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holding prime rib in ice chest

skihorn
skihorn Posts: 600
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am going to be doing a prime rib roast on Christmas Eve. I need it to be done before Church service at 5:00 p.m. but we won't eat until about 7:00 p.m. or later. I know putting a brisket wrapped in a towel in a warm ice chest keeps it piping hot for hours. I am sure this will work fine for the prime rib as far as keeping it safely warm.

My question is internal temp. I normally pull my prime rib roasts at 125 internal and let it sit a short spell and then slice. With the ordinary rise in temp that seems to be most preferable with my family. Will putting it in an ice chest wrapped cause a higher rise in temp than normal? If so, at what temp should I pull to be equivalent to pulling at 125?

Thanks in advance!
Freddie
League City, TX

Comments

  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    skihorn: Could you possibly be cooking it on the Egg while you are at church? Then it just has to rest a bit before eating? I have never tried to hold a roast that long in a cooler, especially for a family that likes med-rare.
  • Holding a brisket for a few hours is fine, but that is because of its high internal temp. You might want to make sure it is safe to hold a large piece of meat at that low of a temp for a period of time.
  • skihorn
    skihorn Posts: 600
    I may wind up doing that but I don't want it to get done while I am at church.

    Freddie
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    internal temps are not important in food safety considerations....the interior of the meat is safe. It's the exterior surface temps that need attention.
  • skihorn
    skihorn Posts: 600
    Stephen: You are getting me concerned. I always thought it was more external temp that mattered for safety reasons. Otherwise, any slow cooked meat's internal temp stays in the danger zone for hours on end. That is what makes sense to me but I know others have said differently.

    Maybe I am making this too difficult. If I try to time it to be done at 7:00 surely it will not be done more than an hour early when I am at church.

    Freddie
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    How big of a roast do you plan to cook? I'm sure we could come up with a roasting temp that will coast you through the two hours without overcooking. I suspect that in the cooler, you are pretty much guaranteed it will overcook.
  • skihorn
    skihorn Posts: 600
    Thanks Fidel! I was just posting at the same time. As I said, that makes sense to me but I know others have disagreed.

    Freddie
    League City, TX
  • skihorn
    skihorn Posts: 600
    Little Chef: It is a 5.5 lb boneless. They were on sale last month so I bought it and put it in the freezer.

    Freddie
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    why not slow roast at 250, and then nail it when you get home with a little higher temp?
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • RedBag
    RedBag Posts: 72
    I always time my prime rib to be done 2 hours before diner on purpose. I do it low and slow at around 235 degrees. When it gets to an internal of 128 I pull it. I foil it and put it in a pre warmed cooler. I generally get an 8 degree rise so it will go all the way up to 136..which is good for my family. I assume if you cook at a higher temp the rise willbe larger. After 2 hours it will still be over 130. 30 minutes before it’s time to eat I do a reverse sear on all sides at 700+ degrees. Let it sit 5 minutes slice and serve. Comes out perfect every time.
  • skihorn
    skihorn Posts: 600
    stike: I may do just that. 250 is the temp I ordinarily use.

    Freddie
  • skihorn
    skihorn Posts: 600
    Redbag: I know most folks swear by the reverse sear. However, I have never used it. When I get the internal to the right place I fear a sear would raise it too much. How long do you sear it and how much does it affect the internal temp?

    Freddie
  • RedBag
    RedBag Posts: 72
    I sear for 90 seconds a side with there basically being 6 sides if you count the ends. This gives a nice crust but no char. It doesn't really effect the internal temp because after a 2 hour rest the heat is no longer chasing in. The finishing sear itself is not long enough to penetrate very fear.