Prime Rib advice...

So Ralph's has a sale on bone-in USDA Choice ribeye roasts for $4.88/lb. I can't pass that up! I bought about a six-pounder.

But I'm conflicted on how to prepare it...

My wife doesn't like medium rare, and doesn't generally like ribeye due to the high fat content. And even if she did like it, 6# of meat is too much for our family, as our oldest child (6yo) isn't exactly going to make much of a dent in it.

So I can go one of two ways:

1. Freeze it and save it for a dinner party. I'd probably then smoke it, saving the "end cuts" for the people who don't like medium rare.
2. Slice it into individual steaks, vacuum-seal & freeze them, and keep them for myself. Grilled or sous vide, I'll bet I can make some damn fine meat. This could also be used for a dinner party, but won't have the same "presentation value" as a nice big roast.

Thoughts? Am I missing any good things to do with this?

And should I go get another? :rockin:

If it was mine. I would cook the whole thing, assuming you have a decent oven. Eat what you want, and vacuum seal the rest or do it for a dinner party.

Ive never had the best luck smoking beef for a long time. It tends to get rubbery in my experience. Also, I'd never cook a prime rib roast past rare in the center. The end pieces will be more well done for those who don't like it.

One way I have cooked roasts that always works well, especially with tough cuts is to cook at 500 for 7 minutes a pound, the turn the oven off and let it sit in there for 2.5 hours. Never open the oven, and it comes out perfect. If you want it more well done do 8 or even dare to do 9 minutes a pound at 500.

You could also use a cast iron grate and sear it over a BBQ with something like cherry chips and finish in the oven.

At that price, buying another to cuts for steaks isn't a bad idea, but I just love rare roasts with a crispy, seared crust.

cervid said:

One way I have cooked roasts that always works well, especially with tough cuts is to cook at 500 for 7 minutes a pound, the turn the oven off and let it sit in there for 2.5 hours. Never open the oven, and it comes out perfect. If you want it more well done do 8 or even dare to do 9 minutes a pound at 500.

Click to expand...

I've got a remote meat thermometer, so I can base my cook on temp rather than time...

But based on some youtube search, I'm thinking ginormous cowboy ribeye steaks is the way to go. I think this is a 3-bone roast, so we'd be talking some seriously massive steaks. Invite two more couples over, buy some filet mignon for the womenfolk, and each of the boys can have a serious piece of cow!

Smoke it! Best Prime Rib I've ever had was smoked meat.

So I was mistaken. It was only 2 bones. So I've got a nice-sized ribeye and two gigantic cowboy ribeyes...

I glanced over the bone in part.. We get those to grill up here as cowboys or tomahawks.

That recipe I gave you is how a lot of chefs do it. After you get comfortable with roasts, you don't really need a thermometer. If you do it that way, you don't want to cook the meat until it's done. You're searing it, and relying on the residual heat to cook, and hold it, to temp for a while over that two and a half hour rest. It turns eye of round into an edible piece of meat. Rib eyes are like butter. You wouldn't hit internal temp until an hour our so after the heat was turned off. Those times wouldn't apply to a bone in roast anyway, though.

Grill it whole!

cervid said:

One way I have cooked roasts that always works well, especially with tough cuts is to cook at 500 for 7 minutes a pound, the turn the oven off and let it sit in there for 2.5 hours. Never open the oven, and it comes out perfect. If you want it more well done do 8 or even dare to do 9 minutes a pound at 500.

Click to expand...

This is how I'd do it too. Helps to put a sign on the oven handle saying something like "Open-a my oven, and I break-a you face.". People will be tempted to open the oven. Let them know that swift justice will follow if they do.

I am a huge fan of the reverse sear on the smoker. I start the kettle indirect at 225 with one or two fist sized chunks of your choice of wood, till the meat has an IT of 113-115 (it finishes at med rare after it goes back on the kettle and carryover), remove meat from kettle, then start two batches of charcoal separated with a gap in the middle of the kettle, ramp it to nuclear. Return meat to kettle for 5-10 min till you get crust to your liking. I only use S&P, or montreal steak, simple works for my fam.

The prime rib above makes me drool.

I really want prime rib for Xmas, but similar to the OP my wife and kids don't like pink meat. They like it gray, much to my dismay.
Also, the kids are small so not much eaten.

So I'm not doing prime rib. Instead I bought 2 racks of ribs that I will slow cook in the oven with dry rub and sauce later. I may make a strip steak also for me to tear into on Xmas. Got to get my primal, red meat monster satisfied!

bwarbiany said:

So I was mistaken. It was only 2 bones. So I've got a nice-sized ribeye and two gigantic cowboy ribeyes...

Click to expand...

Wow- those are beautiful!

I love prime rib, but never make it. I'm too cheap to spend that much $$$$ for it. (We don't get sales like you did!). It looks great, and I can't wait to see a photo of the finished slabs.

Yooper said:

Wow- those are beautiful!

I love prime rib, but never make it. I'm too cheap to spend that much $$$$ for it. (We don't get sales like you did!). It looks great, and I can't wait to see a photo of the finished slabs.

Click to expand...

Come to our house, I will make it for you anytime!

Yooper said:

I love prime rib, but never make it. I'm too cheap to spend that much $$$$ for it. (We don't get sales like you did!). It looks great, and I can't wait to see a photo of the finished slabs.

Click to expand...

From what I understand, this (1 wk prior to Christmas) is the week for ribeye roast sales. Check your local weekly ad for your grocery stores... You might get lucky!

Now I need to start thinking out preparation.

Sous vide?
Smoke then sear on a hot grill?
Sear on cast iron then finish in the oven?

So many [delicious] options!

Gixxer said:

I am a huge fan of the reverse sear on the smoker. I start the kettle indirect at 225 with one or two fist sized chunks of your choice of wood, till the meat has an IT of 113-115 (it finishes at med rare after it goes back on the kettle and carryover), remove meat from kettle, then start two batches of charcoal separated with a gap in the middle of the kettle, ramp it to nuclear. Return meat to kettle for 5-10 min till you get crust to your liking. I only use S&P, or montreal steak, simple works for my fam.

Click to expand...

That looks amazing.

bwarbiany said:

From what I understand, this (1 wk prior to Christmas) is the week for ribeye roast sales. Check your local weekly ad for your grocery stores... You might get lucky!

Click to expand...

I want to get lucky!

I vote smoke then sear it.

Cook it normally, and with the leftovers, chill them in the fridge, then slice thin. Simmer in Au Jus, and make a grilled french dip with sliced prime rib. I put a parsley butter on the outside of a thick cut italian bread put a slice of your favorite cheese on each side and pile on the simmered slice prime rib and cook it like a grilled cheese. Dip it in the au jus you used to simmer it in. BEST SANDWICH EVER Its what my family does every year after christmas with our leftovers and I like it so much that now that im old and live on my own I just make the sandwiches instead of eating any prime rib to start.

Had to buy more. Bought an 11 lb road this time. I've now got a 4-bone back rib slab with a good hunk of rib eye meat on it, and 5 steaks.

Nice looking ribs!