Pellet Grill Smoked Prime Rib Roast

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Prepping Your Rib Roast

The rib roast prep begins days before its time to cook your roast. Alton Brown recommends pulling your roast out of the packaging one week ahead of cooking, I think that's great but 2-3 days seems fine for me. When you unwrap the rib make sure to pat it dry and place it on a sheet pan with a cooling rack. do not season the meat and place it uncovered in the fridge to dry out. This will slightly intensify the beef flavor but more importantly it will firm up the roast for a better texture when smoked.

On the day of the cook take the roast out about 60 minutes before you place it on the smoker. 90 minutes on a larger 8-11 bone roast. Before seasoning the smoked prime rib lightly rub a neutral flavored oil ( I prefer Avocado Oil) all over the roast including the bones and underneath. for the seasoning you can go with a spice rub or you can make your own. The flavors you want are pretty simple including salt, pepper, onion, garlic and rosemary.

• 3 Tbsp Kosher Salt
• 3 Tbsp Coarse Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Granulated Onion
• 1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tsp Chopped Rosemary
• 1 Tsp Chopped Thyme

As a general rule I tend to agree that 2 Tsp per bone is a good amount of seasoning. Don't worry a roast this size can handle that much seasoning.

Smoking the Rib Roast

Before you season your Roast go ahead and get your smoker Preheating. I smoke my roast at 225 degrees F. I know that seems low but the key to an evenly cooked Prime Rib Roast is to bring the temperature of the roast up evenly. This will help avoid having the outside overcooked and the center raw. Once the smoker has reached temp, place your rib roast on the pit making sure its not sitting directly above the heat source. Place the roast bone side down with the narrow side of the roast facing the heat source. This may sound counter intuitive but the smaller end of the roast has a huge piece of fat that we want to render. This will help the roast cook evenly throughout.

It's VERY IMPORTANT to pace the temperature probe into the center of the roast. You want to make sure the tip of the probe is the center of the roast so you have a true internal temperature. Place the probe into the roast at a 45 degree angle making sure the probe is in the thickest part of the roast. My 4 bone roast took about 5 hours to reach 125 degrees F. just to give you an Idea but because we are going to rest and slice ahead of serving it's ok to cook the prime rib ahead.

Serving the Prime Rib Roast

Once the roast Has reached 125 degrees F. it's time to pull it off the pit and let it rest for about 1 hour before slicing. If you intend to serve immediately you can simply remove the string then place the roast on its side and slice along the bone to remove. Slice the bones individually and set aside. Place the roast flat on a large cutting board and begin carving enough slices for the number of guests you're serving. You don't need to slice the whole roast if you have extra.

Now in my house we have a few family members that need their prime rib served closer to well done...I know, I know but it's my mother and she gave birth to me so I'll burn her steak if she wants me to!! I always give her the end cut which is normally my favorite because it has the most crust and seasoning but it's also cooked a little further then the center cuts. Place the well dome slices on a sheet pan and pour over a few ladles full of Au Jus and place in a 400 degree oven until they reach an internal temp of about 160 degrees F. 

The rest of the sliced prime rib goes on a separate sheet pan with au jus and will only need about 4-5 minutes on the center rack just to warm it up before serving. You will have a hot, juicy prime rib for everyone and plenty of time to get all the sides on the table and gather the family to the table.

•  Bone In Rib Roast (Avg. 7-10 Lbs)
• 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
• 2 Tbsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Onion
• 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Rosemary
• 1 tsp Thyme

Instructions:

1. 2-3 days before cooking unwrap the rib roast and pat completely dry and place on a sheet pan with a cooling rack in the fridge.
2. On Cook Day Preheat the Smoker to 225 Degrees F.
3. Rub the Rib Roast with avocado oil on all sides including the bones then liberally season the roast on all sides patting the seasoning into the roast.
4. Place the temperature probe in at a 45 degree angle so the point of the probe is in the center at the thickest part of the roast. Place roast on the smoker and cook for 4-5 hours until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees F.
5. Once the roast has reached 125 degrees F. remove the roast from the pit and rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour before removing the bones and slicing.
6. If you plan to use the reheat method preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and place sliced prime rib on a sheet pan with about 3/4 cup of au jus and cook for 3-5 minutes just long enough to warm the meat. For well done you will need to cook sliced prime rib for about 18-22 minutes.