I've got Xmas eve this year and am looking for an idea other than my usual beef tenderloin. Will have ~15 adults and a few smaller kids to feed.

Appreciate any ideas. Thanks!

Prime rib. If you want to do it on the cheap, slow roast pork shoulder is really good.

Thanks Htown. Any recommended prime rib preparations?

Either the prime rib recipe from amazingribs.com or the Thomas Keller Blowtorch Prime Rib and horseradish cream.

Gumbo
Clam Chowder
Tacos

Brisket!!!

Serious Eats prime rib reverse seared. I smoke it in my BGE to an internal of about 120 and then put the lava to it to set the crust.

Crowd pleaser.

Prime rib is just good. I have cooked it many different ways and like them all. Pick a method that works with your logistics and season it with a healthy dose of salt and pepper. It is a big piece of meat so you can salt it up pretty good. Add any additional seasonings that you like. Check out a few different recipes online.

My favorite method is reverse sear. I seared it in a big cast iron skillet the first time I did it. I won't do that again. It was a pain in the rear end, I have silicone oven mitts which get slippery and thought I was going to drop the roast. The sear was great but a little trouble.

I now do as Aggie Chemist does and raise the temp to inferno. This is easier but you have to make sure you do not get distracted and walk away. You can go from sear to "oops" really quick.

Just roasting in the over is also good. The best thing about it is being able to collect the drippings to use for an Au Jus better than some other methods.

My least favorite method was a traditional slow cook. It was really good, the smoke was a bit too strong for such a good piece of meat. It tasted a little too much like brisket (@ 10x the price). Plus you can't really make an Au Jus, its too smoky.

AggieChemist hits another key point. Remove about 120 deg, cover and let it rest. As long as you do that, it should be good no matter what method you choose.

AggieChemist said:

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Serious Eats prime rib reverse seared. I smoke it in my BGE to an internal of about 120 and then put the lava to it to set the crust.

Crowd pleaser.

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Am new to the BGE but I think this is the way I'm going to go.
How long did you rest it between 120 and the sear? Would you go with a larger roast or two medium sized ones? Cooking for about 30

prime rib for 15 adults is a lot. How many lbs of bone-in would you cook for that?

Make a pile of carnitas and do tacos. that would be a lot cheaper and probably easier.

I usually go with a pound per person because of the bones. I usually also cook ham because it is easy.

It is expensive. That is why it is a special occupation meal. I am not a rich guy but I love prime rib and having it for Christmas and maybe Easter fills the craving. It is still cheaper than going out for it.

Maybe a new criterion for for people is, "Are they prime rib worthy?"

For 15+ people with kids, I'd do a multi-course meal.

Antipasto: charcuterie, mixed cold cuts

Primo: gnochetti and sauce Prepare the sauce day before, pasta day of

Secondo: I'd do a honey-baked ham, with green beans and mashed potatoes as a side dish

Insalata: caprese, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves, drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar on the side, easy

Dolce: Cannoli

Coffe and after dinner drinks

and you're done

This is Texas!

Tamales or GTFO

In.

I do bone in prime rib for 30+ every Christmas. Favorite meal of the year. Smoke it on BGE to 120, set aside and cover while raising temp of BGE for ten minutes or so. Cook quickly on all sides to crust. Remove and let sit for 10-20 minutes before cutting. Cut the bone off and tie back on with butcher twine before cooking. Makes cutting much easier.

Do you do one large or two medium sized ?
What size egg?

Boeuf Bourguignon is what we do since it's easy to serve and ready to eat when we get home from church.

I usually do two 7-8 pounders and I have an XL BGE.

This is about as simple as it gets, but incredibly good, do not underestimate how good straight up roasted pork shoulder can be. I've made this several times, great for a crowd.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/12/ultra-crispy-slow-roasted-pork-shoulder-recipe.html

I'll do a big pot of seafood gumbo Christmas Eve. Then hand cut ribeye steaks for Christmas dinner.

We will have a ham also just because its Christmas. We quit the Christmas turkey several years ago and don't miss it. It's kind of expensive to buy the entire ribeye roll, but once a year it's fun to cut a 3" ribeye cook to rare and enjoy it.

My mother in law will want it cooked more, but I refuse to cook a steak past Medium rare. Anyone wanting it past that can ruin their own steak in the microwave as far as I'm concerned.

Where do you find a skin on pork shoulder? Never seen one in the wild. In DFW.

jtp01 said:

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My mother in law will want it cooked more, but I refuse to cook a steak past Medium rare. Anyone wanting it past that can ruin their own steak in the microwave as far as I'm concerned.

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Why can't you just cook that one steak the way she wants and avoid the drama? It seems ot be an easy way to keep your MIL happy, just serve her the shoe leather and smile at her knowing she's eating shoe leather.