Smoked Sous Vide Prime Rib

Ingredients

• 4 to 10 lb boneless rib roast
• 2 Tbsp Diamond kosher salt ((1 tsp per pound of meat))
• dry rub
• pellets or wood chunks for smoking

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prep the Rib Roast (24 to 72 hours before sous vide) ---

2. 2

   Trim the excess and fat cap down to 1/4" using a sharp knife. Cut a cross-hatch pattern in the fat cap, being careful not to slice the flesh.

3. 3

   Season all sides liberally with 1 teaspoon of Diamond kosher salt per pound of meat. Optional but recommended is to tie the roast with butcher twine so it maintains a nice round shape. Place on a rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 24 to 72 hours.

4. 4

   --- Sous Vide the Rib Roast ---

5. 5

   Vacuum seal the rib roast or place in a 2-gallon Ziplock bag and use the water displacement method to remove the air and seal.

6. 6

   Place in a 133° F / 56° C water bath (for medium-rare) and fully submerge for a minimum of 6 hours and up to 12 hours. I cooked this 6 1/2-pound boneless rib roast for 10 hours.

7. 7

   Place the still vacuum-sealed rib roast in an ice bath to fully chill it before smoking. You can also refrigerate overnight or for longer before smoking. Since we’re going to smoke it, we want it cold so it doesn’t overcook.

8. 8

   --- Smoke the Rib Roast ---

9. 9

   Set up your smoker for indirect heat cooking with your favorite pellets or wood chunks at a low temperature at or below 200° F with a drip pan with a few inches of water below where the meat will be placed. Use the Super Smoke / Smoke Boost mode if using a pellet smoker.

10. 10

    Remove the rib roast from the bag, keeping it wet, and apply a dry rub on all surfaces.

11. 11

    Insert a probe thermometer into the middle of the roast and place it into a smoker. Smoke for 1 ½ hours, then raise the temperature of the smoker up to 225° F until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 130° F. This was about 3 hours total in the smoker for me. If it is taking too long, you can increase the temperature of your smoker to 250° F.

12. 12

    --- Sear the Rib Roast and Serve ---

13. 13

    Remove the rib roast from the smoker and either sear the fat cap with a blow torch, on a hot grill, in a skillet or under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes just to crisp up the top.

14. 14

    Slice it and serve after a 15-minute rest. Slice against the grain into ½” to ¾” slices.