Whenever I want to impress my guests, I serve an herb roasted turkey, a glazed ham or this amazingly delicious smoked prime rib. This prime rib is one of the best things I’ve EVER eaten!
Smoked Prime Rib Ingredients
To make this tender prime rib you will need a prime rib roast, butter, garlic, thyme leaves, rosemary leaves, kosher salt and black pepper. This prime rib is a perfect Christmas recipe to serve along with holiday favorites like creamed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes and candied carrots. These classic dishes will make for a festive holiday!
How Do You Make Smoked Prime Rib?
To make smoked prime rib, first season your meat. Make an herb garlic butter by stirring together in a small bowl softened butter, minced garlic, thyme leaves and rosemary leaves with salt and pepper. Slather the herb butter on the prime rib. Place your roast in a smoker and cook it to the desired level of doneness. I personally like my prime rib around medium rare for maximum flavor and tenderness. Let the meat rest a few minutes. Remove the bones, slice the rib into steaks and enjoy!
Tips For The Perfect Dish
Smoke your standing rib roast in a disposable aluminum pan. This keeps clean up to a minimum. The pan also collects all the buttery juices that come off the meat, which you can spoon onto your prime rib before serving. You’ll want to ask your butcher for a three bone prime rib roast to get around 6 pounds of meat. Ask your butcher for the chuck end if you want juicier meat that has more fat. If you want lean and tender meat ask for the loin end. The photos here show the chuck end. Make sure you have a sharp knife to slice the meat.
When Is Smoked Prime Rib Done?
The best way to tell when your prime rib is done is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat to check the internal temperature. I use a digital thermometer that stays in the meat as it cooks so that I can continuously monitor the progress of my roast. The correct temperature range for prime rib is as follows
Rare: 120-125 degrees F Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees F Medium: 135-140 degrees F Well Done: 145 degrees F or higher
You’ll want to pull your prime rib from the smoker when it reaches a temperature that is 5 degrees less than your desired ending temperature. After the roast comes out of the smoker, cover it with foil for 15 minutes and the roast will continue to cook that extra 5 degrees during the resting period. The roast in these photos was pulled from the smoker at 125 degrees F.
Flavor Variations
This prime rib is fantastic as-is, however you can customize it to your tastes.
Herbs: You could mix with your butter other herbs like minced parsley and minced sage. Sauces: Serve this roast with delicious sauces like homemade steak sauce, homemade bbq sauce or a creamy horseradish sauce made by combining 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, a tablespoon of lemon juice, 3 1/2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish and a dash of salt and pepper. Spices: For a rib roast made with more spices, try combining the butter with 2 tablespoons of my brisket rub.
This smoked prime rib is seriously one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. The smoke flavor is infused into every bite and the meat is so incredibly tender. You will not be disappointed if you make this recipe, it’s going to be on my holiday table every year from here on out!
