Smoke a Prime Ribeye Roast Like a Brisket?

[Sven Svensson]

I just picked up a Harris Ranch prime 8lb rib roast with fantastic marbling for $30. A whole brisket is just too much meat for my wife and I. I know tri-tip and chuck roast smoked like a brisket is a thing. Just wondering if anyone has experience smoking a ribeye roast like a brisket? I know it’s pretty thick so that’s my caution. It’s trimmed nicely with a 1/4” fat cap.

I thought I would coat it in SoFa King Top Secret Meat Dust, start it on the Yoder at 180 boosting the smoke with the pellet tube. Fat cap down. I’d be using Lumberjack Competition Blend. After about an hour in the low temp smoke bath I’d boost the temp to 225-250 and wrap at the stall.

I have it sitting aging for a couple weeks in the garage fridge with a small computer fan circulating the air. Am I fool to do such a thing with a very nice ribeye roast? Anyone else done this?

 

[schlotz]

While I admire your willingness to step over a line and attempt something different, the question is: why you would want to with a prime rib roast?

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Am I fool to do such a thing with a very nice ribeye roast?

Fool? No, but as asked above, why?
In my opinion, a brisket style smoke is for making a tougher piece of meat more tender which ribeye generally doesn't need. I could only imagine trying to eat brisket that was seared over high heat and served rare/medium rare. But I've never tried either so I don't know, both may be phenomenal...

 

[SmokinAl]

I gotta agree with the above comment. It would be a sacrilege to cook that roast past med/rare. But if you do it, make sure to let us know what you thought of it, and take plenty of photo’s!
Al

 

[schlotz]

I can't watch it...

 

[K9BIGDOG]

Oh the humanity...

 

[MJB05615]

Agree with all above. I just smoked a Rib Roast Sunday. Used Jeff's Texas Rub. Hickory pellets in the Amazn tube in the MES at 235'. Til IT hit 135. Took it out , rested about 30 minutes. Sliced it and it was perfectly cooked and evenly cooked end to end. Moist and tender. The first time I did a Brisket, and didn't know anything, like 15 years ago, I took the Brisket off at 140' IT, and it was one of the worst things I've ever had, lol. Good luck either way you go, but that is a great price you got.

 

[jcam222]

First of all GREAT price!! At that price I’d fill a freezer. No way I would take that past medium rare. If you want to do a smaller cut brisket style or pulled I’d stick to chuck.

 

[phathead69]

look up bears prime rib smokes only way to go

 

[uncle eddie]

When I do prime rib roast, I cut it so each bone is a seperate thick steak (thin roast) and smoke it. Then I cut it after smoking it so it is the perfect medium-rare open face but also has smoked edges and a smoked bottom...and each prime rib steak will have exactly the same amount of smoke.

 

[texomakid]

Whoa! Would love to see the pics of this Rib Roast if you do decide to cook it like a brisket!

Only thing I ever cooked "like a brisket" was a Tri-tip. Although it was good I prefer it med/rare as well.

 

[noboundaries]

The drive on I-5 past the Harris Ranch feedlot is a memorable sensory experience. If the feedlot police read this thread, they'll send you boxes of its plentiful origin.

If there's more meat than you want to smoke, individually slice off the extra bones into Cowboy steaks, then vac-seal them individually and freeze them. I rarely smoke a whole roast anymore. Much prefer the Cowboy steaks.

 

[Sven Svensson]

Oh the humanity...

Hahahahahaha!

 

[Sven Svensson]

Alright, so pretty much you guys are telling me I'm nuts for doing this. Hahaha. Point taken. And GonnaSmoke has a very good point I'll remember, "In my opinion, a brisket style smoke is for making a tougher piece of meat more tender which ribeye generally doesn't need." Well, I guess I'll be dry aging it for a few weeks instead of a couple of weeks and then, my preference is rare. I'm actually one of those raw meat guys who loves Steak TarTare and the good old German Hackepeter. And I guess I'll be headed back to Raley's after work to nab whatever Ribeye Roasts they have left and vacuum seal them for later consumption. Thanks for the advice. Off to find me a chuck roast.

 

[sandyut]

why you would want to with a prime rib roast?

yes that! I am not a fan of smoking cuts that should be medium rare like a brisket. may as well take a filet and make it well done.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Alright, so pretty much you guys are telling me I'm nuts for doing this.

