Smoked Prime Rib (Rib Roast)

Prime rib is a roast cut from the beef rib primal cut, although the term “prime” sometimes refers to the top quality USDA grade of beef. The same cut of meat can also be called a standing rib roast or a rib-eye roast if it is boneless. Prime rib is known for its high fat content and excellent marbling of fat which make it an extremely tender cut. Prime rib is generally bone-in, but some cuts are boneless. If you end up choosing a boneless prime rib, keep in mind that you will need to adjust the cooking time. The bones add flavor and helps retain moisture so a bone-in cut is definitely recommended!

Some butchers or grocery stores only carry prime rib around holidays, so if you can’t get a prime rib roast, you can look for other similar roasts. Prime cuts are the most expensive as well, so choosing a different cut can also be more cost-effective. Look for a standing rib roast or a rib-eye roast – they’re cut the same as prime rib roasts but will have slightly less marbling. Another option is to ask your butcher what cuts are available that have a similar size and fat content as prime rib.

A good rule of thumb when purchasing meat is to estimate one pound of meat per person. A prime rib is a roast so will generally be a few pounds minimum, but ensure you have enough meat for each person by following this rule. Having leftovers is always a plus, so add in another pound or two to ensure there will be extra meat to go around or for the next day.

Prime rib roasts are typically cooked rare to medium rare because you want to retain most of the fat within the meat rather than rendering it all out. This cut of meat is one of the most tender cuts of beef, right after tenderloin, because of the fat marbling. It is an extremely delicious cut of meat that you will not want to overcook. To achieve a perfect medium rare, cook the prime rib to 125 degrees F before resting for 30 minutes, and then return to a much hotter smoker to get a crust.

Ideally, using an internal thermometer is the best way to keep tabs on a piece of meat when smoking it, since you won’t need to open the smoker to know the temperature or test the meat for doneness. Most internal thermometers come with Bluetooth apps to connect to your phone or tablet, making it really easy to keep tabs on when the prime rib will be done. Instant read meat thermometers are another good choice. Because this type of thermometer reads the temperature quickly, you won’t need to open the smoker for long, meaning less heat will be released.

Tallow is the beef version of lard – rendered out fat from the animal. At room temperature, it has a similar texture to softened butter or vegetable shortening. Beef tallow can be used to intensify the flavor of cuts of beef, and it also can be used when cooking at high temperatures since it has a very high smoke point. It doesn’t have much flavor on its own, can be used in a variety of ways, and is also shelf-stable. In this recipe, the beef tallow lends a dry-aged flavor to the prime rib roast!

Since beef tallow isn’t as well-known or popular as lard, it may be a bit difficult to find in a regular grocery store. Try sourcing beef tallow from a local butcher shop, or ask at your grocery store’s meat counter if they have tallow available. Some stores may stock it in the same area as other fats or near the bullion and broth. This is the beef tallow we like to use!

For a similar texture in this recipe, if you can’t get beef tallow, use your favorite mayonnaise instead of the tallow. Use the same amount of mayo as tallow, and no other adjustments are needed.