How To Smoke A Prime Rib On A Pitboss! Now I have loved learning to fine-tune my smoking on my pellet grill. This is seriously a dinner we have on repeat for Christmas every year… and sometimes just because.
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I love smoking my holiday meats, or any meat for that matter! I own a Pit Boss Pro 1100 as my pellet grill. My Pitboss came from Lowes, but Walmart and Amazon carry other Pit Boss options or Pit Boss websites themselves.
Pit Boss Pellet Grills
Traeger Pellet GrillsZ Grills Pellet Grills
How Long To Thaw A Prime Rib:
As with any meat thawing, a Prime Rib in a fridge is the safest way to thaw and control the temperature of the roast. There will be some variance in doing this in the fridge, but it will take 4 to 7 hours per pound to thaw on average.
Now, if you are ready to cook or forgot to pull the meat, you can place the meat in a sealed plastic bag and squeeze out all the air. Fill a large bowl or container with cold water and submerge the bag. Swap out the water every 30 minutes to thaw the meat out.
What Is Prime Rib?
Most people assume that all Prime Ribs are made equal, but they aren’t. Almost everyone I know confuses a Prime Rib and Rib-eye. I can’t pick a favorite; they are both fantastic.
Now, most Prime Ribs are made out of a Rib Roast. You can buy these boneless or as a bone-in. I love the bone-in for more flavor and the bones to make broth. Christmas is a good time that many grocery stores will have their roasts on sale to stock up and freeze a couple. The Rib Roasts are marbled with fat as well, making them juicy and tender as well. You can also find them at Snake River Farms with marbling and high-quality meat!
Prime Rib Rubs For Smoking:
A good seasoning can make or break Prime Rib. One of my butchers will season the prime rib for you, which I always go for to save steps and time. I like to allow my prime rib to set overnight seasoned to let the seasoning take effect and even tenderize a bit. I also love a good Homemade Prime Rib Rub, so easy to make.
- Snider’s Prime Rib & Roast
- Traeger Grills Prime Rib Rub
- Pit Boss Prime Beef & Brisket Rub
- Kinders Prime Rib Rub
Prime Rib RubSnider’s Prime Rib & RoastTraeger Grills Prime Rib Rub
AT WHAT TEMPERATURE DO YOU SMOKE A PRIME RIB:
Now you can smoke at any temperature. I believe that low and slow is the way to go!
If your smoker has a smoke setting, you can allow the prime rib to smoke in the smoker before turning it up. Sometimes, this will cook the meat slowly, reducing the total cooking time.
- 225 degrees Fahrenheit for ~40 minutes per pound of meat.
- 275 degrees Fahrenheit for ~20 minutes per pound of meat.
How To Smoke A Prime Rib On A Pitboss Pellet Grill
Get your hopper full and ready; you can use any flavor of pellets. I have been on a Mesquite Pellet kick lately.
Prime Rib is greasy meat, so ensure your pellet grill is clean; this will help prevent a fire if it gets too hot.
Start your smoker rolling smoke. I do mine on a setting of P7.
Once your smoker is rolling smoke, set the prime rib into your smoker and let it roll smoke!
Allow the smoker to smoke for as long as possible before increasing the temperature. I prefer to have a 1 to 2-hour smoke, depending on the size of my Prime Rib.
Turn your smoker up; I do 200 degrees, so the prime rib cooks low and slow. You can turn it up higher to cook it faster or the Prime Rib to be more well done.
Allow smoking until done. You can wrap the prime rib in pink butcher paper while tobacco helps prevent drying out; I have tried this once and didn’t notice a difference. I would try it again if I were smoking at a warmer temperature.
I have also put the prime rib on a baking rack over a pan; this will stop flare-ups from grease and a potential grease fire as well.
Use a meat thermometer to ensure your prime rib is done to your desired rareness.
Remove when to temperature and serve!
AT WHAT TEMPERATURE IS A PRIME RIB DONE?
Use the time guidelines above for when to start checking the temperature of your meat. Knowing your preference for rareness will help you know what internal temperature using a digital meat thermometer to cook the meat to. The ends of the prime rib roast will be more done, so take the temperature towards the middle of your roast.
- Rare is at 120 to 125 degrees F. The center will be bright red, with pinkish color toward the exterior portion.
- Medium Rare is at 130 to 135 degrees F. The center is very pink and will be slightly brown toward the exterior portion.
- Next, Medium is at 140 to 145 degrees F. The center is light pink, and the outer portion is brown.
- Medium Well is at 150 to 155 degrees F. The center is not pink and is browner all the way around.
- Well Done is at 160 degrees F. and above, is not pink, and will be a darker brown.
How to store leftover Prime Rib
Either tightly wrap the leftover prime rib or store it in an air-tight container. The leftover prime rib meat is good for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also seal it with a food saver and store it in the freezer for three to six months.
Leftover Smoked Prime Rib Recipes
Smoked meat is the best next-day food, either as is or in a recipe. I love to use leftover prime rib to make food for the rest of the week following a holiday. My latest favorite has been Blackstone Prime Rib Breakfast hash! Check out my Best Leftover Prime Rib Recipes.
What To Serve With Prime Rib:
I love to Smoke Side Dishes! You can check out my favorite Smoked Side Dishes -> here! Below are my favorites to serve with Prime Rib. You can serve anything with it.
- Smoked Baked Potatoes
- Smoked Loaded Cheesy Potatoes
- Smoked Loaded Baked Beans
- Cheesy Potatoes
- Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole
What is your go-to Prime Rib Rub?
Pellet Smoker Recipes To check out
Looking for more smoker recipes?? Be sure to check out Smoker Recipes. The post contains smoker recipes from ham to macaroni and cheese to Prime Rib! See it -> here.
Prime rib was one of my grandma’s favorite meals. I’ll have to make this in honor of her. Thank you for sharing.