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Prime rib is usually for a special occasion. And admittedly it's a little stressful with all that pressure: the guests, the expensive roast, the expectation of restaurant-level perfection. And sure, prime rib at a restaurant is really good, but you can do way better at home, and save a bunch of money. This method for smoked sous vide prime rib is stress-free. Cooking prime rib only in the smoker is a favorite of mine, and absolutely amazing. But I wanted to experiment to see if I could improve on that. The results were even better than I had hoped for, and this two-step method has some definite advantages. We’re bringing two cooking methods together for the ultimate prime rib. It’s the most tender and perfectly cooked thanks to sous vide, and it’s the most flavorful thanks to the smoker. The two just work so well to cook absolutely perfect medium-rare from top to bottom with savory smoky flavor and a delicious crust. We’re essentially doing all the cooking via sous vide, and then really just warming it back up in the smoker while absorbing all that amazing smoke flavor. Why You Should Try This
To Smoke or Sous Vide First?There’s a lot of debate on whether you should cook the meat sous vide first, or smoke first then sous vide. Both sides have some valid points and reasons for doing it the way they do. Raw meat can take on more smoke and form bark easier than cooked meat, which is a reason to smoke it first. However, that is going to get washed away (including a lot of the smoke flavor) when it cooks in the water bath inside a vacuum-sealed bag. My preference is to first sous vide the meat, then smoke it. By cooking sous vide first, it is perfectly cooked and is fully chilled down and left wet so it is ready to attract flavorful smoke. The result has been wonderful every time I have tried it. Sometimes people smoke, sous vide and then smoke it again. This is totally overkill and way more work than it’s worth. Especially since one of the advantages of sous vide is that it’s hands-off most of the time. Tools & Equipment UsedHere’s a list of the exact tools & equipment I used to make this.
Prepping the Rib RoastPlanning ahead is key. This isn’t like throwing a steak on the grill and being done in 10 minutes. We are going to be working over the next 2 to 3 days on it (hands-off almost the whole time). Prep the rib roast at least 24 hours before it heads into the water bath. Use a very sharp knife to trim the excess fat and fat cap down to ¼”, then score the fat cap with a cross-hatch pattern using a sharp knife. My preference is to use a boneless rib roast, so remove the rib bones if desired. Season with 1 teaspoon of Diamond kosher salt per pound of meat 24 to 72 hours in advance. Use butcher twine to tie the roast into a uniform round shape. Place on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator uncovered. After the dry-brine time has passed, it can be vacuum-sealed. If it is too large to fit in your vacuum seal bag, you can cut the rib roast in half crosswise and use two separate bags. Then it's ready for the 6-to-12-hour sous vide cook. The Dry RubAfter the sous vide, we’re adding a simple, yet important dry rub before the roast heads into the smoker. We have a beautiful premium piece of beef here, and we really want to taste it, being careful not to overpower it with a rub. Most of the seasoning was done with salt a few days in advance. The dry rub, however, is important for helping to develop bark as it smokes, and it will add some flavor, so don’t overpower it. I don’t add a dry rub to the rib roast for the sous vide part of the cook, but you totally can if you want. Most of it will wash off during the cook. Be careful of salt in dry rubs, as we already salted the beef in advance. A little more on the surface won’t hurt, but we don’t want it to be over seasoned. For this one, I didn’t use a specific recipe. I just threw together a quick rub that consisted of coarse ground black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder and a little granulated sugar. A little sugar will help develop nice bark in the smoker. You really don’t have to use a rub if you don’t want to, but I would definitely add pepper for balance. The Smoker SetupFor this cook, I went with the Weber Smoke Fire EX4 pellet smoker for the ease and convenience of pellets and Wi-Fi connectivity for monitoring remotely. We want the temperature low, so we can add smoke flavor without overcooking the already perfectly cooked rib roast.
Watch the VideoHow to Make Smoked Sous Vide Prime Rib
Tips
Can you overcook prime rib when cooking it sous vide? You can’t overcook it in the traditional sense. It won't cook beyond the temperature of your water bath, but it will continue to get more tender. But it can become mushy if you were to cook it for a day or longer. Do I need to rest the prime rib? You don’t need to rest the sous vide prime rib once it is out of the smoker, but you do need to chill it completely before you smoke it. How long should I sous vide prime rib? Six to 12 hours is a good window. This one was sous vide for 10 hours. What temperature should I sous vide prime rib? 133° F is perfect for medium-rare doneness. How long do you smoke sous vide prime rib? The prime rib will smoke for about 3 hours until it comes back up to the original cook temperature, but it depends on the starting temp and size of your roast, along with the temperature of your smoker.
Prep the Rib Roast (24 to 72 hours before sous vide)
Sous Vide the Rib Roast
Smoke the Rib Roast
Sear the Rib Roast and Serve
Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1248mg | Potassium: 785mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg More Delicious Smoker and Sous Vide Recipes
How long does it take to sous vide a prime rib?How Long Does it Take to Sous Vide Prime Rib? The roast should spend 6-10 hours in the water bath. This timing works regardless of the weight of your rib roast.
Can you overcook prime rib in a sous vide?Sous vide is a technique in which food is sealed in a bag, immersed in a water bath and cooked at a precise, consistent temperature. This cooks the food to the exact temperature (e.g. medium rare) that you choose. No worries about overcooking.
How long does it take to sous vide a roast?The minimum cook time to sous-vide bottom round roast or rump roast is 12 – 36 hours. I would recommend going up to 20 hours, to get an even more tender roast. The sous-vide temperature is 130 – 134°F (55 – 57°C). The minimum cook time to sous-vide chuck roast is 18- 48 hours.
Can I sous vide a prime rib for 18 hours?Submerge the bagged roast into the sous vide machine (make sure it's completely covered!) and leave to cook for 18-24 hours. After cooking for 18-24 hours, you're ready to eat!
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