# My first whole ribeye



## limpylegs

I was thinking of doing a whole ribeye this year for July 4th.We're having a lot of people over and I've never tackled a steak quite this large(it's 20 lbs).I think I'm going to lightly season it overnight and smoke it with Hickory like I do most of my other steaks.My big question is do I cut these steaks before I smoke them like I normally do or should I throw it in there as it is,then cut it right before it's ready for searing?I'm a little worried about letting the juices out and possibly drying it.


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## stovebolt

Go to the search box and search for Bearcarver's prime rib.

Chuck


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## limpylegs

Do you have a link to the original post?Only thing I could find was response post's.


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## stovebolt

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159333/bears-step-by-step-index   

  Here is his whole step-by-step index. Bookmark this page. Scroll down to his prime rib threads (he has several).

Chuck


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## limpylegs

From what I saw he didn't really cover a roast quite that large.What do you recommend?Should I reverse sear or just serve it smoked?I would like to leave the option to serve it to my guests the way they would like it cooked(rare,medium-rare,or medium)


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## mdboatbum

First off, welcome aboard! Ribeye, prime rib, standing rib roast or whatever you wanna call it is surprisingly forgiving as long as you don't overcook it. The timing doesn't change a whole lot with larger roasts since the circumference doesn't change. The larger roasts are just longer, so the thickness remains pretty much constant. 
What you do with it is pretty much up to you and depends on your comfort level, timing and the type of party. If it's a sit down meal and you want "roast beef", then I'd slice it after smoking the whole thing to medium rare. For those who want it more done a dip in simmering au jus will bring it up to temperature very quickly without drying it out. 
If it's a "steak party" where you want to be the star of the show making steaks on the grill, I'd slow smoke the whole roast to about 120°, then rest it. Then slice and sear over a HOT grill to the desired doneness. The steaks will be done quickly and those who desire medium rare ( as the Good Lord intended us to eat steaks) will be rewarded with a perfect edge to edge doneness and a juicy, flavorful steak. Those who like their steaks a little more done will benefit from more char on the outside as it will take longer to get the steaks up to temp. Everybody wins!
A pat of compound butter on top just before serving is never a bad idea either.


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## twoalpha

Having used Bearcarvers directions on doing more than one prime rib i can tell you that this is a great piece of meat to serve guest.

Smoking it as a whole piece gives you many options. The center part will be rarest and and for those who like it less rare you can sear it on a hot grill and in about a minute they will have it there way. Just my 2 cents.

Larry


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## limpylegs

I would like to try and eliminate the difference of temp in the center as much as possible.....do you think I should cook it in half?


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## mdboatbum

limpylegs said:


> I would like to try and eliminate the difference of temp in the center as much as possible.....do you think I should cook it in half?


Do you mean the "bullseye effect" where it's more and more done the closer you get to the outer edge? If so, then smoking at 225°-250° will pretty much eminate that even on the whole roast. No real need to cut it in half, unless it just makes it easier to handle. The shortest distance from center to edge determines the overall behavior in the smoker as to time versus temperature and cook times. On a ribeye that's about 3-4 inches, whether it's a five pounder or a twenty pounder.


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## stovebolt

Mdboatbum said:


> First off, welcome aboard! Ribeye, prime rib, standing rib roast or whatever you wanna call it is surprisingly forgiving as long as you don't overcook it. The timing doesn't change a whole lot with larger roasts since the circumference doesn't change. The larger roasts are just longer, so the thickness remains pretty much constant.
> What you do with it is pretty much up to you and depends on your comfort level, timing and the type of party. If it's a sit down meal and you want "roast beef", then I'd slice it after smoking the whole thing to medium rare. For those who want it more done a dip in simmering au jus will bring it up to temperature very quickly without drying it out.
> If it's a "steak party" where you want to be the star of the show making steaks on the grill, I'd slow smoke the whole roast to about 120°, then rest it. Then slice and sear over a HOT grill to the desired doneness. The steaks will be done quickly and those who desire medium rare ( as the Good Lord intended us to eat steaks) will be rewarded with a perfect edge to edge doneness and a juicy, flavorful steak. Those who like their steaks a little more done will benefit from more char on the outside as it will take longer to get the steaks up to temp. Everybody wins!
> A pat of compound butter on top just before serving is never a bad idea either.


  That is a very well written and thorough post. 

Chuck


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## eman

I would cut it half just because a 20 lb slab of meat is tough to handle.  smoke to an internal temp of 135 measured at the very center of the roast . let it rest at least 30 min before slicing. at this point the center should be rare to medium rare and the ends will be more to medium. i usually keep a pan of simmering au jus on the grill so that if someone wants there cut a little more done  i can put individual slices in the pan to cook a lil more .

  If you try to cook to the same temp all the way thru the roast you will end up w/ over done meat.


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## limpylegs

Thanks for all the input I haven't been able to respond due to me working pretty hard these past few days.I got my smoker yesterday and still haven't assembled it yet  :( I ordered the Brinkman.I'm going to try and use the advice I found here and only have one other question - What brand of lump coal and wood do you guys use and where are some places I can order them?I live in a certain part of Michigan where smoker supply stores are a little hard to find due to slightly longer winters.


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## eman

If you have a home depot near by they have a real good sale on 16 lb double packs of kingsford i think. They also sell chips and chunks  of different woods as does acadamey sports and wal mart.


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