Smoking a Prime Rib (with bones or without) will be one of the easiest and most rewarding cuts of beef to smoke out on your grill. Perfect for special birthdays and holidays, crank up your grill and start smoking.
Combine all the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl and stir. You will use about 2 tbsp of this mixture for your roast.
Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce
Add the prepared horseradish, bacon, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and chives into a bowl.
Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Place the sauce in the refrigerator for 2 hours to let the flavors blend.
Smoked Prime Rib Roast
Remove the packaging from the roast. Dry off any excess moisture using paper towels. Tie the roast across the thicker center 2-3 times and along the long side once. This will keep it nice and together on the grill.
Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of the rub on all sides of the roast. Larger roasts may require a bit more.
Wrap the seasoned prime rib in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store it in the fridge and let it dry brine overnight.
Heat up the smoker to 225-250°F on indirect heat. Remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while the grill is heating up.
Once the smoker is up to temperature, place the roast FATTY SIDE UP on the grill grates and insert your temperature probe to monitor the internal temperature. If you're smoking a bone-in roast, make sure the probe is not touching the bones.
Cook until the internal temperature is 10 degrees below your target temperature. I like my prime rib medium rare which is 135°F so I removed it from the smoker at 125°F. If using a plate setter, remove it and bring the grill temperature up to 400-425°F. You’ll need this high temperature to sear the exterior of the meat.
Once the grill is up to 400-425°F, place the roast back on the grill and sear it on all sides until the internal temperature reaches your desired level. For prime rib, I aim for medium rare which is 135°F.
Remove the roast, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 15-30 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
After resting, slice your prime rib against the grain into your preferred thickness and serve.
Notes
Prime vs Choice: For the ultimate results, choose the prime grade roast when smoking this. It is going to have the best marbling which results in it being more tender and packed with flavor. If you chose a grass fed prime rib, it will have less marbling but still has the ultimate in flavor. Choice Grade is 50% of all beef found in grocery stores and will have less marbling but still has a lot of flavor. Choice beef will cost $1-4 per pound less than Prime.Chive Substitution: If you don't have chives but have green onions, you can simply substitute 1 tbsp of green onions (scallions) = 1 tbsp chives. Bacon Optional in Sauce: The bacon in the horseradish sauce is completely optional. It will make the sauce super thick but it such a great add in. When using bacon, remember the type of bacon chosen will influence the taste of the this sauce. So if you're using a generic Oscar Myer bacon vs a hickory smoked variety, it will give two different results. Wood Choice: Always choose the wood based on the meat and people that you are serving. For long-smoked red meats, hickory and mesquite are common but that doesn't mean you have to go that route. Check the Wood Smoking Cheatsheet to determine the level of smoke for your cut of meat.Allow to Rest/Tent: Always allow the meat to rest 15-30 minutes on the counter before slicing and serving. Butcher's Twine: If you don't have it, you can still smoke this but NOT using it risks that your meat will not have a uniform outcome or cook evenly. Where to Buy Butcher's Twine: Almost all grocery stores have it in their little kitchen section. We have bought ours at Walmart. If choosing to cook this during the holidays, it will be harder to find the closer you get to the holiday. During the holidays, check the holiday cooking displays at grocery stores as they tend to move it there. How Much Meat to Plan Per Person: Look to have one pound of meat for each person which sounds like a lot. There will be excess fat cut off, dripping lost. Plus everyone will want their fair share. How Long to Smoke: Timing target ESTIMATE 30-35 minutes per pound if smoking at 225°F. This is an estimate for timing and works pretty solid at a smaller roast. When the roast gets larger upwards of 14+ pounds, the estimation won't be so accurate. Always use the temperature probe as this is a great example where the time/pound just won't work out. A 15 lb roast estimates to be about 15-20 minutes per pound. Again, the estimate, temp the roast.Temperature Doneness: Use a thermometer like the ones we use to determine the finished temperature, not necessarily by time. Poke the probe deep into the roast and target the following temperatures: Medium Rare - 135, Medium - 145, Medium Well -150 according to Certified Angus Beef. USDA and Foodsafety.gov both recommend beef be cooked to a minimum of 145 degrees. Also remember that the ends will get done faster than the middle.Searing Option: Your choices for searing are directly on the grill grate or on a cast iron skillet. If you choose to use the oven, you can broil it until it is crispy on the outside to the desired doneness. Freezer Friendly: We like to double wrap them and place in a freezer safe Ziploc bag or use a vacuum seal machine. The leftovers will keep for up to 3 months, if sealed well. Storage: Up to 3-4 days refrigerated, in an airtight container.