How to Grill the Main Rib Step by Step

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Prime Griba grilling

Finished rib roast. Sabrina S. Baksh

Few things in life are better than prime rib roast. The final cut of beef is a holiday favorite and something wonderful, but also one of the most expensive foods you can buy. To handle it right and make the most of your investment, you need the right cooking method. That means taking it to the grill to take advantage of the grill’s great cooking capabilities and get extra flavor with a little smoke.

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What you need

Kelly Sillaste / Getty Images

What to consider with this grilling method is the size of your grill. Most full-size grills can accommodate a three-bone grater (5 to 6 pounds), but larger grills take up a lot of space, and since this is an indirect cooking method, the grill surface needs to be at least twice the size of the grilling pan. Make sure to measure this space before purchasing a roaster.

After the main roast you’ll need:

Grill fuel Aluminum foil Reliable meat thermometer Large cutting board Sharp knife Good Prime Disposable aluminum pan

This process will take about 15-20 minutes per pound, depending on the level you prefer and your particular grill. Use the prime rib cooking timeline to calculate the time required. Know that your grill and your fire are critical to this process, and be prepared to harvest cooking temperatures. Testing the internal temperature frequently is also a good idea.

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Dipping the curb

Trimming the curb. Sabrina S. Baksh

You can ask your butcher to grade your ribwort if you like. This is actually an economical option, as it reduces the overall weight and therefore the final price. Butchers often remove the bones from the toast and then leave them back (if you use bone-in toast, which is recommended). The advantage of this method is that seasoning can be placed between the toast and the bones. Otherwise, the bones may get stuck in place and carved later.

If you want to cut the roast yourself, the goal is to expose more of the meat so the herbs and smoke can get in. Flavored fat isn’t as important as well-flavored meat. Generally, this fat has a fat cap on top and can be easily trimmed off. This will allow you to get your flavored meat.

04 of 10

Seasoning rice potatoes

The seasoning for rib sauce. Sabrina S Baksh

Of course there’s a roast flavor that should be the star of any main dish, but that doesn’t mean it’s not seasoned. The most important ingredient here is salt – without a proper dose of salt, the meat doesn’t taste much. And when thinking about how much seasoning to add to a dish, consider its mass, not its surface area.

The best place to start seasoning ribs is with olive oil . While this cut of meat has a good fat content, coating it in oil helps brown it and it helps keep the flavors in place. The ideal method is to use oil, herbs, salt and spice paste such as Herb-Dijon prime rib . The mustard adds a great flavour.

Whatever seasoning you choose, concentrate on the meat, not the fat, thicken it and soft roast it to keep it in place.

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Setting up the barbecue

The key to setting up the ribs for grilling. Sabrina S. Baksh

Before setting up the grill, the first question to answer is, do you want a drippy? If you put a main rack on the oven, you can further control what happens to the drippings. Gas or charcoal grills need drips, but keep them clean enough to use.

The secret to this is to make sure that the baking trays that are baked sitting down are very, very clean. A clothes rack acts like a shelf on a pan and needs to be free of debris before cooking.

Place a disposable aluminum pan under the tray for drippings, and fill it with water to avoid burning those drippings. (Remember, this is indirect baking, so no flames will be generated during baking.) You may need to add more water as the cooking time progresses. It is better to have a dilute dripping that can be welded later than a burn that is useless.

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Prime Rib Turning

Prime Rib Turning. Sabrina S. Baksh

Twice grilling requires that prime rib be turned on regularly to ensure even cooking. Even if you use a large grill and heat on both sides of the roast, it’s difficult to turn the meat properly without turning. If you are using a smaller grill and the heat is only on one side, the roast may need to be turned more than once. This is why it is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature of the food with a reliable simple thermometer. Check the temperature on both sides of the cooking to determine how even it is when cooking and turn it down.

When testing the temperature and moving the roasting area, take into account the level of water in the drip tray. If it decreases, you may need to add more water. It’s best to add hot boiling water so that you don’t drop the cooking temperature significantly.

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Temperature control – both grill and baking red

Rib rust temperature control. By Sabrina S. Baksh

You want your prime rib roast to cook through to a medium and lightly chopped surface, not burnt out and raw in the middle. That means, like grills, you’ll need to adjust the cooking temperature of the grill. If the meat is pale and gray on the outside when the medium temperature rises nicely, the grill temperature is too low. If the steak is heavily browned and crusted on the outside and the middle is cold, the grill temperature is too high. Adjust accordingly.

When you get to the cooking time when the primary roast should be done, start testing the temperature in the middle of the roast. The average rare temperature will be 135 F/55 C, but the temperature will rise by about 5 F/3 C while the roasting is taking place after the grilling – so, if you want your primary rib roast to be rare, you’ll need to remove it at 130 F/55 C.

If you collect drippings, you’ll need to remove the cooking grid and lift out the drippings. This is best done with a pair of grilling gloves.

08 out of 10

Roasted Resting

Prime Rib Resting. Sabrina S. Baksh

Resting may seem like a step you can skip, but it’s actually an essential part of cooking meat. This resting time allows the meat to relax, even draw out the heat, and distribute juices.

In general, you can rest by placing the roast on a cutting board and covering it with aluminum foil. For 2 to 4-bone grilling, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. The bulk should be left for 15-20 minutes. You may want to place a kitchen towel over the aluminum foil if it can withstand more heat.

At the end of the resting time, the foil packet will retain a good juice. You can put them away for irrigation by dripping off the grill. These juices need to be heated to boiling point.

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Cutting the Princess

Cutting the main strip. Sabrina S. Baksh

The first step in carving a bone-in main rib roast is to remove the bones. To do this, take a sharp long knife and slide it over the bone while removing as much of the flesh as possible. It should be easy to cut as the bones are smooth.

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Final cut

Careful with the head bone. Sabrina S. Baksh

Once the ribs have been separated from the toast, it’s time to cut into slices. Not all grilled rats are the same, and you’ll have to decide whether to go for thick cuts where everyone gets a slice or thin cuts where everyone gets a few pieces of meat. It’s important to remember that thicker cuts are heavier and thinner cuts are drier.

Place the slices on the reheated tray and immediately pack away the bones and any rusty bits you don’t pack immediately.