Smoked Ribeye Roast - keto, whole30

A super easy ribeye roast recipe that you can prep quickly any day of the week. This smoked ribeye roast is seasoned perfectly: juicy and tender on the inside with a smoky caramelized crust on the outside.

This Smoked Ribeye Roast is the best because it's got a little of everything: smoky goodness, a flavorful mix of rosemary, mustard seed, onion and garlic powder, celery salt, and sea salt, and a caramelized crust with the most tender, juicy center. These layers of flavor can only be achieved by slow cooking in a smoker. Prepping this recipe couldn't be easier -- the hardest part is waiting for the roast to cook, but believe me when I say: the end result is worth the wait.

Is Ribeye roast and prime rib the same cut of meat?

A ribeye is cut from a rib roast, which is a huge section made up of 7 rib bones. The rib roast can weigh up to 30 pounds, and individual ribeye steaks are cut from this section. This section of meat is known for its tender, marbled muscle -- the marbling adds a nice amount of fat and flavor to the meat for a deliciously juicy steak.

When it comes to the difference between ribeye roast and prime rib, prime rib is just a big roast cut that includes the ribeye. Ribeye is just a steak cut from the roast, with the bone removed. Both options result in a perfectly marbled, incredibly tender and full of flavor cut.

How to smoke a beef roast

If you're wondering how to cook a ribeye roast, my preferred method is smoking, but let's back up a little bit. First, I highly recommend curing the ribeye roast by letting it sit in the fridge, salted, for 24 hours. This isn't required, but it will give you the best result. Next, you'll want to sear your ribeye roast in a skillet with a bit of avocado oil to develop a crust and lock in all the juices. After a nice crust has formed, you'll let the roast cool while you put together a spice rub and then coat the ribeye liberally on all sides with the rub. Finally, you'll smoke the ribeye low and slow until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F (for medium rare).

Once you hit that desired internal temperature, tent the roast roast and let it rest for 30 minutes. This may feel impossible because the roast will look absolutely beautiful and smell amazing, but it's essential to the success of the recipe: resting will allow all the juices to distribute evenly throughout the roast, so that when you slice up the roast, every bite will be just as juicy and tender as the last.

How to carve a ribeye roast

I recommend using a long carving knife so that you can avoid sawing and instead make a long, clean cut against the grain. Yes, this is a gluten free, grain free recipe, but all steaks have a “grain" -- it's just the direction in which the muscle fiber runs.

Cutting against the grain makes the cut more tender. If you cut meat in the same direction as the grain, it'll be a lot chewier, which is not a good thing. If you're going to spend hours waiting for this keto roast recipe to smoke, taking a few extra minutes to properly carve the roast is absolutely worth it.

Kitchen tools and accessories to cook the best roast

In addition to a long carving knife, I have a few other recommendations for the tools and accessories that will yield the best experience for smoker recipes.

• Meat thermometer - If you don't have a meat thermometer, you need one! Not just for smoking and grilling, but for any cooking you do. A meat thermometer keeps you from overcooking your proteins, so that you get the most tender, moist proteins without undercooking.
• Tongs - I keep 2 sets as to not cross contaminate.
• Heavy duty oven gloves - Protect yourself while grilling! I like these gloves because they go up past my wrists for added protection.
• Wood Pellet Grill - I've included the settings I used on my REC TEC RT700 in the recipe instructions. Jon and I got our REC TEC last year and I can't recommend it enough. You can control the grill from your phone, making it easier to monitor the temperature to get the perfect smoke. It's an investment that has already paid for itself in the number of delicious burgers, roasts, ribs, and steaks we've been able to cook up. We get to enjoy our REC TEC year round because it's so durable, and being able to control the temperature from my phone means less trips to in and out of the house, which is great, especially in the winter months.

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