Single rib of beef – reverse sear

A single rib of beef, roasted on the Traeger with wood smoke before a charcoal sear with a garlic & chive butter baste while it rests to give you that extra little wow factor – absolutely delicious!

I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again but rib of beef has to be one of the best cuts of meat you can buy, whether it’s a prime rib for your Sunday roast or a single rib as dinner for two.

A good quality cut of beef in my opinion needs very little extra flavour. No need to brine or marinate for that melt in the mouth texture either so keep it simple and let the meat speak for itself. A very simple salt and pepper rub here cooked over your favourite smoke – oak, apple, birch and hickory are all amazing – before a dirty sear and then baste with a simple garlic and chive butter while it rests.

Keep a pan with an onion and some garlic under the beef below the grill while it roasts and after a quick blitz with a couple more ingredients, you’ll find the true star of the show might just be the sauce, pour it oven, slather it across, mop it up, soak it through – absolutely delicious!

I cooked this on the Traeger with a dirty sear on my Thuros grill but would work just as well on a Kamado Joe, Big Green Egg or Weber. Equally throw it in your oven with a hot sear on a griddle pan to finish and you’ll get a good result.

what you’ll need

Equipment: Bbq with a lid. Charcoal grill/frying pan. Small saucepan.

INGREDIENTS

Single rib of beef – reverse sear:

• rib of beef, we had a 1.1kg single rib
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil

for the garlic butter & chive dressing:

• 40g lightly salted butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• tbsp fresh chives, diced

for the sauce:

• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 garlic cloves
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp red currant jelly, optional

METHOD

prep:

Light up your bbq ready for 160C indirect cooking.

Take your rib of beef from the fridge 30 minutes before begin your cook.

Rub your rib of beef all over with a little olive oil then season generously with salt & pepper.

Throw the onion and garlic for your sauce into a roasting dish.

cook:

Place your roasting dish underneath your grill – to catch any drippings from the beef.

Lay your beef on your grill. Feel free to add a wood chunk of your preference – we used apple wood pellets as we were cooking on the Traeger.

Cook for around 20 minutes/pound or until an internal thermometer reads 50C.

Reverse sear:

Prep a charcoal grill for a hot sear. If you’re using a Kamado Joe, once your beef is up to temp, just open up your bottom vent and your dome until the charcoal’s white hot. If you don’t have a charcoal grill you can sear hot over a hob in a griddle/frying pan.

Throw your butter into a small saucepan over a low heat. Once it’s melted add the garlic and chives and leave to infuse while you sear your beef.

Once the beef hit 50C remove from the grill and throw onto your charcoal/griddle pan.

Sear for 30 seconds either side, brush off any bits of charcoal that get stuck.

Remove from the charcoal and place on a board. Brush over your warm garlic & chive butter dressing. Tent with foil and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes.

Toss the caramelised veg for your sauce into a blender and add the vegetable stock and red currant jelly. Blend to a smooth sauce.

Serve:

Pour the resting juices into your sauce and blend again.

Cut the bone off the rib of beef to make life easier. Thinly slice the meat for a traditional Sunday roast or cut into larger chunks and serve with homemade chips.