Standing Rib Roast - Montreal Steak Rub	Originally posted: 12/01/2002 Last updated: 12/16/2012

• Buy the small end (ribs 10-12) of a standing rib roast.
• Have the butcher tie the roast, or tie it yourself at each bone.
• Leave the bones intact for better moisture retention and flavor.
• Apply Worcestershire sauce and Montreal Steak Seasoning, refrigerating overnight.
• Cook at 325-350°F.
• Remove from cooker 5-10°F below the final internal temperature desired.
• Cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.

Montreal Steak Rub beef rib roast

Sliced beef rib roast

This standing rib roast was inspired by a recipe described by Mike Scrutchfield on The BBQ Forum in 1996. It has great flavor and uses just two simple ingredients that may already be in your pantry.

Here are some pictures I took when I prepared this recipe using the Weber Bullet on January 27, 2002.

As always...click on any of the pictures to view a larger image.

Three-Rib, Small-End Standing Rib Roast

Photo 1

This is a three-rib USDA Choice standing rib roast cut from the small end (ribs 10-12), weighing 5.8 pounds. The butcher tied the roast for me, so there was no prep required.

• When buying a bone-in rib roast, figure on 1 to 1-1/4 pounds pre-cooked weight per serving.
• Buy a roast with the rib bones attached. They provide better moisture retention and flavor, and act as a natural roasting rack.
• Tie the roast at each bone, as shown in this photo. This prevents the outer layer of meat from pulling away from the rib eye. Place the roast bone-side down. Cut a length of kitchen twine, loop it around the roast parallel to the first bone, bringing the two ends to the top of the roast. Pull snug and tie with whatever kind of knot you like, then repeat at each bone.
• Don't bother cutting the ribs off and tying them back on before cooking. They're easily removed once the roast is cooked.

To learn more about standing rib roasts, see the Standing Rib Roast Selection & Preparation article.

This video demonstrates how to tie a roast. Click on the video to play.

Seasoning The Roast

Photo 2

This recipe is simplicity itself and comes from a December 1996 post by Mike Scrutchfield on The BBQ Forum. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Rub the meat with Worcestershire sauce, then apply a heavy sprinkling of McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning. This rub consists of coarse salt, black pepper, dill seed, coriander seed, red pepper, garlic, and other seasonings. It's available in the spice aisle at most supermarkets.

Photo 2 shows how the roast looked after the application of Worcestershire sauce and rub.

Wrap tightly in Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let sit at room temperature for two hours before cooking.

Selecting The Smoke Wood

You don't want to overpower a standing rib roast with too much smoke or by using a smoke wood with a flavor that's too strong. I recommend oak, apple, cherry, or a mix of these, and use it sparingly.

I chose three medium-sized oak chunks and did not soak them in water prior to use. This will be enough wood to provide adequate smoke during the relatively short cooking time.

Firing The Cooker

Photo 3

I used Weber hardwood charcoal briquettes for this cook. Fire-up a full Weber chimney of briquettes, spread evenly in the charcoal chamber, then add another chimney full of unlit briquettes on top of the hot coals.

When all the coals are covered with ash, assemble the cooker. Put the foil-lined water pan in place, but leave it empty. Without water, the cooker will run in the 325-350°F range, and the dry heat will help create a darker exterior on the meat.

Start with all bottom vents at 50% open. Open the top vent fully and leave it that way for the entire cooking session.

Cooking Process Described

Photo 4

Place the roast on the top cooking grate, bone-side down. Insert a Polder probe into the center of the roast to monitor internal temperature during cooking.

Put the lid on the cooker and add smoke wood to the coals. The cooker will start out quite hot, but once the meat is added the temperature will begin coming down.

Cook at 325-350°F to 5-10° below the final internal temperature you want to achieve. Residual heat in the meat will cause the internal temp to rise 5-10°F during a 30 minute rest after cooking.

There's no need to baste or turn the meat during cooking.

I chose 134°F as the temp at which I would remove this roast from the cooker. After resting, the final temp would rise to about 140°F. This is a bit more done than some people prefer for a rib roast. A final internal temperature of 120-125°F will result in rare meat with some medium-rare and medium meat at the ends of the roast.

Estimated cooking time is 20-28 minutes per pound (this roast took about 20 minutes per pound).

Here's how the cooker and internal meat temperatures went during the two hour cooking process.

Note that the vent percentages represent the way I set the vents at the time indicated.

Carving And Serving

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Photo 8

After two hours of cooking, the roast reached 134°F. I removed it from the cooker, covered it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Photo 5 shows the roast after the rest.

Remove the butcher's twine and roll the roast onto its side so the ends of the bones are pointing straight up. Cut downward close to the bones using a sharp boning knife, or better yet, a good electric knife. A picture of cutting the bones from a standing rib roast can be found in the Prime Rib - Herb Crusted article.

Photo 6 shows the rib bones cut into individual portions.

I used an electric knife to cut perfect 1/2" slices from the now boneless roast. Photos 7-8 show the results.

In my cooking log, I wrote that the meat looked dark and rich, not burned. There was a 1/8" smoke ring, and the meat was very moist throughout. It had a rich aroma and intense flavor. The smoke flavor was perfect. And of course, the meat was naturally tender, as you'd expect from a standing rib roast.

More Beef Rib Roast Links On TVWB

• Prime Rib - Herb Crusted
• Standing Rib Roast - Dry Aged
• Standing Rib Roast - Salt & Pepper
• Standing Rib Roast Selection & Preparation

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