Canadian Thanksgiving - 6.5 lb Prime Rib *pics*

BigWader

On Thanksgiving Monday had a nice home day with the family - yard work and a prime rib on the egg.

Night before I seperated the bones from the roast and left just the base attached so I could rub all over with EVO and Montreal Steak Spice.  Tied the bones back tight and put it in fridge overnight to get happy. 

Set up the Egg - indirect - temp hovered from 275-295 for most of the cook and I cooked over Basque Maple Lump with a hint of hickory chips mixed in.  Took about 30 min/lb.  I pulled it at 120'F and raised the egg up to 450'F direct to put a sear on it while the internal went up to 145.  Let it rest and carved it up.

The results were "good" - I didn't get to pick the roast as my butcher was closing so I picked the sizeI wanted from a cryovac whole.  I wish he cut the other end - I'm sure that was the money end.  The internal colour was uniform from side to side but end to end of the roast was done differently.  I would say one end was medium and the other end was almost rare??  Next time I guess I should rotate the roast mid way to ensure even cook.

Little Steven

The egg has a natural convection to the back side. It is usually hotter there. I usually orient roasts with the thicker side to the back. Slow cooked beef will look more rare than it is. Did you take your temps from several places or just one?

BigWader

The probe you can see in the pics was what I thought was dead center and truthfully when I did stick it with an instant read I also only checked the middle area.  Next time I think I'll need to check temp earlier and turn to even the heating.

I was really happy with the first slices - the colour was RED but it was red from edge to edge.  If the roast had a better marbling I'm sure it would have been the best prime rib I've ever done but being obviously lean the meat was good but not melt in your mouth succulent.

Little Steven

Canuck beef eh? I was going to respond to your eye of round post but in my opinion there is no way to make CDN eye edible.

BigWader

The funny thing with beef - you win some you lose some - The best beef I get for my budget is at Costco (usually it is AAA Canadian) but when in a hurry there is a popular European butcher in the west end of Toronto that has good prices - great place for pork butt and chicken parts.

For beef - I might need to plan ahead better for Costco - or find a better butcher and pay a bit more for stuff that isn't so "industrial"

Little Steven

Where are you located?

 

BigWader

If you know Toronto - I'm in Etobicoke - near Sherway Gardens Mall

Little Steven

So you know Medium Rare. I like Starsky's for meat as well

Skiddymarker

Little Steven said:

Canuck beef eh? I was going to respond to your eye of round post but in my opinion there is no way to make CDN eye edible.

IMHO eye of round is just fine if kept rare, medium rare and sliced thin. It is very lean and doesn't have a great amount of its own flavour, but is a good platform to build sandwiches on. 

@BigWader, on my MBGE I have to rotate the roast if over five or six pounds, under five it doesn't seem to matter. I think it was Little Steven who noted the rear "hot spot" on the egg and my experience shows this to be correct. 

BigWader

I know Medium Rare - just down the street from my work!

I've never bought meat at Starsky's but have had the Portuguese tarts and other desserts.

You must be a west ender too.

BigWader

And thanks for the head's up to all about the airflow - that's why I love this forum - there is so much knowledge that everyone has and shares!

Little Steven

No, I'm in Caledon but I tend to seek out good places to buy food. Do you have a Highland Farms closer than the one in North Mississauga? They have good meats as well. I like Medium Rare but it is pricy. He knows tri tip, flap, hangers and skirt steaks though.

BigWader

The closest Highland Farms is the one you mentioned.  I need a good place to buy brisket if you know of any - that's next on my list and the one I tried previously from Costco was too trimmed and small.

You must be loving the drive around Caledon right now.  On the weekend we went up 10 over the escarpment and up to Owen Sound to visit family.  Nice colour change on the trees.

Little Steven

It's a nice place til the snow comes. I live north of the escarpment off of Horseshoe Hill (Dixie). The corner of Escarpment and Horseshoe Hill was a traffic jam on Sunday with people taking pics.

Starsky's carry briskets in the store at Winston Churchill, I'm not sure about the one near Dixie. I get brisket from a couple of Caledon butchers. I would phone Starsky's

BigWader

I envy your location - minus the "tourists" and what the commute to work would be for me.  My retirement plan is not city living - just need to convince the wife the same.

Starsky's is about 5 minutes from my office - I'll probably pop in at lunch.  You've got me thinking I haven't fully checked out the potential there!

 

Little Steven

Yeah, My office is in Brampton so I have about 4 Km of traffic and 30 of nice country roads

DonWW

Little Steven said:

Canuck beef eh? I was going to respond to your eye of round post but in my opinion there is no way to make CDN eye edible.

Hmmm...  Not sure about this.  I remember that Alberta grain fed beef can be remarkable.  Ontario beef can have a texture suggesting that it walked all the way from Alberta.

BigWader, here's what I did last time I did a standing rib roast. 

1.  Asked butcher to slice bones away from roast, but not completely.  Leave them flapping.  Perfect for seasoning between the bones and roast.  Also results in great set of beef ribs.

