British BBQ Society Forums

I don't know how many times I've cooked rib of beef, either in the oven or on the Weber, but I've only ever cooked a single rib, because that's all I've ever needed to cook.

This Christmas we had a tribe over. We'd decided on beef, and Me Julie said she was fed up with rib because it wasn't a proper roast with a big layer of fat on it (if you think of the very thin strip of fat on the top of a single rib, you'll see what she means).

I told her rib tastes best and is cheap, and showed her a couple of photos of 3 & 4 rib joints and she liked the look of them, so we went for that.

I got a joint of three ribs, weighed almost exactly 3kg (2,995g), and cost just £24from the local farm shop.

Following a recipe I cooked it on full welly for 15 minutes, then 65 minutes at 180 degrees. Half an hour to go (timing set by the roast poatoes, which need to be served bang on time) and internal temperature had only gone up to 28 degrees C - I was aiming for 55 for medium-rare.

Panic stations!

I turned the oven up to full welly again, and gave it an extra 10 minutes, so it only got a 20 minute rest rather rthan 30 minutes.

Amazingly, the result was perfection! The crust on the outside was deliciously bitter-sweet caramelised, the outer meat was grey-brown well done, lovely 'turkish delight' rare in the middle, and some medium-rare in between.

Best beef I've ever cooked.

Indeed, it was so tasty I didn't have any horseradish or mustard with it - just a very little s&p.

Steve W

Sounds amazing, got any photos?

No, sorry. Last thing on my mind on Christmas Day I'm afraid.

If I do it again I'll take some snaps.

BTW, I think maybe the most important thing to note here is the value of the Thermapen. Had I not had one I'd probablt have cooked the meat by the recipe, and we'd have ended up with a bit of cooked beef on the outside, and lots of raw/blue in the middle.

That might be some people's cup of tea, but I'm the only one at the table who'd have tried the less-cooked part.

I think it also shows the importance of trying to work in as much time/wriggle-room as possible. I'd accounted for 30 minutes resting time, and I'm glad I did. In gthe end the only thing that had to change was that we had the Yorkshires with the meal rather than as a starter.

Steve W

Having been bought Hugh Fernly Wittingstalls book on Meat when we first met by The Foodtaster I'd always cooked Beef it by his temperature method and it has always been perfect. So for a giggle I set the timer as well. I had just removed the probe when the timer went off!!!!!

Steve what beef joint do you normally buy if Bone-in-Rib is considered cheap? Generally it's one of the most expensive joints, certainy around here. Great that it turned out nicely for you...

booker have rib of beef on offer until the 4th Jan, well worth getting one for the freezer if you have the space. Cooked a full for rib this year but also cooked a sirloin as an alternative to a whole ribeye, although good will stick to the trusty ribeye from now on,

We had a chunk of "forerib". Never had it before.
The meat was absolutely delicious, but it was VERY fatty. Is this normal for this cut, or did we get a dud.
It weighed 6.5Kg, we cooked it for 4 hours (didnt use the Thermapen ). We both love rare beef but after the first few slices,we realised it was going to have to go back in. Teach me to use a recipe....

It is fatty but thats exactly what you want with beef hence the price of kobe etc fat adds to the flavour and will render nicely as part of the cooking process.

Yes forerib is fatty but as Toby rightly says that's where the flavour is, compare ribeye to sirloin and there's your answer.

keith157 wrote:Having been bought Hugh Fernly Wittingstalls book on Meat when we first met by The Foodtaster I'd always cooked Beef it by his temperature method and it has always been perfect. So for a giggle I set the timer as well. I had just removed the probe when the timer went off!!!!!

Steve what beef joint do you normally buy if Bone-in-Rib is considered cheap? Generally it's one of the most expensive joints, certainy around here. Great that it turned out nicely for you...

Round these parts it's called crop. At my local farm shop it's c.£10/KG, currently just under, so the 3kg joint came in at £24-£25.

Whenever I buy a joint of beef it's rib, but until this Christmas it's always been a single rib, which is usually c.1kg, so about £10.

Noy as cheap as brisket or silverside, but I wouldn't dry roast those anyway - the only joints you should really roast in a traditional way are rib, sirloin or fillet. Anything else I'd do as a pot roast.

Steve W

Toby wrote:booker have rib of beef on offer until the 4th Jan, well worth getting one for the freezer if you have the space. Cooked a full for rib this year but also cooked a sirloin as an alternative to a whole ribeye, although good will stick to the trusty ribeye from now on,

It's the exact opposite for me, my family prefer the less fatty sirloin any day of the week, that's people for you