In partnership with Meater

The release of the new Meater 2 Plus wireless thermometer got us excited for some different and unique cooks that could really take the Meater to new temperature heights. So armed with our Traeger grill, a gorgeous prime rib and the Meater 2 Plus we cooked up this amazing smoked-fried prime rib, providing inspiration for holiday meals to come.

Sliced smoked-fried prime rib on a cutting board. — Sliced smoked-fried prime rib

PRIME RIB FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Prime rib is a perfect special-occasion cook for your family and friends to enjoy during the holiday season. We occasionally pick them up a couple other times during the year for a treat, but for Christmas, Passover and Easter, we really wouldn’t want to pick anything else. The nice thing about a big roast like a prime rib is that the end result has varying levels of cook finish, so the rare to well-done crowds can be met.

HOW TO SELECT A PRIME RIB

Picking a prime rib for your cook really depends mostly on personal preference. If you’re ordering a prime rib from an online retailer like Snake River Farms, you will have less opportunity to select your own, but you know it’ll be amazing Waygu steak. Well marbled and flavorful, you cannot go wrong.

WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

If you’re shopping for a prime rib at the butcher shop, grocery store or retailer like Costco, you’ll want to look for a few features:

Grade: we recommend a prime or above grade for your prime rib (hence the name) but you can also pull of an amazing meal with a choice prime rib.
Marbling: look for lots of marbling, throughout the meat.
Fat cap: a nice fat cap (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) is a nice element of a great prime rib. It renders down as it cooks to keep the meat juicy and moist.
Bones: if you like, get a bone-in prime rib. It is an impressive presentation and there will no doubt be diners who will happily steal a bone off the cutting board. There are posts on my site (like this one) that shares more about cooking a bone-in prime rib.

HOW MANY POUNDS TO FEED YOUR CROWD

We recommend you budget about 1 pound of prime rib per person. If it’s a bone-in prime rib, remember that you will need to add some weight to your calculation since the bones add some heft to the overall total. For this smoked-fried prime rib, you get a pretty rich bite of meat so a little under 1 pound may do the trick. But remember that some people will eat more than their budgeted share, and there’s nothing wrong with leftovers!

Smoked-fried prime rib sliced in half. — Smoked-fried prime rib cooked medium rare

WAIT… FRIED PRIME RIB?

You read that right… we’re smoking a prime rib and then dunking it in the fryer for this recipe. The incredible crust that results from a quick deep fry at the end of the smoking (in place of searing) is worth the extra effort.

WHAT YOU NEED TO FRY A PRIME RIB

To smoke-fry a prime rib, you only need a few ingredients and a few tools. When doing this myself, we used our turkey fryer because of the ease of use, cleanup and safety. But if you have a large enough pot and burner (outdoors if possible), you definitely don’t need a deep fryer.

A prime rib frying in a turkey fryer. — Fry the prime rib after smoking

In addition, you most definitely need a Meater 2 Plus for this cook. The new Meater thermometer system that was launched this week is revolutionizing the cooking world. With the ability to be fully submerged, it’s totally perfect for this smoked-fried prime rib recipe!

DON’T FORGET TO SMOKE IT FIRST

But before you get to the frying, be sure to smoke the prime rib first. A nice bath in the Traeger’s wood-fired smoke until nearly cooked will bring out the best in your end result

THE MEATER 2 Plus MAKES IT EASY!

Earlier this week, Meater released their newest device, the Meater 2 Plus wireless thermometer system. It goes to higher temperatures, has a smaller camber probe, is fully submersible and the newly updated app is full of amazing information and guidance.

Meater 2 Plus system on a towel. — The Meater 2 Plus is amazing

FEATURES OF THE MEATER 2 Plus

With Meater’s newest cutting-edge Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer, the ultimate kitchen tool that elevates your cooking experience to new heights! Say goodbye to guesswork and overcooked meals, and hello to perfectly cooked meats, every single time.

YES YOU CAN FRY A PRIME RIB WITH A MEATER 2 Plus

Because of the new design of the Meater 2 Plus, the probes are able to be fully submerged AND they can go in the dishwasher. Truly revolutionary technology in a smaller camber probe.

You can use the new Meater 2 Plus probe in deep frying and sous vide cooking. The sky is the limit!

