Rotisserie Beef Prime Rib Roast. The king of beef roasts is fantastic cooked on the rotisserie. The spinning rotisserie bastes the roast in its own juices, giving it a gorgeous crisp browned crust. The trick to this simple recipe, other than the rotisserie, is salting a day ahead. This dry brines the roast and lets the salt season deep into the roast.
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Why Prime Rib?
And now, my preferred cut of beef. Prime rib. There will be no messing around with it. Beef with salt, pepper, time to rest, and a spin in the grill. This recipe is simple perfection.
*It's so simple that I hesitate to call it a recipe. It's almost all technique. Salt the beef early, then cook it over a rotisserie until it's medium rare. Done.
The key to this recipe is the beef. You really want a Prime rib roast, not just a regular beef roast. Yes, it will be expensive. In a recipe this simple, the quality of the ingredients (ingredient?) really stands out.
*It will work with a good rib roast. It won't be the transcendent experience that a Prime roast is, but it will work.
Prime rib is what I'm cooking for my side of the family at our Christmas dinner. It's not that my wife's side of the family doesn't like beef; they do. But us Vrobels, we LOVE our beef.
*I've been beef heavy on the blog recently. We'll have a more balanced diet in the new year. But for right now, it's Christmas! It's time to celebrate! This is one of the meals that I will pass up Christmas cookies for, just to make sure I have extra room. Yes, it's that good.
What to serve with Prime Rib
I love horseradish with my prime rib, so I always make a batch of my Quick Horseradish Sauce. I'll also make mashed potatoes, or toss some potatoes in the pan under the beef and make Rotisserie Pan Potatoes. For something green, I like to go with green beans or asparagus. Oh, and of course, wine. I like a good Californian Cabernet Sauvignon with this big beef roast. (A French Bordeaux from St. Emillion or Lalande de Pomerol are also good. Or Italian super Tuscan wine are also good.)
Equipment
- Grill with Rotisserie attachment (I use a Weber Summit with an infrared rotisserie burner. Here is the current version of my grill.)
- Aluminum foil drip pan (9“x13”, or whatever fits your grill. I use an enameled steel roasting pan.)
- Butchers twine
- Instant Read Thermometer
Substitutions and Variations
- Herb Crust: See my Rotisserie Rib Roast with a Herb Crust recipe
- Smoking wood: Add one fist sized sized piece of smoking wood to the coals when you put the roast on the grill. I would use oak, preferably a Wine Barrel Stave
, but hickory would be acceptable. - Butter basted: Use the butter baste from my Rotisserie Beef Tenderloin. There is a lot of fat in a prime rib roast, so this borders on overkill. If you're into overkill, go for it.
, but hickory would be acceptable.Tips and Tricks
- As I said in the opening, the key to this recipe is the Prime beef. The better the beef, the better the outcome. My top choices would be Prime, then Certified Angus, then...well, at that point, have you considered a Christmas ham?
- A Rib roast is very thick; even with the pre-salting, the center of the roast is basically unseasoned. You should pass some salt at the table for your guests to sprinkle on the sliced pieces of roast. Use Kosher salt, or a flaky sea salt, like Maldon or Fleur De Sel de Camargue.
- I cut the ribs off of the roast and serve them on the side, for people who like to eat with their hands. (Like me.) If no one is looking, I eat one of the ribs after I'm done carving. Or while I'm carving, if I'm hungry enough.
- I Frenched the bones on the roast in the pictures - I cut the meat and fat between the bones away, so they poke out. It makes the roast look pretty, but you get less meat on the bones.
I wrote a cookbook!
Rotisserie Grilling Cookbook
New to your rotisserie and need help with the basics? Love your rotisserie and looking for new ideas? Grab a copy of Rotisserie Grilling! You'll get 50 of my favorite rotisserie recipes and expert tips on how to set up and use your rotisserie.
