The BEST Smoked Prime Rib Recipe — Big Poppa's Sriracha and Money Rub Method
Big Poppa starts by telling you he's not technically cooking prime rib — he's cooking a boneless ribeye primal, which is the same thing without the bones. Then he shows you the technique that separates a great prime rib from an overcooked, expensive mistake: Sriracha as the glue for Money rub, smoked at 250°F to 130°F on the Old Hickory, rested before carving, served with a homemade Tabasco horseradish cream. The heat from the Sriracha disappears in the smoke. The Money rub's crust stays. And presentation carving — slicing at the table — means you can control portions, keep the meat warm, and make it go further than pre-sliced ever would.
Why Sriracha Is the Right Glue for Prime Rib
Most pitmasters use mustard as a glue for rubs. Big Poppa uses Tabasco Sriracha on this prime rib — it's richer than regular Sriracha with a smoother heat profile. The reason he can use it on a $175 piece of meat without alarming people: the smoke and heat eliminate the spicy kick entirely. What remains is a complex fermented pepper flavor that deepens the bark and complements the Money rub's blend of chilies, peppers, salt, and sugar. Coat all surfaces — don't panic about the color going on.
Why leave fat on a prime rib instead of trimming it?
Fat is flavor on a prime rib, and it also protects the lean muscle beneath it during a long low-and-slow smoke. The fat cap renders slowly at 250°F, continuously basting the outer layer of the roast from the inside. Trim too aggressively and you lose that protective layer — the roast dries out faster and the bark doesn't develop the same way. Big Poppa does minimal trimming: round the corners slightly so they don't burn, that's all.
Presentation Carving: How to Serve More People from One Roast
Pre-slicing a prime rib and plating it is the fastest way to serve a crowd — and the fastest way to have dry, cold, overcooked meat by the time the last person goes through the line. Presentation carving means the roast stays whole and warm, you slice to order as people come through, and you control thickness. Thin slices for those who want it more done (the ends), thick slices from the center for medium-rare, and extra thick for the rare crowd. The roast feeds more people, stays warm longer, and the slicing itself becomes part of the event.
Full Recipe: The BEST Smoked Prime Rib
Ingredients:
- 1 boneless ribeye primal (prime rib roast, 7–10 lbs)
- Tabasco Sriracha (as glue)
- Big Poppa Smokers Money Rub
- Sour cream (for horseradish sauce)
- Prepared horseradish (to taste — enough to make your eyes water)
- Tabasco original (dash, for the horseradish sauce)
- Trim minimally. Round the corners slightly. Leave the fat cap — fat is protection and flavor. Don't over-trim.
- Apply Sriracha glue. Coat all surfaces with Tabasco Sriracha. Don't panic about the color. The heat disappears in the smoke; the fermented pepper flavor stays.
- Apply Money rub. Coat all surfaces evenly with Money rub. Go lighter on the tapered ends — wipe away excess with the knife edge to prevent over-caramelizing.
- Probe and place on the Old Hickory (or your smoker). Center the roast on the middle grate. Insert probe. Set the thicker side orientation in your head — you may flip it midway through for even cooking.
- Smoke at 250°F to 130°F internal. Approximately 3–4 hours. Monitor with your probe. Pull at 130°F — residual cook during the rest will take the edges to medium-well while the center stays medium-rare.
- Make horseradish cream. Combine sour cream with enough horseradish to make your eyes water. Add a dash of Tabasco original. Blend and refrigerate until serving.
- Rest before carving. Rest for 10–15 minutes minimum. Presentation carve at the table — slice to order, thick for rare, thin for more done, end cuts for well-done lovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
130°F internal at 250°F on the smoker — approximately 3–4 hours. The residual cook during resting brings the center to medium-rare and the edges toward medium-well, giving a range of doneness across the roast. Pull at 130°F, not higher — the carryover is part of the recipe.
Tabasco Sriracha's fermented pepper flavor complements the Money rub's chilies and spice blend without the mustard taste that traditional glue can sometimes leave. The spicy heat disappears completely during the smoke — all the flavor stays. It also creates a very even rub adhesion across all surfaces.
Yes — prime rib is a marketing name for a bone-in ribeye roast. A boneless ribeye primal (what Big Poppa cooks here) is the same cut without the bones, called a ribeye roast or rib roast. Traditional prime rib has at least 7 bones. Big Poppa prefers the boneless primal for smoking — easier to season all surfaces and easier to carve.
Presentation carving means keeping the roast whole and slicing to order at the table rather than pre-slicing. Benefits: the meat stays warm longer, you can control thickness for different doneness preferences, it feeds more people (you slice what's needed rather than exposing the whole roast), and the act of carving creates a moment at the table. For a $175 piece of meat, it's worth doing right.
Tabasco horseradish cream — sour cream, enough horseradish to make your eyes water, and a dash of Tabasco original. The acid and heat cut through the rich caramelized bark and the fatty ribeye. Big Poppa makes it about 30 minutes before the prime rib comes off the smoker so it has time to set up in the refrigerator.
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The Rub That Builds This Bark.
Money Rub and a ThermoWorks probe — watch Big Poppa cook this on the Big Poppa Smokers YouTube channel.
The BEST Smoked Prime Rib
8-12
30 minutes
3 hours 30 minutes
3
American, BBQ
Main Course, Holiday Recipes
Big Poppa's truth: he's not technically cooking prime rib — he's cooking a boneless ribeye primal, which is the same muscle without the bones. Minimal trim (fat is flavor and protection), Tabasco Sriracha as the glue, Money rub for the crust. The heat from the Sriracha disappears in the smoke — the fermented pepper flavor stays. Smoked at 250°F to 130°F on the Old Hickory, rested, then presentation carved at the table so you can control portions, keep the meat warm, and feed more people. Served with Tabasco horseradish cream.
Ingredients
1 boneless ribeye primal (prime rib roast, 7–10 lbs)
Tabasco Sriracha (as glue)
Sour cream (for horseradish sauce)
Prepared horseradish (enough to make your eyes water)
Tabasco original hot sauce (dash for the horseradish sauce)
Directions
Trim minimally — round the corners slightly, leave the fat cap. Don't over-trim.
Coat all surfaces with Tabasco Sriracha. Don't panic about the color — the heat disappears in the smoke.
Apply Money rub evenly across all surfaces. Use lighter hands on the tapered ends — wipe away any buildup with the knife edge.
Insert probe into the center of the thicker end. Place on smoker centered on the middle grate.
Smoke at 250°F to 130°F internal — approximately 3–4 hours. You may flip midway through for even cooking.
About 30 minutes before pulling, make horseradish cream: combine sour cream with enough horseradish to make your eyes water. Add a dash of Tabasco original. Refrigerate until serving.
Pull at 130°F and rest 10–15 minutes minimum. Presentation carve at the table — slice to order by thickness and doneness preference.
1 comment
For a deeper beef flavor use “Better Than Bouillon” Roasted Beef Base as a slather first on the roast. It’s really good.
Mark Ezell
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