Enjoy a Grilled Rib Roast On That Special Occasion!

Often a holiday treat, grilled rib roast is great eating and a good way to splurge when you have a few extra bucks to spare. Even now, with the economy in the dumps, it can really cheer people up to bite into a tender, juicy piece of beef rib roast.

A whole rib roast is made up of 7 ribs and the meat surrounding them. The small end, also called the first cut, is considered to be better quality than the second cut/large end.

The small end is found towards the rear of the animal, and includes four rib bones. It's a little more tender, and usually less fatty than the large end, though either section is a fine piece of meat.

How big of a rib roast will you need? You can figure on a roast serving 2 persons per rib...a rib roast containing 4 rib bones will typically serve 8 people. But then again, consider who you'll be feeding. I can easily put down one rib's worth of meat on my own.

An Easy Rib Roast Recipe For The Grill

A rib roast is a big cut of beef, and can handle a lot of added flavor. Garlic and black pepper enhance the flavor of the roast nicely. This recipe uses both.

INGREDIENTS

• One 4-bone rib roast
  
  
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
  
  
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  
  
• 8 cloves of garlic
  
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  

In a small saute pan, cook the garlic cloves in the oil until just tender. Remove and cool. If you don't precook the garlic, it will remain pretty much raw. Precooking improves the garlic flavor imparted into the meat.

With a small paring knife, cut small pockets into the roast about one inch deep. Space the pockets evenly so there are two per each rib section. Insert the cooked garlic cloves into the pockets.

Season the outside of the rib roast liberally with salt and pepper. Allow the roast to sit a room temperature while you prepare the grill for indirect cooking.

When your grill has preheated, place the rib roast on the grate (with heat on either side, not underneath). Insert a remote thermometer probe into the thickest part of the roast, away from any bone or fat. Close the grill lid.

Cook your grilled rib roast until the internal temperature reaches a point 5-10 degrees below the done temperature you're shooting for.

Rare	130ºF	Remove at 120-125ºF
Medium Rare	140ºF	Remove at 130-135ºF
Medium	150ºF	Remove at 140-145ºF

Cook The Grilled Rib Roast To The Desired Internal Temperature

A rib roast is best when cooked to rare or medium rare. If you prefer it more done than that, remove it when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. There will be just a hint of pinkness in the meat at that level of doneness.

Depending on your grill temperature, it will take roughly 1/2 hour per rib cooking time - a 4 rib roast will take approximately 2 hours. But that's just a guideline. Always use a good remote thermometer, and monitor the temperature constantly.

When your rib roast is done, remove it from the grill and place the platter on your kitchen counter. Cover it loosely with a piece of foil and let it rest for 20 minutes.

And just for kicks, leave your thermometer probe in the roast and watch that internal temperature rise as the rib roast just sits there. It'll usually rise another 10 degrees.

And now, it's time to serve your guests.