How To Smoke The Best Prime Rib In Virginia
Ashburn, VA: Bone in meat does not have more flavor. I went to my local butcher to pick up some prime rib. A new kid was working that day. I picked my prime rib and asked the kid to remove the bone. He looked at me like I had 2 heads. He proceeded to tell me how bad of an idea it is to remove the bone and how much flavor I would lose, etc. I listened politely then I asked him this question:
How Do You Know For a Fact The Bone Adds Flavor?
Have you researched it, or is it something you’ve just always heard? I could see his wheels turning. I then told him I’ve owned and sold a small successful BBQ restaurant here in Virginia, our BBQ team has placed in more competitions than I can count, & I’ve read more studies about meat than anyone I’ve met. I told him to take off his gloves, grab his cell phone and google, “does bone-in meat have more flavor.” He did so, and I saw the exact moment when he realized I was right. I then told the kid the only time bones add flavor is when you are making stock or soup. Outside of that, bones don’t add flavor. The kid and I talked some more, and it was evident he didn’t know much about grilling or smoking meat. The kid then asked me about smoking prime rib. I gave him the tips that helped my old restaurant make some of the best prime rib in Virginia. Now I will share those same tips with you.
How Long To Smoke Prime Rib
- For a rare prime rib, give yourself about 35 minutes per pound at 225°
- For a medium prime rib, give yourself about 40 minutes per pound at 225°
- Allow at least 30 minutes for resting and another 15 minutes for searing
How To Smoke Prime Rib
- Get a slab of prime rib. Bone in or out is your preference. If you remove the bones, keep them because you now have a rack of beef back ribs you can smoke. Or, you can make a stock or soup if you are into that.
- Prime rib has tons of fat. I usually ask my butcher to trim and tie it for me because that saves me time. However, this is something you can do yourself. Tying your prime rib with butcher’s twine is important. You want to tie it, so it’s as close to a circle as possible. Tying it in a circle will help it cook evenly. If you don’t tie it, part of the meat will cook much faster than the other.
- Preheat your grill to 225°
- Rub your prime rib with some olive oil. Feel free to season it how you prefer, but I will tell you the secret ingredient I used at the BBQ restaurant I sold. We used Bald Buck Seasoning in place of salt with almost every recipe. If you haven’t had this stuff, it’s amazing. It gives your smoked food this unique savory flavor the people (and judges) love but can’t put their finger on. I avoid using herbs because when it comes to searing your prime rib, the herbs will just burn, and they will not provide the flavor you put them on for.
- Place the prime rib in your smoker. Smoke until the internal temperature is 120° for rare or 130° for medium.
- Wrap the prime rib in foil and let it rest for 30 minutes. Be sure to save the juice for your Au Jus.
- While the prime rib rest, increase the temperature of your grill to 400°
- Once the grill is at the right temperature, put the prime rib on and sear. Pull the prime rib when the temperature hits 130° for rare, 135° for medium rare, and 140° for medium. This will happen fast so pay attention.
- Once you remove the prime rib, let it rest at least 15 minutes before serving.
How To Easily Make Delicious Au Jus
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup prime rib juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- Bald Buck: Bold Taste
- Black Pepper
Directions
- Place prime rib juice in a skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook. Keep whisking until the mixture gets thicker. This process takes about 3 minutes.
- Add your beef broth gradually, whisking constantly, then increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Season with Bald Buck and black pepper to taste. How long you boil depends on how thick you like your au jus. The longer you boil, the thicker the au jus will get.
Follow these steps, and you will make a great prime rib and beef au jus. If you want everybody at dinner to taste your prime rib, lose their sh*t and beg you for your secret, when you season the bird, I recommend using Bald Buck: Bold Taste as your salt. There are plenty of YouTube videos on Bald Buck but below is the best one. Hope this helps!