How To Make Herb Crusted Smoked Prime Rib

By Dru Chai

There's something about serving and eating prime rib that just screams special occasion. Yes, it's expensive, so of course that has a lot to do with it. But it's also the appearance. A steak comes to the table looking like an blackened and burnt meteor rock. But a piece of sliced prime rib looks luxurious, velvety, and even sensual. Pink, juicy, and just begging to be eaten.

Having used my Weber smoker for over 3 years, it never occurred to me to smoke prime rib. Until now. With an early holiday family dinner scheduled, I told everyone that I was in charge of the main course. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to serve the juiciest, most flavorful, and tender prime rib ever. EVER. Okay, maybe that's stretching it. But it was gonna be damn good.

I started shopping right away to look for beef ribeye roasts and how much they would cost. Costco doesn't have the cheapest prices out there, but I didn't want to drive around all day comparison shopping. Once I decided that Costco was going to be it, I had to decide if I was going to buy USDA Prime or Choice. Since prime is the creme de la creme, it was $18/lb. Choice came in at $11/lb.

On a 7-lb boneless beef ribeye roast, we're talking about a $50 difference between Prime vs. Choice. I inspected several meats and I decided that it just wasn't worth the extra money for Prime. I did some side-by-side direct comparisons, and there is a subtle difference in the marbling. I chose the best looking Choice rib roast with the most amount of fat. Choice is still an excellent cut of meat for prime rib at a reasonable budget. It's technically not quite Prime, prime rib -- but pretty darn close.

I decided to do a semi-herb crust on the prime rib. I say "semi" because it's not quite the thick and heavy paste that you see in many other recipes. After an olive oil rubdown, I covered the meat with a generous portion of Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, minced garlic, garlic powder, and chopped sage (or whatever herb, like rosemary and/or thyme). I left the prime rib in the fridge for a couple days, uncovered, giving it a little bit of a dry-brine and dry-aging effect. The salt will pull in some of the moisture from the meat and hopefully intensify the beef flavor.

The next morning, I gave the prime rib a nice sear on all sides -- a good 2-3 minutes on every side. I was going to use my trusty cast iron skillet, but the prime rib didn't fit. Nonetheless, a standard indoor grill pan did the job. The smell was just intoxicating, and filled my entire house. The sizzling sound was over the top. I was practically drooling at this point. The pre-sear helps the rib roast develop a protective crust. If you sear the meat after the smoking process, there will be an ugly-looking brown colored ring, as I experienced in my smoked tri-tip.

After searing, it was time to fire up the smoker. I decided to add a mix of hickory and pecan wood chunks -- but not too much, since I didn't want the meat to be overpowered by smoke. I kept the smoker at a consistent 250 degrees F. With the help of an internal probe thermometer, the prime rib was done in about 3 hours, reaching an internal temperature of 130 degrees F -- perfect for medium rare. If you want even more rare, then 120-125 will do. If you want well done, just stop reading right now. Just stop.

I wrapped the prime rib in foil and let it rest for about 30 minutes. The temperature will also slightly rise up to 5 degrees at this point. Do not, under any circumstances, cut, slice, or poke the prime rib during this resting period. If you do, all of those precious meat juices will come pouring out.

When it was finally time to slice up the prime rib, it was like slicing through butter with a hot knife. The prime rib was a perfect medium rare and extremely tender. I took the drippings and added some broth to create the au jus. What really differentiated this homemade prime rib from the rest was the smoke flavor. It was just subtle enough and complimented the real star of the show -- the beef.

So if you ever having second thoughts about cooking or smoking prime rib, don't worry. The most important thing you have to do is watch the temperature and make sure you do not overcook. That's it. People will think you slaved all day cooking the prime rib. Slice up the meat and serve the slices to your guests like a boss. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Surf & Turf Grilling: Tips From Your Local Whole Foods Fishmonger & Butcher

By Dru Chai

It's pretty evident that I love meat, but I'm a big fan of seafood too. For me, I would happily mix and match some juicy ribeye or NY strip steak along with some sweet and succulent dungeness crab or Maine lobster. Throw in some greens and potatoes, and I'll be grinning from ear to ear with my ultimate "surf and turf" dinner plate.

I love to dine out on special occasions, but those high-end steakhouses can really put a dent in the wallet. Lately, I've been heading over to my local Whole Foods to pick up some quality protein. Whole Foods has the reputation of being "Whole Paycheck," but at my local store they've really been ramping up the one-day or 3-day sales -- there are some good deals if you know when (and how) to shop.

When you're grocery shopping and checking off your list, there's no doubt that protein will likely cost the most. Whole Foods tends to start their sales on a Friday, going through the weekend and ending on Sunday. Holiday and long weekends are the perfect time -- this past Labor Day weekend saw a good amount of sales, especially in the protein sections.

