Most stores have their leftover holiday prime rib roasts on sale and we should take advantage. Let's go out in style and make something our guests will talk about until kickoff next season. Who doesn't like a smokey prime rib served with a little horseradish?

Ingredients:

Bone-In Prime Rib Roast (1 bone for 2 people)

Kosher Salt and pepper

Stubbs Moppin' Sauce

Fresh Horseradish

[After THE JUMP: salt and pepper]

Directions:

Set your grill up for indirect heat and shoot for 250 degrees. While the grill is heating up, remove the prime rib roast from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temp. The larger the roast, the longer it will take. This 4.5 lb roast sat out for approximately 1 hour before reaching room temp.

IMG_1132

Season the prime rib with salt and pepper. Always use more than you think you need as some will fall off during the cooking process. This roast needed 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup pepper. I also added a little Stubbs BBQ seasoning, but this is not necessary as the salt and pepper combo works great. The seasoning helps form a great crusty bark. Notice the cut separating the meat from the bones. You can request that the butcher do this for you as it makes things easier once the prime rib is done. Once the roast is done, we will cook these ribs for another hour or so to get some of the best beef ribs you will ever taste.

IMG_1154

Once the prime rib roast is seasoned and the grill reaches 250 degrees, add a few oak or hickory wood chunks to the fire and place your meat on the grates. (Bone side down) Insert your favorite temperature probe into the middle of the roast and let cook for several hours.

IMG_1167

Once the roast hits 100 degrees internally, start basting with your Stubbs Moppin' Sauce. This adds a nice flavor to the salt and pepper bark that has formed during the smoking process. Baste every 15 minutes until the roast reaches 120 degrees internally.

IMG_1190

If you like your prime rib RARE, remove from the heat at 120 degrees and loosely tent with foil. The internal temperature will continue to rise another 5-7 degrees during the resting process. This is our prime rib at 120. Coach would be proud of this VITAMIN. MMMMmmmmmmm............Dat Crust!!! This prime rib took approx 5 hours to reach 120 degrees.

IMG_1200

If you like a medium roast, remove at 130 degrees. Allow the prime rib to rest for at least 15 minutes so the juices redistribute. If you cut into the roast too early, those flavorful juices will run out and you will have a dry prime rib. The crust that had formed on the exterior was my favorite part. Great flavor and a nice crunch.

IMG_1222

Once rested, cut along the bones to separate the meat from the "soon to be beef ribs". Season the bones and place back on the smoker for another 90 mins. Sorry, no pics of these. They didn't last long enough to get pics. Now, back to the roast. Slice into 1 inch thick slices and serve on warm plates along with some horseradish. Instead of warm plates, I heated up my new Michigan Wilton Armetale football grilling platter. This thing is my new plate during game day meals. So cool and fun to grill on.

IMG_1233

I hope that everyone had a great holiday season and enjoyed the warm weather. It's been a great season and I'm already looking forward to next year. Feel free to send to me your grilling pics or recipe ideas to [email protected]. GO BLUE!!!

Comments

CE99

December 31st, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^

A 4.5lb roast is not going to go from fridge temp to room temp in 1 hour.

J. Kenji Alt-Lopez proved this with a 7.5 ounce steak. After almost 2 hours at room temp, it had only risen to 50F. Not only can you not raise the meat to room temp in a reasonable time, there is no discernible difference between cooking meat that was out of the fridge for 2 hours vs straight from the fridge.

For a really great crust, heavily salt the roast and put in the fridge uncovered for about 4 days. This is going dry out the outer layer for a good sear and let the salt penetrate for flavor.

Source: The Food Lab (J. Kenji Alt-Lopez)

 

ribs1

December 31st, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^

This is counter to the entire point of this tutorial.

1.  Buy roast on sale at cheap prices after holiday.

2.  Put roast on the same day or next day.  Too much planning = roast not ready for 4 days = bad

3.  This dudes roast looks awesome.  No need to 1up him.

4.  Start your own post on your own roast.

CE99

December 31st, 2015 at 1:00 PM ^

My main point is that there is no need to let a piece of meat sit out at room temperature. 

