# Butchers twine and high heat question



## Fishonshawn (Dec 21, 2019)

*my wife picked up a rib roast from safeway and the bones were cut off and tied back on. This will be my first time doing one of these. My question is will the sear box on my camp chef burn through the twine? It gets 900 degrees or so. My plan is to smoke it at 225 and once internal hits around 100 throw it on the sear box for some char and then back on the grill til it hits internal 128ish. *


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## SmokinAl (Dec 21, 2019)

I have used it over an open flame in a Santa Maria grill & it never burned off. Not sure if it got to 900 degrees though.
Al


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## crazzycajun (Dec 21, 2019)

Butchers twine is basically cotton soak it in water before use


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## jcam222 (Dec 21, 2019)

I don’t have a definitive answer but being cotton twine I’d say there’s a chance 900F will burn it anywhere there’s direct contact. As Al said maybe spray the twine with liquid before the sear. I’d likely remove it and the bone before the sear.


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## S-met (Dec 21, 2019)

Fishonshawn said:


> *my wife picked up a rib roast from safeway and the bones were cut off and tied back on. This will be my first time doing one of these. *


It's called cradling or a cradled roast. I don't like when it comes cradled for multiple reasons, but I sometimes cradle my Prime ribs. I always untie, season the underside then re-tie. In the past, I've rotisseried a couple prime ribs that have come undone while on the spit - not fun. But it wasn't the cotton twine that failed. It was poorly tied and as the meat expands and contracts it slipped out of position and separated. 

Regarding your question about the searing, you will be fine as long as the meat protrudes from the twine. Moisture and thermal mass from the meat will keep the temperature under its combusting temperature. The bone/back side may not do as well since there are air gaps or bone may press down on the twine directly onto the grate.

If you are still concerned, reverse sear in the oven. (My preferred method.) Cook (smoke) to desired temp. Rest for up to an hour covered. Then pop into a 500°f oven for about 10-15min. 

This re-warms without significant raises to the meat. Pull, carve and serve immediately. Second advantage is that you take advantage of the "rest" but still serve warm meat. And you (or the Miss) can cook something in the oven, raise the temp, sear the meat while baked stuff are resting, and everything is warm at dinner time.


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## chilerelleno (Dec 21, 2019)

By the time you take it out of the smoke to sear and finish it will not matter if the twine burns through in a spot or three, and there shouldn't be  much if any bad taste if the twine does burn.
And by this time you could cut the twine off and it should retain it's shape just fine.
So it is really of no consequence if it does burn here or there.

Just my $0.02


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## Fishonshawn (Dec 21, 2019)

Thanks for the replies. I like the idea from S-met of cooking to temp, rest an hour then sear in the oven. Not sure why the oven idea didnt occur to me but it sound good.


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