Whole Foods was nice enough to give me a quick behind-the-scenes tour of both the seafood and meat sections, and I even chatted with their expert fishmonger and butchers to gather some insight about how shoppers can maximize their surf and turf cookout -- especially when it comes to grilling and smoking.

I started off at the seafood area, where I met Rusty, team leader who has been with Whole Foods for over 14 years. He's one of the selected few competing in the The Best Fishmonger/Butcher Face-Off in Portland, Oregon. In the competition, fishmongers and butchers from around the country compete in a series challenges in front of celebrity judges/chefs (one of them is Aaron Franklin from Franklin BBQ) and a live audience. Not only is it the speed of breaking down a fish, but it's the precision as well -- like how good the filet is presented with little or no waste.

Rusty showed off some of his nifty knife skills, did a quick demo breaking down a fish, and talked about Whole Foods' fish selection and their process of smoking the seafood in-house. When I asked what the most popular smoked fish was, Rusty didn't hesitate and headed straight for the candied chilean sea bass to give me a sample. The fish was moist, tender, and flaky with just a hint of sweet and smoke. They'll use either mesquite, apple, or hickory wood chips -- depending on the type of fish.

The most popular fish that people buy is either the farm-raised or wild salmon. Everyone has their own preference between either farm-raised for wild fish, and it when it comes to salmon there is a difference in taste. Farm raised salmon has a higher fat content, which some people prefer when grilling over high heat. On the other hand, wild salmon is more lean, is higher in omega-3's (good fat), and has more of that "ocean" taste.

Tips for Grilling Fish

• Choose a firm, meatier fish that can take high-heat and still hold together -- salmon, tilapia, halibut, ahi tuna, and swordfish are some top choices.
• Always lightly oil the fish before placing it on the grill. This will reduce the likelihood that the fish will stick to the grill, which is a common problem with grilling fish.
• When it comes to flavor and seasoning, less is more. Keep things simple with some lemon and citrus flavors, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Other seasonings in my pantry cabinet that I like to use on fish include Old Bay, paprika, and cayenne (for some cajun flavor).
  

After the surf, it was time for the turf. I headed over to the meat section to visit Vince, butcher and team leader. When you approach the meat section, the sheer size and selection of all the different cuts of beef can be overwhelming at first. Many people know to head straight for a popular cut like ribeye to get their red-meat fix, but did you know that Whole Foods also sells dry-aged steak as well? You'll pay several dollars extra per pound, but if you're looking for that intensified-beefy and rich flavor, it might be worth the splurge.

Another service that Whole Foods provides is a quick 30-minute marinade for the meat and flavor of your choice. If you don't have time to marinate something for hours or even overnight, you can give the butcher the meat to "tumble" while you shop. It's a cool contraption that simply speeds up the marinading process for the meat. 30 minutes later, the meat should be full of flavor and good to go.

Of course, as a BBQ enthusiast, I looked forward to asking some questions about their in-house smokehouse. Vince gave me an up-close look at their Southern Pride -- a popular commercial smoker that a lot of restaurants use. They strictly use mesquite wood logs, which I found surprising because mesquite can be quite powerful if used too much. After sampling some of their smoked tri-tip and brisket, it was actually lacking on the smoke flavor. Go figure! 

As you can tell by the picture above, they smoke their brisket fat cap side up, and they don't do any fat trimming or separating of the point and the flat. It's just one hunk of brisket like how they serve it at the meat station at a high-end Vegas buffet. So if you're buying their brisket by the pound, make sure to tell them to trim some of the fat off.

Vince mentioned that one of the best low-cost and alternative cuts for families looking to stretch their dollar is the top sirloin. It will never win a popularity contest going up against the ribeye, NY strip, or filet mignon, but top sirloin is a good choice that's just as delicious (for the non-picky meat eater) but much more affordable.

Do a Google search and you'll find plenty of tips and advice on how to grill the perfect steak. When I first started out, I would either undercook or overcook the steak. Now I can cook a perfect medium or medium-rare with my eyes practically closed (okay, okay... maybe not, I still need pay attention!).

Tips for Grilling Steak

• Buy good quality meat -- it makes all the difference, it really does. Splurge for USDA Prime for the special occasions, and go for the Certified Black Angus or Choice for the more affordable, but yet still good quality meat. Select? Don't... just don't.
• Use charcoal (with no lighter fluid) -- you know I had to go there. I know it's convenient, but I'm just not a fan of gas grills. With a hot charcoal grill, you can get that char-grilled flavor and nice sear on the outside. You can really taste the difference.
• Let the meat rest -- always! Once the steak is off the grill, always let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This lets the juices re-distribute and settle down throughout the steak. If you cut the meat right away, all the juices will pour right out and you'll be left with shoe leather.
  

Thanks to Whole Foods for giving me a behind-the-scenes tour of their seafood and meat sections, and to Rusty and Vince for taking a few minutes of their time for a quick chat. It's always great to be able to talk to people who are equally passionate, if not more, about food -- especially when it comes to surf and turf!