FUEL: I like a blend of oak
and apple, but any hardwood
will do. You'll need enough
for 3 hours of smoking
(see chart on page 6).INGREDIENTS
Onion powder and/or garlic powder
(optional)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,
plus extra as needed
Smoked Jus (recipe follows; optional)
Three Hots Horseradish Sauce
(page 78)1 loin end 3-bone prime rib
(about 6 pounds)
Coarse salt (sea or kosher; even better
if it’s smoked salt—see page 204)
Cracked or coarsely and freshly ground
black pepperGEAR: A remote digital
thermometer so you
can monitor the internal
temperature during smoking;
a cutting board with a groove
and well to catch the juices- Transfer the roast to a cutting
board with a groove and a well to
catch the juices (or place the cutting
board on a rimmed baking sheet) and
loosely drape a sheet of aluminum foil
the meat. (Do not bunch the foil - Generously—and I mean
generously—season the roast on all
sides with salt and pepper, and with
onion and/or garlic powder, if using.
Rub the seasonings into the meat.
Drizzle the olive oil over the roast and
rub it into the meat as well.
SHOP: Prime rib (the cut)
comes in two grades; prime
and choice beef. (Confused
yet?) Choice beef gives
you a delectable roast. True
prime beef (it comes from an
exceptionally well-marbled
steer) will probably leave you
speechless. This recipe calls for
a three-bone roast weighing
about 6 pounds—enough to
serve 6 to 8. (A whole prime rib
has seven bones and tips the
scale at around 20 pounds).over
around the roast or you’ll steam it and
make the crust soggy.) Let rest for 10- Set up your smoker following the to^15 minutes.^ This^ “relaxes”^ the^ meat,
manufacturer’s instructions and
preheat to 250°F. You want to be on
the low and slow scale. Add the wood
as specified by the manufacturer.
making it juicier.
- To carve the prime rib, slide a long
sharp knife down the inside of the
rib bones to loosen the cylindrical
meat part of the roast. Lift away the
bones and cut the meat crosswise
into V^-inch-thick slices, or however
thick you like. Then slice the ribs
into individual bones. (Return them
to the hot grill if a crustier texture is
desired.) Good luck on figuring out
who gets them.
WHAT ELSE: Ask your butcher
to cut your section of prime rib
from the loin end; this gives you
more meat, less sinew and fat.
Also ask him or her to french the
ribs—that is. scrape the meat
and fat from the last 2 inches
of the bones. Make sure the
butcher saves the fat—rendered,
it comes in handy for making
Yorkshire pudding. Also—and
this is very important—ask
your butcher to leave at least a
Vi-inch-thick cap of fat on the
meaty part of the roast. This
keeps the meat moist and gives
you a spectacular crust. With
smoked prime rib. I like to serve
Smoked Jus and/or Three Hots
Horseradish Sauce (page 78).- Place the roast in the smoker
directly on the rack, bone and fat
side up, inserting the probe of your
thermometer through the wider
portion of the meat.
4. Smoke the roast until the exterior
is sizzling and darkly browned and
the internal temperature of the meat
is about 120° to 125°F for rare (about
1 2 hours), 130° to 135°F for medium-
rare (2V4 to 3 hours). Remember, the
roast will continue to cook as it rests.
i
80 I BEEF