Prime Rib Roast

My parents serve Prime Rib Roast for Christmas dinner. My dad handles the prime rib preparation while my mom makes an abundance of sides and my sisters and I pitch in one of our specialties as well.

Here's the roast. To cook evenly, the roast should not be cold. Let it stand at room temperature, loosely covered, for about 2 hours. If the roast doesn't come to room temperature, it will take longer to cook, it won't cook evenly, and you'll end up with well-done slices on the end and raw meat in the center.


Dad gives the prime rib a nice flavorful pre-made rub.



Then it's out to the smoker. He smoked the prime rib for the first hour, then turned the temp up to 305 degrees for the next 3 hours. When the internal temp at the center of the roast reached 125 degrees, he returned to the "smoke" setting for the last hour.



My dad cooked this to "medium" temperature, pulling it when the center reached 145 degrees. The ends were at a well done 160 degrees, which suited the taste of a couple of family members that prefer their meat on the "done" side. The smoker tends to give the meat more of a red hue, so it's important to rely on the meat thermometer rather than the actual appearance of the meat.

Beef Roast Cooking Temperatures

Rare
120 to 125 degrees F
center is bright red, pinkish toward the exterior portion

Medium Rare
130 to 135 degrees F
center is very pink, slightly brown toward the exterior portion

Medium
140 to 145 degrees F
center is light pink, outer portion is brown

Medium Well
150 to 155 degrees F
not pink

Well Done
160 degrees F and above
steak is uniformly brown throughout

If your tastes tend more toward the carnivorous (as do mine) then the next two picture might just make your mouth water. Here is the finished Christmas Prime Rib Roast. We plate it over rye bread and top with au jus. I also like a little horseradish with mine. Mmmm.

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