*Help...Prime Rib*

chasgh

I think I didnt have the meat thawed out all the way.  Have been cooking 7lb roast for 90 minutes and center is still reading 30!  Ive got people coming over and planned to eat at 8ish (put meat on at 430).  IM starting to panic here.  Should the center be that cool after being on 275-350 for 90 minutes?  Probably a dumb question but anything I can do to hurry things along here?  Ive let the heat rise to about 400 and still nothing.  Thanks!!

Gym

I'm interested to hear what others have to say. My only guess would be to cut it in half. 
Or serve a few more drinks beforehand...

Foghorn

You'll be fine.  Don't panic.  Just keep it in the heat.  Your target temp is 120-130.  Not 200 like a brisket or a pork butt.  It will start rising soon and when it does it will hit 100+ fairly quickly.  There is no stall between 33 degrees and 125.

Also, check your thermometer.

If anything, I might shut the egg down to about 300 to minimize the difference between the outer layers of  meat and the inner portion.  

Foghorn

If I'm doing the math right - you put it on at 4:30.  You posted here about 6:00.  You plan to eat about 8:00.  If that is all true, you should be fine.  Worst case scenario, you'll eat about 8:30.  

Sea2Ski

You have a lot of mass to get through, and I second @Foghorn and turn the heat down so the outside is not well and inside raw. 

Another option that you might not want to hear but is viable, cut the roast into steaks and have ribeyes.  Not optimal or planned, but an option.

Let us know how things turn out. 

johnnyp

+1 on reducing the egg temp.  If dinner’s going to be a little late, it shouldn’t be over-cooked also.  

You’ve got this.  If your guests have to have an extra drink while waiting on dinner, they’ll just thinks it’s extra tastey.  

chasgh

ok...the center has finally started moving....SLOWLY.  Up to 30 now.  Thats a great suggestion.  I could just cut them into ribeyes worse case.  Im going to give it till about 7;00 I guess and see how much progress weve made.  Im assuming once the center starts heating it should move pretty rapidly?

Foghorn

"Im assuming once the center starts heating it should move pretty rapidly?"

Yes.  In fact, it will be easy to overshoot your target temp because the cold center will be surrounded by a mass of hotter meat so you'll probably get more temp rise after you pull it off on this cook than on most.  It would definitely add insult to injury if you overcook the center - because you altered your plan in order to deal with a frozen center...  Don't go down that path.

chasgh

Fantastic advice....so to avoid that just pull it off earlier and plan on a good 10 degree rise?  

g8golfer

chasgh said:

Fantastic advice....so to avoid that just pull it off earlier and plan on a good 10 degree rise?  

Most of the time it will rise about 5 degrees once you pull it. 

Foghorn

chasgh said:

Fantastic advice....so to avoid that just pull it off earlier and plan on a good 10 degree rise?  

Yes.

10-12.  Depending on how long you are going to let it rest before slicing.  

SmokingPiney

chasgh said:

ok...the center has finally started moving....SLOWLY.  Up to 30 now.  Thats a great suggestion.  I could just cut them into ribeyes worse case.  Im going to give it till about 7;00 I guess and see how much progress weve made.  Im assuming once the center starts heating it should move pretty rapidly?

I screwed up last year on a cook with this same mistake - a 3 day thaw in the fridge and the center was still frozen. I cut it into steaks and pressed on over higher heat. It was OK, but not what I was planning. 

I now thaw well ahead of time and temp the raw roast before I put it on - a hard lesson learned. 

td66snrf

Are you sure about your thermometer?  If you're reading 30 that means it would be frozen solid. 

chasgh

Moving nicely now up to 55...yes, in fact got a thermapen for Christmas and stuck it at the time and got exactly the same reading as the Smoke probe.  We've moved 25 degrees in a half hour so thats about 1 per minute.  Thats a pretty healthy pace I believe.  At this point Im throttling back on the temp so not to overcook the outside.  I suppose backing it down to 325 or so?  Any thoughts on that? Fog you appear to be dead on with your advice!

SmokingPiney

chasgh said:

Moving nicely now up to 55...yes, in fact got a thermapen for Christmas and stuck it at the time and got exactly the same reading as the Smoke probe.  We've moved 25 degrees in a half hour so thats about 1 per minute.  Thats a pretty healthy pace I believe.  At this point Im throttling back on the temp so not to overcook the outside.  I suppose backing it down to 325 or so?  Any thoughts on that? Fog you appear to be dead on with your advice!

I have felt your pain, @chasgh. Press on and have a good cook. 

td66snrf

I'd back it down to 250 to 275. It will  take it  a while to get the temp to drop that much. 

Foghorn

td66snrf said:

I'd back it down to 250 to 275. It will  take it  a while to get the temp to drop that much. 

This.  Even if you cut the airflow down quite a bit you probably won't get down below 275 before the meat is done.

Foghorn

I suspect that if you check your meat that is 3/4" deep, it is 150 or so.  The heat from the outer meat is surrounding the cold meat and will cook it just fine.  Additional heat from the egg is barely necessary.  And the more there is, the browner your peripheral meat gets.  

chasgh

I think youre right...i cut the vents down to low and slow butt position and just got it down to 285.  Temp in center now 106..screaming to the finish line!

lousubcap

Look at this as a great learning opportunity.  You have a knowledge base upon which to build.  Great eats await. 

Foghorn

When you get a chance, let us know how it turned out.

chasgh

Turned out great, Fog.  Just a tad cooked more than i wanted but the girls loved it.  Thanks so much for the advice...truly what this site is about!  I would have sworn i was screwed 2 hours prior but you talked me off the ledge.  Pulled at 125 and rested about 20 minutes.  

milesvdustin

Thats money in the bank right there! 

lousubcap

Way to stay the course and bring it home.  Congrats.
Happy New Year.

Jai-Bo

Great outcome!!!  Congrats!

Foghorn

Great outcome.  Glad it turned out for you.  

And you're right about this site.  It has save me more than once.  Pay it forward.