Smoked Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

• ½ cup kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for serving
• 6tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1bone-in, 2-rib roast (5 pounds), trimmed (preferably Frenched) and tied (see Tip)
• 1to 1½ cups molasses (preferably Grandma’s Original Unsulphured Molasses)
• Horseradish sauce (optional), for serving

Preparation

1. Step

   1

   The evening before your cookout, mix together the salt and pepper. Set your meat on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack and season it all over using about half the salt mixture. Let it dry brine, uncovered, in a fridge for at least 12 hours (and up to 24 hours).

2. Step

   2

   One hour prior to smoking the rib steak, remove the meat from the fridge and let it come to room temperature while you prepare your grill: Mix together a mound of wood chips with charcoal — you’ll want to cover about half of your grill with the mixture; 4 pounds of charcoal and 2 pounds of wood chips should suffice for a standard charcoal grill — and offset the coal mixture to one half of your grill. Light the charcoal with the grill vents barely open and gradually adjust the vents to allow for more airflow until the pit thermometer reaches 225 degrees.

3. Step

   3

   Twenty minutes prior to placing the rib roast on the grill, slather the meat all over with a thick coat of molasses then sprinkle all over with the remaining salt mixture.

   See Also

   The Best Smoked Ribeye Steaks (So Tender, Tasty, and Amazingly Juicy!)

4. Step

   4

   Place the rib roast with the fat side up on the area of the grill with no coals underneath, allowing the meat to slowly cook until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees, ranging from 2¾ to 3½ hours.

5. Step

   5

   Once the meat’s internal temperature has reached the target, remove the meat from the grill and reignite the coals into a steady fire. Using a set of metal tongs or heat-resistant gloves, sear each side of the meat over direct flame until the molasses coating has caramelized into a dark shade of mahogany, about 1 minute per side.

6. Step

   6

   Pull the roast from the grill and wrap in brown butcher paper. Allow the meat to rest in an insulated container, such as a cooler, for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the natural juices to settle throughout the meat for a more robust flavor and prevent any loss of heat during this resting period.

7. Step

   7

   Using a carving knife, remove the string and detach the large rib bones from the roast by standing the meat on a cutting board with the bones pointing upward. With one hand firmly gripping the ribs, cut downward along the length of the bone to remove it from the rest of the meat. With the ribs now removed, rest the roast on its flat side and cut horizontally into 4 even steaks.

8. Step

   8

   Salt to taste and serve with a side of horseradish sauce to counterbalance the richness of the flavor.

Tip

• Your local butcher will be able to trim and tie a rib roast at request, which will help the meat cook more evenly and maintain its shape throughout the smoking process.