Standing Rib Roast Recipe
STANDING RIB ROAST RECIPE
Yield: 8 servings Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 2.0 to 2.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 (8 lb.) Choice or Choice Certified Angus Beef
Charcoal grill or smoker-2 (2″x 3″) piece of hickory or pecan wood
Gas grill-use GrillKicker or pellet tube
2 Tb Obie Que’s Double Garlic Pepper
2 Tb of Smokin Guns Hot
2 Tb Meadow Creek Black Pepper Brisket Rub
Cooking Process:
Remove all fat
Season in the order listed above (layer on each other-do not mix)
Place in a pan, tent with foil and place in the fridge overnight
Bring the your grill or smoker temp up to 275 degrees (add the wood or pellet tube)
Allow the wood or pellets to burner for 10 mins.
Put the rib roast on grill straight from the fridge
Temp periodically in the center (away from the bones) until you reach an internal temp of 125-128 degrees
Remove from the grill, tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 mins and serve
Flat Iron Steak
When a cow is broken down into edible parts such as roasts, steaks, ribs etc. it can get confusing as to what to buy. With beef prices rising, processors are always looking for alternative cost options without compromising a good eating experience.
When it comes to steaks there are so many options based on the cuts and prices. Ribeyes and strips reign supreme but for most of us they are usually designated for a special occasion. So, what is a viable option for the steak lover? Try the flat iron steak. It is not the quality of a ribeye but if it is chosen carefully and cooked properly it makes for a great meal without “breaking the bank”.
The flat Iron steak was discovered in early 2000’s and goes by many names. The more popular ones are top blade roast and top shoulder blade roast. It is part of the muscle that comprises the chuck part of the shoulder. It is the top part of the shoulder and is usually about 3/4″ to 1″ thick and weighs around 12 ounces. There will be two in a pack. The key to having a good eating experience is to pick a pack that has great marbling (striated fat within the muscle fiber). This marbling is an indication of tenderness and great flavor. Another key element is the cooking process. Do not over cook them. We prefer medium rare (130 degrees) and would not cook beyond medium (140 degrees) for fear the steak will toughen up and dry out.
OK, here’s what to do and what you need:
Cook Time: approximately 7 to 8 minutes
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients:
2 well marbled iron steaks
Obie Cue’s Double Garlic Pepper
Smokin Guns Hot
Big Poppa Double Secret Steak Rub (unfortunately we are not permitted to sell Big Poppa seasonings online so for online purchases use Historic BBQ Black Bird & Beef).
Preparation:
If the membrane has not been removed, ask the butcher to remove it. In most cases it is removed.
Brush on a coat of Butcher’s Steak House Grilling Oil (helps seasonings to stick).
Apply a first layer of Obie Cue’s Double Garlic Pepper (VERY light)
Apply a second layer of Smokin Guns Hot (VERY light)
Apply Big Poppa’s Double Secret Steak Rub (or Historic) medium coat.
Place the steaks back in the fridge for 2 hours.
Grilling:
Preheat the grill to 450 to 475 degrees.
Place the steaks on the grill.
After 1 1/2 to 2 minutes pick up each steak and rotate a quarter turn and place back down. This will give you the cross hatched grill marks.
After another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes turn the steaks over and do the same process as above.
Once completed, temp the steaks with a good digital thermometer for the desired doneness. If not done enough, let them sit for another couple of minutes.
Rare 125 degrees
Medium Rare 130 to 132 degrees
Medium 145 degrees
Do not let the steaks rest. They are thin cuts and will cool off quickly.
Meat Selection
Meat selection is one, if not, the most important detail to turning out great barbecue. Why with all the hard work and hours that go into making barbecue would one select inferior cuts of meat? It makes no sense. Doing so puts you behind the “eight ball” right from the start. Sure, purchasing better meats will cost more but if you keep a look out for store sales or just have a good eye (and know what look , for) may be not.
So, what to do?
If your time is limited, and you don’t want to put the energy into searching around, then establishing a good relationship with a reliable butcher may be best. With his expertise and knowledge he should able to guide you and offer good cuts.
Beef:
Beef is rated by the USDA as Select, Choice and Prime. There are lower grades than Select but they aren’t worth mentioning. AVOID SELECT!! Your greatest selection will be Choice grades especially when purchasing from a supermarket. Certified Black Angus is an industry standard not a USDA Grade but it is usually a better cut of Choice. Butchers can supply you with Prime but it may have to be ordered.
