Rib roast for my wife's birthday, with Q-view and a couple questions.

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mdboatbum

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Apr 22, 2011
4,076
371
Washington, DC
Ok, sorry for another non smoking post. I'm without a smoker at the moment :(

Anyway, my wife's birthday fell on the day after Thanksgiving this year. Since she's been living in the shadow of Thanksgiving her whole life, I always try to make a big deal out of her birthday. Seems like every few years it falls ON Thanksgiving which really sucks for her. Anyway, yesterday I decided to make her her favorite, a standing rib roast, AKA, prime rib. I went all out and got a 3 pounder (2 bone) at Whole foods. It was beautifully marbled, and for the price, I expected it to come with a new misdized sedan :) I didn't see a grade on it, but it was a very nice piece of beef.

I rubbed it with a mixture of garlic, sea salt, cracked peppercorns, fresh Rosemary and Thyme. I had spritzed it with a light coating of olive oil before applying the rub.

I preheated the oven to 400˚f, and as I put the roast in I cranked it as high as it'd go, to assure the element was on for the 1st 20 minutes as I wanted a nice crust. At the 20 minute mark, I backed it off to 325˚f where it stayed for the rest of the cook. It hit 120˚f internal in around an hour (wasn't watching the clock as I was messing with other stuff and enjoying an adult beverage or 2) and I pulled it, wrapped it in foil and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. It was perfectly cooked, just a hair shy of med rare. Juicy as can be too.

However, it was somewhat lacking in that "beefy" flavor. It also wasn't the most tender prime rib I've ever had. It certainly wasn't tough, but lacked that buttery tenderness for which that particular cut is famous. Should I have aged it for a week? Cooked it differently? Or did I maybe just get one that wasn't as tender as others? It was good, but not spectacular.

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The crust was AWESOME!

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And finally, can't forget the Bear view.

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It looks absolutely delicious!

I know where you are coming from with the taste. My wife is just like yours. Prime rib is her favorite piece of meat & for her birthday ( Halloween ) we picked one at Publix. I had it cut special for us. Smoked it the same way we always do, but what you describe with the flavor is the same experience we had. As a matter of fact they went on sale here last week & she said just get a ribeye instead. So we went to Sam's today & picked up a package of ribeye's. Maybe Pop's will see this and comment.
 
Now that really looks good. I can't even cook in an oven. Give me a smoker and....

Happy Smokin', and a Happy Belated Birthday to your Wife.

Mike
 
Looks perfect. Do you guys usually run your temps up around 325+? Do you think that has anything to do with your results? I wouldn't think so as the meat is still being pulled out when its at medium rare so it shouldn't have time to dry out or anything.  I have have done all my rib roasts at around 250 degrees and have loved the results. Some times you can get that tougher piece  of meat for whatever reason.
 
I always smoke them at 225. I have smoked 10-15 of them with very good results, then out of the blue this last one just wasn't right.
 
Thanks guys. It was very moist and looked amazing. It just was kinda flat on flavor and the texture was almost mealy, if that makes any sense. Like the fibers themselves were just a little more substantial than the norm. We thoroughly enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. Look at it this way, if I'd paid $18.95 for it at TGI Friday's I'd have been seriously impressed. However, if I'd paid $60 for it at Smith and Wollensky, I'd have felt a little let down. I think Al's wife has the right idea. A ribeye might be the way to go next time. More surface area to get a nice crust, less money and easier to age for a few days in the fridge.
 
I always Dry age a week in the fridge, rubbed with Montreal Steak and wrapped in Cheese cloth....I reverse Smoke/Roast too....225*F til IT of 115*... then 500*F to 125*....Have not had a disappointment yet...In fact this is great with any Beef Roast Cut....Just did a Rump Roast a couple of weeks ago...JJ
 
Thanks Jimmy. I'm definitely going to try the dry aging. From what I understand, it really kicks the flavor to the next level, and tenderizes the meat as well ( I think I remember reading something about enzymes?). Unfortunately since I'd just made an absurdly huge Thanksgiving feast the day before, I forgot all about getting the roast in advance.

Oh, and I totally forgot about my sauce! It was almost the best part of the meal. Not to brag, but I'm pretty proud of myself for figuring this one out. There is a restaurant in the Cleveland Park area of DC called Medium rare. They offer only one entree', a sliced sirloin with french fries. They call it Steak Frittes I believe. Anyway, they have this "Secret Sauce". It's amazing, and of course, they won't give out the recipe. I have a friend who works there and he won't even tell me what's in it, though he's a server, so he may not know exactly. So, after thinking about it, I came up with what I believe is an exact duplicate. I reduced a quart of beef broth down to a little less than half. To that, I added about a half cup of pate' with mushrooms. The sauce in the restaurant has a distinct velvety texture and a bare hint of liver flavor, so I guessed it was pate'. Might have been pureed chicken livers, but I had neither the expertise nor the time to try that. It took a few minutes but the pate' eventually melted into the stock. Then I added a splash of sherry, maybe an ounce or so and 2 shakes of Worcestershire sauce. Then pepper, onion and garlic powder and a couple sprigs of rosemary and Thyme tied into a bundle for easy removal. Finished with 3 pats of butter and enough light cream to get it to a gravy consistency. Simmered for 20 mins or so. It needed just a little salt at the end, and WOW, was it good. Sorry there aren't any pics of it, I forgot to get the camera.
 