Rotisserie Beef Prime Rib Roast Recipe
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 8-12 1x
Description
Rotisserie Beef Prime Rib Roast. The king of beef roasts is fantastic cooked on the rotisserie.
Ingredients
- 1 Bone in Prime rib roast - (A 2 bone, 4 pound roast serves 4-6; a 5 bone, 10 pound roast serves 8-12)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt per pound of roast (4 teaspoons for a 4 pound roast)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper per pound of roast (2 teaspoons for a 4 pound roast)
Instructions
- Pre-salt the beef: Two hours before cooking, trim any excess fat off the outside of the rib roast, then sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt. Let the salted roast rest at room temperature for two hours. (You can salt the roast up to 24 hours in advance; if you do, wrap the roast tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until two hours before cooking. Remove from the refrigerator, take off the plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for the last two hours.)
- Prepare the grill: Prepare your rotisserie for cooking. Set it up for indirect high heat (450°F+) for a 4-6 pound roast, or medium-high heat (400°F) for a 6+ pound roast. For my Weber kettle, I light a chimney starter full of charcoal for high, or ¾ full for medium-high. Once the charcoal is covered in ash, I pour it in two equal piles on the sides of the grill, and put the drip pan in the middle, between the piles. On my Weber Summit, I turn burners 1 and 6 to high, and set the infrared rotisserie burner to high, preheat the grill for 10 minutes, then adjust the burners to get my target temperature.
- Truss and Skewer the Roast: While the grill is heating, truss the roast between each bone with the butcher's twine, skewer the roast on your rotisserie spit, and secure to the spit with the spit forks.
- Cook the Roast: Put the spit on the rotisserie, start the motor spinning, and cook with the lid closed. (On a charcoal grill, add 16 coals (8 to each pile) after each hour of cooking to keep the heat going; on a gas grill with an infrared rotisserie burner, turn off the infrared burner after the roast is browning well, about 30 minutes.) The roast is done when it reaches 120°F in the thickest part for medium-rare (115°F for rare, 125°F for medium. Beyond that, you're on your own.) The cooking time is determined by the thinnest part of the roast. Assume about 15 minutes a pound of cooking time up to eight pounds. (After that, the width of the roast becomes more important than the weight and the cooking time levels off.) A four pound roast is done in about an hour; start checking the temperature after 45 minutes. An eight pound or larger roast will be done in about 2 hours; start checking the temperature at an hour and a half. Check the temperature every 10-15 minutes, depending on how close you're getting to done.
- Rest, then Carve the Roast: Remove the spit from the grill, remove the roast from the spit, and remove the trussing twine from the roast. Cover the roast with foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Carve the bones off of the roast, then carve the roast into ½ thick slices. Pour any juices on the carving board back over the roast, and serve.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Rotisserie
- Cuisine: American
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Rotisserie Rib Roast, Reverse Seared
Rotisserie Ribeye Roast with a Herb Crust
Rotisserie Beef Tenderloin, Herb Butter Basted
Rotisserie Pan Potatoes
Click here for my other rotisserie recipes.
Inspired by:
Steven Raichlen's: Primal Grill: One Good Turn. [primalgrill.org]
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through the links on this site. (Like my Rotisserie Grilling cookbook...)
Lang
I am replying to a 3 year old comment, just in case it can be helpful to anyone else reading this. Salt does pull moisture out of the meat. But it a roast this size the moisture loss is minimal. The key here is that the salt draws PROTINE LADEN moisture to the surface which is key for the Maillard Reaction. Maillard is a complex physical and chemical reaction that takes place when protein is exposed to heat. It results in the beautiful brown exterior that we all love so much. Early salting can mean the difference between a gray, bland looking roast and a wonderfully deep brown delicious looking roast that you can't wait to devour.
Dave Lozeau
This, IMHO, is spot on.
Mike V
Thank you!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner
Looks good!