It's bad conventional wisdom that's been passed down as fact and can easily be proven wrong. For a site this mocks conventional wisdom (punting on short yardage 4th downs on your opponent's side of field), this seemed appropriate.

And while I'm at it:

  • Searing doesn't seal in juices
  • Flip your meat as many times as you want
  • Bones don't add flavor (but aide in cooking)

http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/06/the-food-lab-7-old-wives-tales-about-cooking-steak.html

ribs1

December 31st, 2015 at 2:05 PM ^

I am aware of Kenji's blog and read it all the time.  However, he is not the authority on beef.

Please don't state yours, his or Alton Browns opinions as facts.  Watch the documentary "Steak Revolution" for more information.  I really don't care about the food science behind searing especially since it is almost universally accepted as the right thing to do.  For my cooking, I follow the best of the best and try to emulate them as closely as possible.  

Incidenally, the best steakhouse in the US in my opinion is Peter Luger.  The owner, Amy Rubenstein speakes about searing steaks to seal in juices.  Whatever is actually happening doesn't really matter, but there is no doubt that she makes a better steak than I do (Or Kenji or Alton does).

Forgive me, I don't put a lot of stock in food scientists as they spend too much effort on explaining what doesn't really matter instead of doing what really does.

I do take my roast out of the fridge for 1-2 hours not because I believe it will come to room temp, but because the surface might which could improve the bark.  Maybe it does, and maybe it doesn't.  My priime rib is pretty good and the OP's prime rib looks pretty good.

The OP did not solicit opinions about how to improve his Prime Rib as it appears he is quite satisfied with his results.  I am quite satisfied with the look of this roast and it has inspired me to head to Costco today.

 

 

 

CE99

December 31st, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^

I thought this was the comments sections.

My point is still stands, the roast isn't getting up to room temp, but you are right in that the surface will dry out for a better crust.

Why are you dismissive of Kenji's work as opinion? He uses a scientific method to test out theories and conventional wisdom. He's not writing what he thinks is the best way, he tests it against other methods and verifies.

If searing seals in the juices, then why do you get similar results post vs pre sear?

ribs1

December 31st, 2015 at 6:08 PM ^

I am not dismissive of Kenji's work at all in fact he is probably the best source of information on the internet in regards to handling and cooking beef.  However, cooking is still an art no matter how scientific you get about it.  There are still too many variables to isolate them all.

My favorite part of Kenji's blog is the dry aging info which I will havn't undertaken myself.  It would be a fine pursuit I think as there isn't a single steak house in Washtenaw county that dry ages beef.

Personally, I don't know exactly what searing does and don't care.  I sear because the results are good.

I take my roast out of the fridge about 2 hours early primarily because it allows me to monitor how much juice is on the surface and pat dry every 1/2 hour or so.

In my previous life I worked in the food service industry for 15 years and I always found the food science types were often the worst cooks/bakers.  I don't dismiss food science at all but it is just a small piece of the puzzle.

Back to taking the roast out of the fridge.  It really doesn't matter why you take it out of the fridge for 1-2 hours.  Depending on many factors, the results might be better than if you don't.

My only other point about all of this is that I tend not to critique someone else's roast unless

1.  They ask me to

2.  They cooked it beyond medium rare (normal if from columbus though)

 

Harbaughs_Pants

December 31st, 2015 at 1:06 PM ^

I"m slack jawed at the computer screen. Drool is on my shirt. We HAVE to eat pork and sauerkraut today. I'm 100% jealous and 100% happy for you at the same time. Perhaps this will be the PERFECT Orange Bowl victory dinner. Thank you for posting great pix and explanations of how you constructed this masterpiece. 

GoBlueBBQ

December 31st, 2015 at 1:54 PM ^

Thanks.  I cut in half and added some olive oil and salt n pepper. Place in hot cast iron pan and heat at 350-375 for 10 mins. Flip over and repeat. Done in about 20 - 25 mins.  Tasty!!! You can also cook on a sheet pan and achieve the same result.  I just love the cast iron on the grill.