So what differentiates a superior cut of beef verses a marginal one? Intramuscular fat or “marbling”. Marbling is the fat that is interwoven with the muscle fibers. The theory is, the more marbling, more tenderness and flavor. Prime cuts will have the most marbling. The fat around the outside of a steak is inter-muscular fat and does not help flavor or tenderness. In fact, most of us will trim this away when chowing down. Below are examples of good marbling.
Chicken:
Most chicken in the supermarkets are “shot up” with all kinds of stuff to make them bigger and help make them grow faster. Usually you can notice this be the yellowish skin color. This is an indication that the backside of the skin is harboring a lot of fat. This fat does absolutely nothing to enhance the cook. Many Pro Pitmasters when competing will many times take the skin off chicken thighs and scrape the fat off. After they do this to a dozen thighs they will have a large pile of fat. Besides not being healthy the fat causes flare ups on the grill and keeps the skin from becoming crispy.
Buy chicken with nice white skin and where the label indicates it has not been “shot up”. Candidates are kosher chicken and a brand we like a lot, Springer Mountain Farms.
Pork:
Pork is a little harder to distinguish. But one of the first things you should look for is how much “purge” is in the cryovac. “Purge” is the reddish liquid. It is many times construed as blood. It is not. The animal is bleed thoroughly at the time of slaughter. This reddish liquid is “myowater” or myoglobin, the natural liquid in our muscles. If there’s a lot of “purge” you should continue to look further. So, less purge is better.
Next, look at the color of the meat. It should have a nice light pinkness to it. Check the sell by date. Are you buying a lot of fat or meat? Most pork that we find in the stores today comes from “commodity” pigs. Remember years ago the saying, “pork, the other white meat”. Producers have leaned out their pigs to meet the demand.
If you want to purchase pork the way it was produced many years ago you will have to buy what we call Heritage Pork. Heritage pigs are raised with more intramuscular fat. There are many but the most common are Berkshire, Duroc and Cheshire. You will most likely have to order these breeds off the internet. Google Heritage Pork. A pork chop from one these breeds looks like a ribeye steak with all the marbling.
So, don’t cheat yourself. Go and get a good cut of meat. You’ll be happier and so will your guests.
Standing Rib Roast Discussion
When it comes to beef there isn’t anything that is much better than a standing rib roast. There seems to be confusion as to where this cut comes from on the cow. Most people know prime rib. A standing rib roast is a prime rib with the rib bones. If you cut between the bones and slap them on the grill they are ribeyes. Either way it is simply delicious and is actually VERY EASY to cook.
Another nice thing about this cut you don’t have to go crazy with seasonings. Too much and you take away from the natural flavor. So keep it simple.
Now be prepared when you go to purchase it. It is pricey but for that special occasion, it is worth it. Also since it is pricey it is best to go to your local butcher. He will make certain that you end up with a quality cut.
The pictures are of one we cooked for Easter. It served 4. You want to look for good marbling (the fat in the muscle fiber). The more marbling the more tender and juicy the cut.
(The picture above isn’t the actual cut we had for Easter but it illustrates the marbling)
To allow the seasonings to get to the meat remove all the surface fat. This will allow the first layer of salt to penetrate the meat.
Apply a light layer of Obie Cue’s Double Garlic Pepper followed by a slightly heavier layer of Historic BBQ’s Black (Black is not yet in our online store). Let the roast sit in the fridge for a couple hours if possible.
If you are smoking get a good base of charcoal going and bring the temp up to 275. Throw in a few chunks of wood. Wait for good smoke (light white blue) and put the meat on the smoker directly from the fridge.
Since this is a very tender cut of meat it cooks fairly fast so check it regularly with a good quality digital thermometer. DON”T use cheap dial thermometers. They can be off 50 degrees. You’re looking at about 2.5 hours, give or take, to reach 132 degrees internal temp (medium-rare). Remove the roast from the smoker and cover loosely with foil and let sit for 15 minutes. Remember as it sits the carryover heat stored in the roast will keep it cooking and if left too long you could end up with medium instead of medium-rare.
Here’s the results of your labor, a juicy, tender, succulent cut of meat that will melt in your mouth and is easier than cooking a good rack of ribs. ENJOY!!!
Note: For those of you who are cooking with gas or on a charcoal grill, use the indirect method (two zone) of cooking.