Target temperature of 135* for the smoked-fried prime rib. — Set a target finish temp of 135*

Meater app tracking the smoked-fried prime rib cook. — Set a target finish temp of 135*

NEW TECHNOLOGY IS ASTOUNDING

Some of the features of the new Meater 2 Plus are super cool. A rundown includes:

With Smart Temp™ Multisensor technology, MEATER 2 Plus finds the true lowest temperature of your meat, guiding you to the perfect meal.
Waterproof: deep fry and sous vide cook, then clean it in the dishwasher.
Fast Charging: by the time you finish exploring the MEATER app, you’re charged for your first 2-hour cook. A short 15-minute charge is enough to last 12 hours.
Accuracy: lab tested through a 3-point calibration process, the sensors are ‡0.3°C, and each MEATER 2 Plus comes with a Certificate of Calibration.
Wireless technology: equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 Coded PHY.
Flame Guard™ design increases the ambient max to 500°C, allowing you to open flame grill, deep fry, and high heat sear so you can cook just how you like.
Alerts: get alerts”when to remove your meat from heat, how long to rest, and when it’s time to eat. Set your own custom alerts based on internal and ambient temperatures or time to fully tailor your own cooking experience.
An app so friendly, you can leave it with your kids.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH A SMOKED-FRIED PRIME RIB

A smoked-fried prime rib is a rich and decadent cook and you can serve it with any number of sides. Traditionally, mashed potatoes and a vegetable would be perfect. You can also make popovers, and there is a great recipe for those in my cookbook, which you can pick up here.

And don’t forget to serve it with creamy horseradish sauce! Combine mayo, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, herbs and salt to taste.

Ingredients for horseradish sauce- mayo, sour cream, horseradish, lemon and herbs. — Creamy horseradish sauce ingredients

PRIMARY INGREDIENTS

Prime rib roast (we used a boneless one to get the most consistent cook)
Seasoning (we used my Garlic Junkie rub from Spiceology)
Vegetable oil

WHY COOKING A SMOKED-FRIED PRIME RIB ON THE TRAEGER WORKS

Smoked prime rib is one of my favorite things to cook on the Traeger. It comes out perfect every time– a beautiful consistent cook throughout and it’s cooked to perfection with the help of the Meater 2 Plus thermometer. The smoke that the prime rib cooks in initially permeates the meat and provides a super flavorful flavor base. Then once it’s deep fried to finish, it comes out perfectly with caramelized crust that everyone will enjoy.

STEP-BY-STEP

Preheat your Traeger grill to 250*.
Unwrap the prime rib and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Season the prime rib roast all over with Garlic Junkie seasoning.
Pro tip- put the Garlic Junkie in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to get a finer texture.
Allow the rub to sit on the meat for about 10-15 minutes before placing it in the preheated grill.
Insert the Meater 2 Plus probe in the thickest part of the roast and pair it with the app.
Set your desired temperature and plan the meat in the grill.
Close the lid and allow it to cook, following the progress on the Meater 2 Plus app.
About 15 minutes before reaching the searing temperature for the meat (100*), preheat your turkey fryer or large pan with oil.
You will want enough oil to almost submerge the meat.
Preheat the oil to 375 *.
When the prime rib has reached 100* in the smoker, pull it from the grill.
Carefully submerge the prime rib in the hot oil.
Fry the smoked prime rib in the oil until the Meater app reads 110*.
Pull the meat from the smoker and allow the oil to drip away.
Place the prime rib on a cutting board and tent loosely with foil for at least 30 minutes.
Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes with the Meater probe inside while the carryover cook continues. When it reaches 130*, we pulled out the probe and sliced to enjoy.
Using a long slicing knife, cut the prime rib into 1/2 inch slices.
Serve your smoked-fried prime rib with creamy horseradish sauce, sides and enjoy!

Unseasoned prime rib on a cutting board with a bottle of Garlic Junkie. — Smoked-fried prime rib ingredients

Prime rib seasoned heavily in Garlic Junkie. — Smoked-fried prime rib ingredients

ALTERNATE RECIPES/ PRODUCT LINKS

Here are some other holiday inspired recipes to consider:

And some prime rib recipes to try out too:

And the products we used in cooking up this Smoked-Fried Prime Rib:

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