2.  I think you did it backwards.  Cook it the other way around: Start at 450-500 for the outside sear and then let the egg settle to 275 - 325, depending on the time you have.  Lower allows for a more uniform cook.

I did a 10lb roast last time, and it was cooked uniformly.  No need to rotate.

BigWader

One other question for you (sorry) what did you do about a raised grid set-up.  I'm looking at the set up from the ceramic grill store but being in the US I only buy things when I know I'll be making the trek to Buffalo. 

I did a four 6" bolt thing to get it up higher in the dome but it is kind of wobbly and I'd like something better.  Our options in Canada seem limited compared to the accessories available in the US (*drool*)

Little Steven

I have the adjustable rig and the woo 2. Best tools out there. I would suggest the adjustable rig with the woo ring. It will get you anywhere in the egg and double your capacity if you have a large.

BigWader

DonWW said:

2.  I think you did it backwards.  Cook it the other way around: Start at 450-500 for the outside sear and then let the egg settle to 275 - 325, depending on the time you have.  Lower allows for a more uniform cook.

I did a 10lb roast last time, and it was cooked uniformly.  No need to rotate.

Thanks Don - I tried the reverse sear after reading about it here and other places - like you I've always done it the other way.  The other thing I wanted to try but didn't was letting roast sit uncovered (or under cheesecloth) overnight in the fridge.  Wasn't willing to make that leap for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Little Steven

Don't worry about beef in the fridge. This one sat for a hundred days like this

nolaegghead

I cook standing rib roasts at 200-225 until about 123F.  Gives a good even cook from edge to center. If I sear, I'll do a reverse sear with a griddle.  This adds the least amount of extra heat into the roast for the amount of "reaction flavors" on the outside.  You really have to cook the hell out of wet cold chunk of meat like that before you get any searing started.  That said, I don't bother searing it most of the time.

BigWader

Little Steven said:

I have the adjustable rig and the woo 2. Best tools out there. I would suggest the adjustable rig with the woo ring. It will get you anywhere in the egg and double your capacity if you have a large.

Looks like a trip to Buffalo may be in my near future

Little Steven

I'm not sure whether Tom...tjv on this forum sells to retailers, I don't think so but I could be wrong. Maybe he will pop in.

Skiddymarker

BigWader said:

Little Steven said:

I have the adjustable rig and the woo 2. Best tools out there. I would suggest the adjustable rig with the woo ring. It will get you anywhere in the egg and double your capacity if you have a large.

Looks like a trip to Buffalo may be in my near future

The CGS web site has instructions on shipping to Canada. Ask them, they will tell you what to expect. Duty on a US made item, like the woo, would be HST of 13% for those in Ontario. That being said, I got a Maverick from a US dealer, shipped to my BC home for the cost of shipping only. CBS chose not to assess the 8% duty+12%HST. 

Another alternative is to get a Buffalo ship to address. There are lots of companies offering this service. CBS seldom charges if you drive across the border and return with purchases, never been charged for a NAFTA item, ever. The only issue with this arrangement is some US retailers will not bill to a Canadian credit card (Canadian billing address) with a US ship to address. 

DonWW

BigWader said:

Little Steven said:

I have the adjustable rig and the woo 2. Best tools out there. I would suggest the adjustable rig with the woo ring. It will get you anywhere in the egg and double your capacity if you have a large.

Looks like a trip to Buffalo may be in my near future

I don't have a woo.  Yet.  All my roasts have been done on the original grid, indirect, legs up, drip pan underneath with a touch of water to catch drippings for ultimate gravy.

BigWader

Skiddymarker said:

Another alternative is to get a Buffalo ship to address. There are lots of companies offering this service. CBS seldom charges if you drive across the border and return with purchases, never been charged for a NAFTA item, ever. The only issue with this arrangement is some US retailers will not bill to a Canadian credit card (Canadian billing address) with a US ship to address. 

I have a Buffalo ship to address that holds goods for 30 days (or longer really) for a small fee based on weight.  Minimum cost is something like $5 but I only paid $12 to hold a 70 lb auto part.  I find with free shipping to US addresses and no 13% HST tax + risk of duty I do much better ordering from the US shipped to Buffalo.  We rarely get held by the border guards and declare everything (it just isn't worth the risk).

If free shipping wasn't available stateside and I knew the item was shipping USPS (not UPS since you get double dinged on duty) I would maybe have it shipped direct. 

It is incredibly aggravating to see such lower pricing and better quality for your money on items stateside.  It makes the 90 minute drive to the border worth it if you can wait.

Skiddymarker

@BigWader, understand completely. We have an account in Blaine Washington, a community on the border with less than 5000 people and 100 gas pumps. Every two weeks we head to USA. Use Hagen's of Blaine for ship to address. 

Don_Piero

BigWader said:

If you know Toronto - I'm in Etobicoke - near Sherway Gardens Mall

So am I!