as subject says; I’ve always done my annual rib roast in the oven, but I now have a BGE and a rotisserie for my standard gas grill. I can’t decide whether to stray away from what works well (oven), to something new which might be a letdown. Any tips also appreciated - I’m still getting used to the Egg.
I have used my WSM and even the Kettle grill for Rib Roast numerous times. When you set it up for indirect cooking think of it as a charcoal fired oven. I like to keep the inside oven avail for other dishes. I have never wished I’d roasted it in the oven instead because I really enjoy the smoky taste.
Here are some ideas I have used:
This one was featured on the Thermoworks Best Christmas BBQ Recipes:
Here are a couple more:
Thanks!!
I vote BGE. I’ve done a rib roast on a regular gas grill, as well as an oven, and both turned out great. Best advice I have is use the reverse sear (redneck sous vide).
Check this out:
I’ve used Meathead’s method both in the oven and on the grill. (“normal” gas and a PBC.) Cooking low and slow, followed by a hot sear at the end works like a charm no matter what means you use to get there.
My MIL has an aversion to the smoker, so that is not an option for me for meals where she will be joining us.
But please report back if you do it in the BGE. I’d like to know how it turns out.
BGE sounds terrific.
Until reading this I didn’t know I was supposed to smoke a Rib Roast for Christmas Eve. A whole to reason to enjoy the season.
I’m doing mine for NYE. Goose and ham on Christmas Day and the MIL cooks on Christmas Eve so it will be something Italian.
Rib roasts are on sale around here and I’m resisting buying several as I have no room to freeze them.
Picked up a 20 LB rib (choice grade) rib roast and a 12 LB leg of lamb going to do both on christmas day. Not sure how I will cook them. I have a 22 and 26" weber and a 3 burner gensis with rotisserie gas grill. Time to pull both from the freezer today! Im going to debone the leg of lamb not sure what to do with the rib roast I do know I will cut it in half thats all I have so far.
Oh and by the way how can you resist 5 bucks a pound for rib roasts! Tis the season to stock up! I would make room any way possible at these prices.
I bought my Christmas rib roast last Friday, and had been dry aging in the garage until today, when a cold front blew in, so I brought it into the house and put it in my kegerator. Ten day dry aged rib roast is good stuff.
I could see going the BGE route, cooking it long and slow at 200°F, then adding a boatload of charcoal from a chimney starter to raise it to 450 - 500 for the final sear. I have a Primo Oval XL and could do the same. Unfortunately, it is going to be around 10°F here on Christmas and there’s a foot of snow on my deck, so I believe I will stick with my convection oven inside.
A buddy does dry aged rib roast every year. I spoke to him today and he confirms he is on track. I am doing a Beef Wellington.
As much blasphemy as it is, I may just dry brine it, sear it while the fire is screaming, pull off the grill and wrap in foil while I tame the fire down to 250-75, and then cook it the rest of the way.
I don’t have a sous vide maker (yet) and reverse searing seems like it’s going to be very difficult to get the fire back popping.
Might change my mind but this seems like it will work well enough and be easy enough to enjoy my friends and beer without stressing too much.
Go for it. …and report back on success. We’re pullin for you. Cheers!
My experience using kamodo-style grills for the past few years is that its a lot easier to heat them up than cool them down. It would seem to me for a BGE that you could start out at 250° for several hours until your meat reached 125°, pull it out and bring it inside to rest, then add a chimney starter of glowing hot charcoal, and then a second one 15 minutes later if the first didn’t get you over 500 degrees. Meanwhile, the roast is resting and still slowly cooking. Once you hit 500°, it’s just a matter of putting in the closed BGE for 5-10 minutes to sear it, and then its ready to carve (no need to rest again).
Getting the BGE to 450-500°, then trying to cool it back down to 250°, sounds like a major hassle.
I’m going with Chumley on this one.
I typically use my BGE for low and slow… and then convert it to sear if I feel it needs it. I have done a couple of large rib roasts, and find that 200-250 for about an hour and half per pound gets the internal temps to about 120F. I only sear if I haven’t cleaned out the skirt and left the fat cap on.
I find if I score the fat cap, and give that a good thick rub, that it really doesn’t require searing.
I also love to put a pan under with beef stock, a bottle of good red wine (decant into the pan for the procedural nerds), and a few onions, carrots, and herbs. If you are going long (past 4 hours) - make sure to top up that pan with a little water along the way. Then strain it when the rack is done and resting (at least 30 minutes) - drop the dripping into a skillet and reduce further (if needed). Then add a finely chopped shallot, some fresh thyme, capers, garlic, rosemary. Take off the flame and work a couple of big knobs of unsalted butter into a nice glossy sauce!
Finish a slice with smoked salt, and a small bit of sauce. And now I am intensely hungry…
hmm. alright, i’ll rethink the logistics here.
man - 1.5 hrs per pound to get to 120? that’s a lot longer ROT than I’m used to. I was thinking more like 2.5-3 hours total to get my 7#er to 120-125. youre sure about that time? if so, I might need to start earlier and may try a bit higher like 250-275.
I use one of those little fan/probe computers on my BGE - so really guestimating. I go by temperature rather than time, and generally limit opening the Egg… so yeah - a guess. I have had big roasts take a relatively short smoke and be at 120F temp and briskets that seem to never get to my hopeful 195-200F internal. I have used the computer to push from 225 for 2 hours up to 350-400 for a sear, but the ramp is scary and you need to know what you are doing when building the coal bed. My controller’s brand escapes me.
That said - beef is very dense and your starting temperature of the meat will play a big role. I really try to let my proteins come to room temperature before putting on the smoker. If you have choice or better meat it will probably cook to your chosen temp faster with the higher fat content.
Another logistical consideration: once you pull the roast off the BGE and sit it inside to rest, there really isn’t any need to heat the BGE up to over 500 for a final sear for 10 minutes. Your gas grill or kitchen oven can easily fulfill that nitch.
That might be the ticket.
Yep, sounds like a plan.