Patrick Browne
As seen in this prime rib rotisserie video from last Sun. things got off to a great start:
http://youtu.be/cBSEpsPpyhM
Although it almost didn't work out, in the end it all worked out deliciously!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner
You're welcome!
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has an annual rotisserie prime rib - though ours is usually on Christmas.
Linda C.
Our son borrowed the weber rotisserie from a friend on New Years to cook our annual prime rib. It was the best ever! Could never roast it in a conventional oven again. We bought him the weber rotisserie for his birthday and a prime rib to cook for the entire family. This may become an expensive. thanks for the tips!
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner
@Bill C:
I always cook covered. Especially in winter; you need to trap as much heat in the grill as you can.
As for cooking too quickly, I check the temperature of the roast with my instant read thermometer every half hour or so...less if it's really cold.
Bill C.
Hi Mike V,
I have been cooking our 13-15 pound Christmas Prime Rib Roast on the rotisserie (charcoal) for the last five years. We live up here in the Great Northwest and it is often cold and windy in December. The biggest problem I've had is the roast cooking too fast when covered or too slowly when not covered. Any suggestions?
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner
@Slipper's Mom:
Thank you for the kind words. And the "lions fighting over a zebra" line...I nearly spit my ice water onto my computer screen.
Slippers' Mom
Best Prime rib ever!!!! We ate it standing in the kitchen, never made it to the table. Must have looked like a bunch of lions fighting over a zebra!!
Love your site...I was so delighted to get a Weber Summit w/ rotisserie and so disappointed when even Weber couldn't help me use it. Made quite a few of your recipes and enjoyed every one!
For the comment about a pan sauce for prime rib: kind of like gilding the lily but try an herb butter; simple, clean, and "everything is better with butter"
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner
@Anonymous:
I'm a fan of early salting for beef. You're right, salting the beef does pull some moisture out...but if you let it sit for an hour or more, the moisture and salt become a brine, and the moisture is re-absorbed. So, either salt at least an hour ahead of time, or right before cooking.
See the notes section in my Award winning ribeye steak recipe for a more thorough explanation, and When Should You Salt Meat? for the results of a test on early or late salting.
Anonymous
I noticed you add salt as much as 24 hours in advance in this recipe. Usually when I cook beef (anywhere from steak to brisket) I add the salt right before it goes on. In my experience adding salt for any amount of time prior to that will produce drier results due to the salt pulling the moisture out of the beef to the surface. Brines are a different thing. Have you tried it both ways with this recipe? Just trying to understand why the salt would be added so early. Thanks!
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner
@Greg
Thank you, Greg!
Greg
Very nice!
This might be the nudge I needed to by the rotisserie for my kettle.
Greg
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner
@Three Cooks (aka Pam at ThreeManyCooks.com)
Sauce! Yes, absolutely. With the Rotisserie Prime Rib I always make a horseradish cream sauce (my recipe is embedded in my Rotisserie Beef Tenderloin recipe).
*I updated the post to move the horseradish sauce into a more obvious spot. Thanks for pointing this out.
I also put a spoon on my serving platter, and pour the juices from carving the roast onto the platter. Even after resting, I usually get a good quarter-cup of juice when I carve.
I haven't tried a pan sauce with rotisserie (or grilled) Prime Rib yet. When I took the pictures for this post, the pan drippings were pretty burnt on the one side of the pan. You can see a hint of this in my picture at the top of the recipe.
*Also, I love rotisserie pan potatoes (recipe here), and they usually absorb whatever would make a pan sauce.
I have done a pan sauce in the past with rotisserie turkey. I poured off the fat and scraped the drippings into a saucepan. Then I added some homemade turkey stock, and the juices from the carving board, and simmered it down by about half.
It was good, but doesn't have quite as deep a flavor as you get with an oven roast, where you get some good fond to deglaze into your sauce.
Three Cooks
Love great prime rib, and I'm with you. I'd give up cookies for an extra couple of ounces of meat. Do you sauce your prime rib? If so, do share.