Without any input from myself it was decided that I would be smoking two small rib roasts for Christmas.  This will be for eight adults and two children.  I did one for Thanksgiving and it was very bland except for the other pieces.  Even though it was too rare (to my wife) it was chewy also.  I have done several in the past that tasted a lot better than this one.

What can I do to get more flavor in the roast itself?

I am not trying to be flippant or funny, but buy a better grade of beef.  To me, a rib roast will have good flavor with some salt n pepper sprinkled on the cut piece if it has the proper marbling.  You could mitigate the toughness with sous vide.  And if you are buying Choice or Prime now, probably nothing.  You could make a strong, flavorful Au jus to add some flavor.

The one I just smoked was Prime.

Sounds like you got a badly graded piece of meat to me!

I am sorry to hear it did not come out the way you expected it too especially at the cost of prime beef today.  Could you tell us how you prepared it to include did you rub with salt and/or other spices over night?  When you say prime did you buy from a butcher and also how big was it?

I am not trying to doubt you on grade, but I just learned this distinction (I feel pretty ignorant!) --

"Warning: Do not confuse Prime beef with prime rib — the prime rib refers to the location from where the meat is cut, not the graded quality of the beef. The grades refer primarily to the amount of fat marbling in the muscle; Prime beef must contain no less than eight per cent intramuscular fat. And you wondered why it tastes so good!"  From this article: https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/is-prime-rib-made-from-prime-beef-beef-grades-explained

I am sorry to hear it did not come out the way you expected it too especially at the cost of prime beef today.  Could you tell us how you prepared it to include did you rub with salt and/or other spices over night?  When you say prime did you buy from a butcher and also how big was it?

This came from a bigger piece that I got from a butcher.  I split it last year and smoked the first piece last year and it was great.  Maybe it was in the freezer for to long.  I put the same rub I used last year on it the day before I smoked it.  The two pieces were two bones each.  I write everything down and I did it exactly the same as the piece I did last year.  It may have been a tad overdone by temp, but it was still pink and bloody.  My wife had to cook her piece a little more before eating it.  One big thing that I did not do this time is I did not wrap it in foil after smoking it.  I got distracted doing other things on the smoker.

I am sorry to hear it did not come out the way you expected it too especially at the cost of prime beef today.  Could you tell us how you prepared it to include did you rub with salt and/or other spices over night?  When you say prime did you buy from a butcher and also how big was it?

This came from a bigger piece that I got from a butcher.  I split it last year and smoked the first piece last year and it was great.  Maybe it was in the freezer for to long.  I put the same rub I used last year on it the day before I smoked it.  The two pieces were two bones each.  I write everything down and I did it exactly the same as the piece I did last year.  It may have been a tad overdone by temp, but it was still pink and bloody.  My wife had to cook her piece a little more before eating it.  One big thing that I did not do this time is I did not wrap it in foil after smoking it.  I got distracted doing other things on the smoker.

Reubenray, may I ask if this was from your trip to Kansas from my suggestion of butchers?

Yes it was.

Yes it was.

I am sorry to hear that. I never would have touted his praises if I didn’t firmly believe it.
I honestly have never been dissapointed, however I am certainly not diminishing your experience.
Bad deal on a Holiday and again very sorry.
I have not used frozen meat that is over 4-6 months, many do but we never have.
We also have never cooked a standing rib roast smaller than 6 bones and usually we smoke or cook a whole roast.
Dang.

I don't think it was the meat, but something I did wrong.  I am still eating leftovers and I am just adding more seasoning to it.  Everything I got from Elm Creek were great with the exception of the dino ribs.  They were cut weird with a huge fat line in the middle.  The ribeye steaks are the best of the best and I still have a lot of them to eat.

I don't think it was the meat, but something I did wrong.  I am still eating leftovers and I am just adding more seasoning to it.  Everything I got from Elm Creek were great with the exception of the dino ribs.  They were cut weird with a huge fat line in the middle.  The ribeye steaks are the best of the best and I still have a lot of them to eat.

Boy howdy, glad to hear.
I love his dino ribs, maybe as you said a weird cut.

Sous vide works great on these.  We smoke for a hour, then bag and into the sous vide. Give it a try with a holiday special roast

Sous vide works great on these.  We smoke for an hour,

I intend to smoke and sous vide mine but I normally smoke to an IT of 120-125° with pit set to 160°, before sous vide. Is this a problem? Do you sear after sous vide, at what temp. do you sous vide and how long? Thanks for the help.

Sous vide works great on these.  We smoke for an hour,

I intend to smoke and sous vide mine but I normally smoke to an IT of 120-125° with pit set to 160°, before sous vide. Is this a problem? Do you sear after sous vide, at what temp. do you sous vide and how long? Thanks for the help.

I prefer to smoke or sear after I SV anything, many like to do it the other way around. I guess what every way you like better. Having not done a PR I may be inclined to SV then shock in ice water and maybe put in the fridge over night then smoke it back to maybe 110° and a final hit in the oven or some thing at 450 or so. You could smoke,SV, Ice, fridge then into the oven at 450 for a while and then lower temp to 350ish toget back to your target of 120-125.