I Love Grilling Meat's online newsletter for November 2018
November 2018
MEAT Insider
BEEF ROAST Challenge
It’s the Roast Wonderful Time of the Year
Many folks love to cook up a prime rib dinner for the holidays. It’s one of those cuts of meat you bring out for truly special occasions with family and friends. But prime rib is also a cut of meat that deserves a little finessing to get just right before serving for Christmas dinner. Whenever I’m preparing to have prime rib, I love to mix together a special blend of fresh herbs. I especially enjoy what earthy-flavored herbs, like sage and rosemary, bring to the table. You can read more about my fresh-herb mix on Page 3. It’s one step that can add a lot to your prime rib. I will note that adding salt in the rub before cooking is optional. Some people like their roast to stand alone, so to speak. Others prefer adding salt after the cook. Either way, it’s always good to be a bit stingy with salt when you’re cooking. When preparing my prime rib, I may trim a little of the fat, but I leave most of it. Heat from the grill will render down much of that fat. I also keep the meat on the bone. It is easier, saves time, and doesn’t make the finished product any less enjoyable. When you’re cooking a prime rib roast, you have to watch your heat closely. I always advise cooking the meat over indirect heat when on the grill. Getting your rib roast to the internal temperature of 125 F means it’s rare. If you want it more done — around medium rare — heat the meat to about 125–140 F. If you take the internal temperature of rib roast much higher than that, you’re going to be left with a leathery flavor and texture. When you spend a good chunk of change on prime rib, the last thing you want is for it to end up tasting like an old shoe. Another thing I like to do with my prime rib is give it a reverse sear. Of course, this step is completely optional, but I like a little crisp around the edges. There’s just something about beef fat crisping up that really elevates the flavor of a roast. Bring that sear together with the herb rub, and you’re left with a winning combination.
After you hit your desired internal temperature, you can move the meat over to direct heat. All it takes is about two minutes per side, and you’re done. I scoop the meat away from the heat and wrap it in foil for a 30-minute rest. Because I like my roast served hot, I also wrap the foil in a towel and let it rest in a warm spot. Switching gears, I also want to discuss chuck roast — a great low-cost
alternative to prime rib. While prime rib is cut from the top of the ribs, chuck roast is cut from the shoulder. Much like prime rib, a good rub will take this cut of meat a long way. You can find my chuck roast rub recipe on Page 2. Cooking a chuck roast is a different story than the prime rib, as you’d expect. Heat control is everything, and you’re going to want to watch it like a hawk. For instance, there’s a good chance you’re not going to like the result if you cook the chuck to any internal temperature less than 160 F or higher than 200 F. You have to find your sweet spot of doneness.
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with a possible subheader right underneath When it comes to the temperature of your smoker, you should start slow and get it to about 225 F. You should keep it there until you get the smoky flavor you want. Then you can take the temperature up to 265 F for the rest of the smoke. The entire smoking process can take 4–6 hours, depending on the size of the roast. I try to get my chuck roasts to an internal temp of about 190–195 F. When you get to this temperature, your roast will cut like butter and melt in your mouth; it’s awesome! If you get a chance, try cooking your roast with the pan method, using broth. I’ve included instructions on how to do this in our recipe on Page 2. It’s a great way to end up with juicy, tender meat every time.
If you’ve never smoked a chuck roast before, you can’t go wrong with sticking to about 250 F for the entire cook. That keeps things simple, and you don’t have to worry about messing with the temperature part way through. You should still keep a close eye on the temperatures of the smoker and the meat so they don’t get away from you. When you are ready to cook, I recommend grabbing a six-pack of your favorite beer, maybe angling a TV in your general direction, and finding a comfortable stool or seat. You will be there for a while, because the second you walk away is the moment things will go up in flames— literally! If the temperature gets too high and the fat renders down onto the hot coals below, that’s fuel for a fireball. For the same reason, smoking in a covered environment is a recipe for disaster.
No matter your cut of meat, I encourage you to find what works best for you. Whether it’s choosing unconventional herbs for their rub or mixing up their cooking methods, every pitmaster has their own way of doing things. Experiment to find your own style of adding flavors, controlling heat and smoke, and bringing meat to the table. I’ll do my best to put you on a good path, offer up my insight, and get you going.
I hope you have a great holiday season — happy grilling!
–Danny McTurnan A Very Merry Chuck Roast
SMOKED CHUCK ROAST WITH SPICE RUB
Ingredients •
your rubbed roast in the pan, add 1–1 1/2 cups beef broth, and then go to your smoker with the meat in the pan from the start. Don’t walk away! Make sure your cooker holds a steady temperature and
3 pounds chuck roast 1–1 1/2 cups beef broth
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2 tablespoons ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons dried chives 1 teaspoon chili powder
Spice Rub •
3 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons salt* (see note below)
1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
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doesn’t get away from you — because if it does, you’re in trouble! Grab a beer, pull up a chair, and keep your eyes on your cooker.
