Majestic Prime RibMajestic Prime Rib

Makes 18 to 20 servings, more if sliced thin

Slowly pit-cooked for a beautifully smoky, decadently rich interior clad in a savory crusty char, this impressive roast is the star of any meal. Prime and choice grades are both delicious, but prime will be markedly more marbled—truly a cut above. Serve the roast with classic horseradish cream or bright, fresh, garlicky chimichurri sauce.

Note: After you take the roast off the cooker, the internal temperature will rise while the meat rests—and the higher the cooking temperature has been, the longer the meat will continue to cook in its resting state. So you can be confident that the end pieces will be more done for folks who prefer their prime rib that way, while slices from the middle will have a perfectly rare center.

Prep the meat: Remove the outer membrane from the top of the roast and the excess fat from the roll of the roast.

At least 20 minutes before cooking, sprinkle the entire piece of meat generously all over with dry rub. Set the roast on a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to put it on the cooker.

Note: You can dust the meat with rub up to 1 hour prior to cooking, but if it sits much longer than that, the salt in the rub will begin to pull moisture from the meat.

Set up the cooker for indirect-heat smoking: Open the top and bottom vents. Pile 3 pounds of the charcoal in one half of the cooker, leaving the other half empty. Load a charcoal chimney one-quarter full of charcoal and light it. When the coals in the chimney are glowing, dump them on top of the pile of charcoal in the cooker. Set half the wood on top of the coals, replace the grate, and put the meat on the cooker, bottom (flatter) side down, over the side with no coals (the indirect cooking area). Close the lid.

Don’t open the cooker for 1 hour, but keep a close eye on the temperature (see page 84 for how best to assess and monitor cooker temperature); when it reaches 275°, which might happen very quickly, close the vents about halfway so that less air comes in to feed the fire and the heat in the cooker rises slowly. Let the temperature climb to between 285° and 300° (see page 77 for how to determine your target temperature). Maintain your target temperature for the duration of the cook.

Throughout the entirety of the cook, be on the lookout for fluctuations in cooker temperature; whenever it dips more than 5° below target and opening the vents isn’t sufficient to bring it back up, it’s time to add a few hot coals. Reload and light the chimney as needed. If at any point the temperature climbs above your target by more than 5°, close the top and bottom vents further so that even less air comes in to feed the fire.

After an hour, open the lid and check the edge of the meat closest to the fire. If it looks like it’s beginning to brown, rotate the meat, moving the side that is farthest away closest to the fire. Never flip the roast over; instead continue rotating it so each of the four sides cooks evenly. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the meat: Insert the probe into the middle of the roast; you’re looking for a slow and steady climb toward 110°.

After the first round of wood burns, add the rest.

After the meat has been on the cooker for 3½ to 4 hours, check for doneness: If the probe slides in easily, the meat is nearly done. For rare, take the meat off the cooker when the internal temperature reaches between 110° and 115°; for medium-rare, 118° to 120°. Set it on a cutting board to rest, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Carve into 1-inch-thick slices (thinner for sandwiches) and serve with Horseradish Cream and/or Chimichurri Sauce alongside.