Ribeye Filet
If you love the flavor and texture of a ribeye steak but have problems with the fat that is on a ribeye a ribeye filet is the answer to your prayers. I am not talking about the inter-muscular fat (also called marbling) but I am talking about the fat that surrounds and separates the different muscles. Big chunks of fat might be off-putting to some. So the ribeye filet gives you the best of a ribeye without that fat.
Where does the ribeye filet come from?
The ribeye filet is part of the ribeye steak which comes from the rib primal. Three different primary muscles make up the ribeye steak. The spinalis (or cap of ribeye) runs along the outside of the steak, the complexus is a small muscle you may or may not have in your steak, and the longissimus dorsi is the muscle that makes up the majority of the ribeye. This muscle is the ribeye filet.
You can see on that picture the large vein of fat that separates the cap of ribeye from the ribeye filet, the fat at the bottom of the steak, and the fat on the bottom left of the steak. These are the large pieces of fat that can turn some people off. Personally I don’t mind them at all. If you are cooking for someone who tends to be on the squeamish side and is generally unadventurous with their food the ribeye filet is a great way to get them a very good piece of meat without scaring them.
Time to throw a big stereotype out there: most women prefer a filet mignon to a ribeye. While the filet is a great steak I don’t think it compares to a ribeye in the flavor department. The ribeye filet is an awesome steak for people who would normally opt for a filet mignon. It looks very similar, is a well trimmed cut, but still retains the great flavor and texture of a ribeye.
Ribeye Filets are also a smaller cut which is appealing to many. A decent full ribeye steak will be at least a pound but a ribeye filet will usually be around 8 ozs which is a great size for most people.
Where to buy a ribeye filet
You won’t find a ribeye filet in your grocery store. Very few butcher shops will carry this cut either. Most butchers want to sell a whole ribeye steak and not separate the cap of ribeye and ribeye filet. Most consumers want a full ribeye and wouldn’t know what the ribeye filet or cap was.
You can find some ribeye filets at Costco but I would stay away. Look closely at the label you will see that they are blade tenderized which can cause some food safety issues unless you cook it to 160 degrees which would absolutely ruin a great steak like this.
Ribeye filets are available online though. When I am looking to order steaks online Snake River Farms is my first stop. The quality of their steaks are hard to match and they carry cuts like the ribeye filet. Come to think about it the second steak I ever had from Snake River was a American Wagyu ribeye filet. You can get their ribeye filets starting at $14.
If you are just getting started with your steaks or are cooking for someone who might want a smaller steak or one without a lot of fat on it give the ribeye filet a try.
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