Rib Eye Roast partially frozen on smoker

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jsmith78

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 2, 2010
31
10
Kitsap County, WA
My mother in-law had an 8.78lb rib-eye roast I am smoking up for tonight.   She brought it to me this morning everything looked good, I rubbed it with some montreal steak seasoning with a bit of sweet mesquite, onioin and garlic powder.  Put it on the smoker put in the temp probe and noticed it was tough when i was putting it in.  I looked at the temp and it said 30 degrees.  When I was asked to smoke it by my wife on Monday, I told her to tell her mom to take it out of the freezer and put in fridge.  After an hour on the smoker at around 230 degrees the roast is at 31 degrees.   What should I do?  Just let it go.  Get the temp up to 275. 

I need some input Please!!
 
so its a solid slab of meat?  If the probe went in, it should be fairly thawed.  I guess?  I think I would take the heat up and p[lan to eat late.  I don't think 270-300 will hurt anything.

I wish I could be of more help.
 
 PM Bearcarver - he's an expert at both rib roasts and temp. concerns.    I'd keep the heat around 275-300, keep an eye on the internal temp. and go for it.  If you get worried about the temp and 4 hour rule, at least it will have gotten some nice flavor, then you could bring it in, cut it in two if you need to and push it to done in the oven. It's only 2pm out here, so you don't want it to get done too fast!  I had 2 9+pounders (that weren't frozen in the middle, of course) and they were @ 125 in less than 4 hours, it could be that yours will get the message and cook up just fine, but I tend to be optimistic at times... check with the Bear.
 
Wow, I'm not sure at all what to suggest. If it's still at 31 degrees, I might be inclined to quick put it in a large plastic bag sealed an put it in a bath of pretty warm water and keep changing the water for awhile. I'm just thinking about what the DryBag moderator's method who suggested this for steaks prior to grilling and I wonder if this might be helpful. That's an awfully nice piece of meat. I'm just not sure. IF you employ this, I'd also suggest (possibly?) rinsing the meat off before reintroducing it back into cooking but of coarse this is gonna mess with your seasonings....and I wouldn't go anything above 250 or 260 for any considerable length of time and then get it back down to your 230 or even 225 for the remainder of the cook.

Best to you! Hope it's not too late. Your call!!!
 
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Right now its at 34 degrees almost 1hr 45mins into it.  Temp in the 240's.  We are gonna be having a late dinner anyways. 
 
Glad it's going in the right direction!  Hope you've got enough beer to wait it out.  I wouldn't cook it at the 275-300 the whole time unless it seemed to be uncooperative,  I'd bump it up just long enough to get it going.  I started mine at 300, immediately lowered to 240, then to 225 after about 1 hour.  As long as 240 is making it happy, sounds good to go!
 
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I'd say right now you're doing about the best that you can do. I would not at all at this point attempt my suggestion. Keep it steady you should be okay. Let us know how it all works out!
 
Right now its at 34 degrees almost 1hr 45mins into it.  Temp in the 240's.  We are gonna be having a late dinner anyways. 
 
Since you stuck a probe in it, the safety rule says you must get it from 40˚ to 140˚ in no longer than 4 hours.

The center is 34˚ after 1 hour & 45 minutes. At this point just outside of the center is probably above 40˚.

If I were you I would give that smoker all she's got, because since you broke the seal of the roast, you now have about 2 hours to get it done.

If you wouldn't have stuck it, you'd be in much better shape.

Bear
 
HOORRAY!!!!! up to 50 degrees now, so its moving up.  Gonna keep the temp down,  225 to 230 hopefully,  I haven't mastered keeping the temps steady on my chargriller yet.  Thanks for the advice so far.  
 
115 degrees right now got the smoker up over 300 and climbing.  This has been nerve racking.  Next time I thaw the meat.
 
Pulling at 140º, let it rest wrapped and or tented, should have a 5º climb while it is tented and it should be a medium rare.
 
Sounds like you made it!!!

Next time don't put the probe in it until it's in the smoker at 225˚ for 2 hours.

Then you don't have to worry about the 4 hour rule, and you can start with some ice in the middle, if the MIL shows up.

Then you can just keep it at 225˚ or 230˚ (low & slow) until you get it to where you want to pull it.

And you won't be making some of us nervous!!!

Bear
 
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