Directions Cook time: 4–6 hours, depending on size of roast
You can start it on the grates if you like, however I strongly suggest that after the roast hits an internal temperature of 160 F — after about 1 1/2 hours —move to the pan method, add 1–1 1/2 cups beef broth, and wrap with foil. Do not let the broth in your pan dry up! It shouldn’t if you keep the temperatures recommended here, but have more broth on hand just in case. Once you hit an internal temperature of 160 F and you have a nice smoke flavor going, cover your pan with foil and put it back in the smoker. At this point, I bump my smoker temperature up to 275 F and hold steady until the roast hits 190–195 F. Then I’ll pull the covered pan from the smoker and let it rest for 30 minutes before serving. At this point, it’ll cut like butter and melt in your mouth. Enjoy!
I start my prep the night before I plan to smoke the roast. Mix spices in a bowl, rub down the roast, wrap the roast tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator overnight. *Like prime rib, I initially leave salt out to allow the beef flavor to stand out. You can add a dash before serving or let guests salt their own — it’s up to you! A chuck roast cook is similar to a brisket cook. Start your smoker at 225 F. This temperature needs to be kept through the first phase until you have smoke flavor and bark on your meat.
I prefer using the pan method for the entire cook. I start in the pan and end in the pan. If you do follow the pan method, place
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It ’ s Prime Time ! Prime Rib Roast With Fresh Herb Rub
Ingredients
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4-bone prime rib roast (about 4 pounds) 1–1 1/2 cups beef broth
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1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped 2 teaspoons coarse salt* (see note below) 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
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1 tablespoon leek, minced
Fresh Herb Rub •
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3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Wood: Little to none (see below)
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1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds
Directions
Cook Time: 2 1/2–3 hours
me, so I stick to the pan method. Once your meat is on, don’t walk away from your cooker and do not let your pan run out of broth .
Mix herb rub ingredients in a bowl, then rub mixture over the prime rib. On my beef, just like chuck roast, I like earthy spices. You can also add oregano, thyme, parsley, and other herbs — anything you like! Rub down the prime rib the night before, and wrap in plastic wrap. Or, you can do it prior to your cook; it’s up to you. *I don’t add salt the night before. It can open the door to too much salt. If you want salt, add salt right before cooking or wait until serving. For the Pan Method I may add a couple of small chunks of wood, such as white oak or pecan, for light smoke flavor. But on this cook, we’re grilling, not smoking. It’s easy to overwhelm a prime rib roast with too much smoke flavor if you’re not careful. On this cook, I typically use an offset cooker and place my roast almost to the far end of the grill, away from the firebox to avoid burning. Get your cooker up to 300 F and get ready to watch it. If you cook directly on the grates — not using the pan method — you should add a water pan below your roast. The foil pan has never failed After the ribs are rubbed down, place roast — bone side down — in a foil pan with 1–1 1/2 cups beef broth.
You’re looking for an internal temperature of 125 F for rare or 135 F for medium rare. Anything above 140 F develops a leathery taste, so I don’t recommend going that high. Be sure to prepare for a reverse sear before you pull your meat from the cooker. You’ll be searing directly over charcoal on hot grates. If you need to heat a separate grill, do this before you hit your ideal internal temperature on your roast. When you get within 8 degrees of your ideal internal temperature, pull your roast from the cooker. Here’s an example: If you want your finished roast at 135 F, pull it at 127 F. If you like your beef fat crispy, then you definitely want to reverse sear it to crisp up the edges. Pull your roast and sear for 2 minutes per side on nice hot grates over that direct heat from your charcoal. This will bring the internal temperature up those final 8 degrees.
After that, I’ll pull my roast, wrap it in foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes before serving. Use the pan juices as au jus, and enjoy!
–Danny McTurnan
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1180 N. Town Center Dr. Suite 100 Las Vegas, NV 89144
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It’s Roast Month!
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Get Your Chuck On!
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Prime Rib Roast
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Don’t Miss Our Grill Giveaway
GRILL Giveaway
“Ask a PRO” LIVE Sessions • LIVE“Ask a PRO”Session #1 TOPIC: Reverse-Seared Prime Rib Roast Sunday 11/11/18, 5 p.m. Central • LIVE“Ask a PRO”Session #2 TOPIC: Smoked Chuck Roast Sunday 11/18/18, 5 p.m. Central Go to gsa.life/2018november for instructions on how to access these LIVE sessions.
BEEF ROAST Challenge
Are you ready to put your grilling and smoking skills to the test? Take the BEEF ROAST Challenge and you could WIN up to $500 in grilling and meat-smoking prizes! Wanna knowmore? Head over to gsa.life/2018november for all the details on how to enter. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing what you cook up!
Win a FREE Oklahoma Joe Highland Offset Smoker. Details at gsa.life/2018november .
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