Well not really NUTS , it's just that your idea goes against conventional smoking wisdom, but you just never know what might come of it. Colonel Sanders started with an idea...

 

[Sven Svensson]

For years I've been making bacon and pork belly burnt ends and bring them to parties thinking it was a pretty original idea. Then, a ham I cured got away from me temp wise so I decided to let it ride and turned it into pulled ham which is freaking amazing. I thought that was rather original, too. I've now found out none of it was truly original but an independent idea others have also been doing for years. So I was curious about this ribeye roast experiment wondering if anyone else had tried it. Ribeye is my favorite so I guess I won't mess with this one. I'll stick with tried and true chuck roast.

 

[tallbm]

I just picked up a Harris Ranch prime 8lb rib roast with fantastic marbling for $30. A whole brisket is just too much meat for my wife and I. I know tri-tip and chuck roast smoked like a brisket is a thing. Just wondering if anyone has experience smoking a ribeye roast like a brisket? I know it’s pretty thick so that’s my caution. It’s trimmed nicely with a 1/4” fat cap.

I thought I would coat it in SoFa King Top Secret Meat Dust, start it on the Yoder at 180 boosting the smoke with the pellet tube. Fat cap down. I’d be using Lumberjack Competition Blend. After about an hour in the low temp smoke bath I’d boost the temp to 225-250 and wrap at the stall.

I have it sitting aging for a couple weeks in the garage fridge with a small computer fan circulating the air. Am I fool to do such a thing with a very nice ribeye roast? Anyone else done this?

Hi there and welcome!

Well I think you get everyone's general sentiment about not doing it brisket style haha.

If you were hellbent on it though, I would smoke until it hit 180F Internal Temp (IT).
Then I would put in foil with a couple ounces of water or beef broth and wrap it well so no moisture escaped.
I would then smoke until tender checking at about 200F IT.

Why this approach if doing it? Your ribeye is likely leaner than a chuck or a as lean as a brisket only flat. In those cases wrapping keeps it from drying out. Why take to 180F? So it gets really good smoke flavor and a little bark. If you wrap beef too early it taste like roast beef instead of smoked BBQ.

If I was OJ that is how I would do it :P

NOW, for prime rib type smoke. The best prime rib I ever had was a giant 2 inch cut one that was like 2-3 pounds or so, it was huge.
They cold smoked it in fridge temps like 34F degrees for a minimum of 12 hours. THEN they seared the thing and served it too me medium rare.... best prime rib or ribeye cut I've ever had in my life!!!!
This was at the very very nice restaurant "King + Duke" in Atlanta, GA.
I find all ribeye to be underwhelming... this was the absolute exception 110%!

This would be how I would do it if I were you and you could pull it off with colder temps.
If not cold enough to cold smoke link then I would apply about 3hr of smoke and then seer it and eat it :)
I've done something like this which was fantastic but not King + Duke good.

I hope this info helps :)

 

[Sven Svensson]

Hi there and welcome!

Well I think you get everyone's general sentiment about not doing it brisket style haha.

If you were hellbent on it though, I would smoke until it hit 180F Internal Temp (IT).
Then I would put in foil with a couple ounces of water or beef broth and wrap it well so no moisture escaped.
I would then smoke until tender checking at about 200F IT.

Why this approach if doing it? Your ribeye is likely leaner than a chuck or a as lean as a brisket only flat. In those cases wrapping keeps it from drying out. Why take to 180F? So it gets really good smoke flavor and a little bark. If you wrap beef too early it taste like roast beef instead of smoked BBQ.

If I was OJ that is how I would do it :P

NOW, for prime rib type smoke. The best prime rib I ever had was a giant 2 inch cut one that was like 2-3 pounds or so, it was huge.
They cold smoked it in fridge temps like 34F degrees for a minimum of 12 hours. THEN they seared the thing and served it too me medium rare.... best prime rib or ribeye cut I've ever had in my life!!!!
This was at the very very nice restaurant "King + Duke" in Atlanta, GA.
I find all ribeye to be underwhelming... this was the absolute exception 110%!

This would be how I would do it if I were you and you could pull it off with colder temps.
If not cold enough to cold smoke link then I would apply about 3hr of smoke and then seer it and eat it :)
I've done something like this which was fantastic but not King + Duke good.

I hope this info helps :)

 

[Sven Svensson]

That sounds amazing. Since it only rarely gets to 34 where I’m at looks like I need to convince my wife to let me get another garage fridge. You know, for science and meat and stuff.