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That Sauce of yours sounds GREAT!....Unless you are Really into Liver Mousse style Pate's...do what you have been doing....They are one of my fav foods but are really labor intensive and take several days to age...I can hook you up with a recipe that I make that uses Poultry or Pork Liver...It never last long enough to freeze but for Sauce makng probably would not hurt it...JJ
 
It is very difficult to find a meat locker even in the midwest country to allow beef to hang for more than 10 days now.  That just isn't enoeph time to age.  We use to feed out our own and take to a local locker to be processed and had to fight a major battle to get hung 14 days.  Still not enoeph time IMO>  Cheff JJ has got the ageing process down.  I do similar but use cotton towels to wrap in. 
 
Aging would help out the flavor and texture fer sure.  A week at least, but for an extra special treat I age for a little more than two.  In fact I will purchase our Christmas standing rib roast in the next week.  For the first week I usually wrap it in tea towels and leave it in the refrigerator to air dry.  The towels need to be changed daily for the first couple of days and every other day after that.  For the second week I rub it a couple times with freshly ground peppercorns, salt, garlic, and onion powder mixture and let it air dry (covered by a plastic storage box with ventilation holes).  Usually the meat will shrink at least 25% in size and once cooked the meat flavor is amazing!!  The texture is firm, but when sliced against the grain you can cut it with a butter knife. 

I remember Alton Brown had a show about Rib Roasts, you can search youtube for it for more info.  Try it sometime, you will enjoy it.

nate
 
Aging would help out the flavor and texture fer sure.  A week at least, but for an extra special treat I age for a little more than two.  In fact I will purchase our Christmas standing rib roast in the next week.  For the first week I usually wrap it in tea towels and leave it in the refrigerator to air dry.  The towels need to be changed daily for the first couple of days and every other day after that.  For the second week I rub it a couple times with freshly ground peppercorns, salt, garlic, and onion powder mixture and let it air dry (covered by a plastic storage box with ventilation holes).  Usually the meat will shrink at least 25% in size and once cooked the meat flavor is amazing!!  The texture is firm, but when sliced against the grain you can cut it with a butter knife. 

I remember Alton Brown had a show about Rib Roasts, you can search youtube for it for more info.  Try it sometime, you will enjoy it.

nate
Now this I want to try, the only place I have seen any real dry aged beef around here is at a meat market in the Ferry Building in SF (120 miles round trip, + bridge toll)

and they require the deposit of a first born child....
 
I always Dry age a week in the fridge, rubbed with Montreal Steak and wrapped in Cheese cloth....I reverse Smoke/Roast too....225*F til IT of 115*... then 500*F to 125*....Have not had a disappointment yet...In fact this is great with any Beef Roast Cut....Just did a Rump Roast a couple of weeks ago...JJ
X2.  The best way for beef!

If I'm too lazy to smoke or weather is bad, I forward sear it in a cast iron skillet, then finish in a 200*F oven till 125*. 

Wife is always happy!  (me too)
 
I always Dry age a week in the fridge, rubbed with Montreal Steak and wrapped in Cheese cloth....I reverse Smoke/Roast too....225*F til IT of 115*... then 500*F to 125*....Have not had a disappointment yet...In fact this is great with any Beef Roast Cut....Just did a Rump Roast a couple of weeks ago...JJ


JJ I have a couple of ribeyes in the freezer. How's it work with a steak? Would it take a week too?
 
Al, it can be done over night, or even for just a few hours.  I generally use Kosher S. and CBP.  Montreal has enough salt in it to work just fine.

I have done this with both individual steaks, and with a 2# rib eye roast.  The night before cooking I season it then put it uncovered on a rack in the fridge, allowing the air to go all around it.  I have not done the cheese cloth like Chef JJ does.  I have also never gone past 2 days either. 

From what I have read, this method is acting like a brine and it draws the moisture away from the surface of the meat back into it, allowing it to brown much better.  The juices do not run out.  They are draw into the meat.  If you salt it just before cooking, it actually draws the moisture to the surface. 

The texture of the surface of the meat really looks and feels like dry aged.  Since I have learned this method earlier this year, I don't do steaks or roasts any other way. 
 
Boatbum,

I have never dry aged anything, and I have made a lot of Prime Ribs, over a lot of years, using a lot of methods.

Since I have been smoking meat, I have always used 225˚ to 230˚ smoker temp, and I always pull it and/or foil it at between 132˚ and 139˚ internal.

I have only ever had one that was less than tender, but they have all been flavorful. As far as I know, the ones I buy are all "Choice", and if I wait until they are on sale, I get them for $5.99 per pound.

I don't see anything you did to cause yours to not be tender, so it must have just been one of those pieces of meat, like the one I had that one time.

As for the flavor, I have been getting much better flavor since I switched from using Olive oil, to "Worcestershire Sauce (Thick)", before my seasonings.

Your BearView looks Awesome!!!

You can tell you did it at the higher heat, because the outer inch is done more than the inner part. I would use this method, if I was having guests who like their's done a little more, and then I would give them the ends. However Mrs Bear & I like ours nice and pink, and if you use 225˚, it will be pink across the whole thing, from crust to crust.

BTW: I'm not saying Dry aging won't make it even better, I just never felt the need to screw with my Beef.

Bear
 
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