Plan Your Holiday Menu

In this issue of the BlueSmoke Gazette you'll find a few of my favorite recipes that would make great main courses for the Christmas dinner. Ham and standing beef rib roast are favorites for the holiday meal, and by cooking them on the smoker or the grill, they become truly special.

In This Issue You'll Find

• Grilled Prime Rib Roast
• Easy Smoked Ham Recipe
• Smoked Beef Rib Roast

Grilled Prime Rib Roast

One standing beef rib roast
One teaspoon salt
Four to six cloves garlic, minced
Two tablespoons grated horseradish
Two tablespoons olive oil

Simply combine the salt, garlic, horseradish and olive oil, coat the roast with the mixture, and grill until it reaches medium rare.

For a great tasting ham, start with one that is pre-cooked and make it better with a little added smoke flavor. Ready to eat hams need only to be warmed up before eating, and the smoker is the perfect place to do this.

The ham is basted with a fruit juice mixture as it smokes, and towards the end it is coated with a sweet glaze. You'll find the recipe at Easy Smoked Ham Recipe.

The following is an excerpt from the page, "Smoked Beef Rib Roast Recipe".

Score the fat on the roast in a criss-cross pattern. Cut just through the fat so the meat is visible. This'll let the seasonings reach the meat on the fat side.

Mince the garlic, or crush to a paste. Add the garlic to one tablespoon of the olive oil, then rub it over the entire surface of the roast. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least an hour at room temperature. The beef rib roast will cook more evenly if it starts smoking when it's warmed up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit or so. It'll cook quicker, too.

This is one piece of meat you don't want to oversmoke. Use a small amount of oak or fruitwood (apple or pear are good), and smoke the roast bone-side down. Keep the smoker temperature close to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

It can take anywhere from two to five hours to complete your prime rib roast. The main thing to watch is the internal temperature of the roast. I use a remote thermometer so I can monitor the temp without opening up the smoker.

Visit Smoked Beef Rib Roast Recipe for more information about smoking rib roasts.