Rib Eye Steak
Today I am kicking off 5 straight days of cuts from the rib primal and we will start off with the rib eye steak. The rib eye (or ribeye… I go back on forth on which is proper) is considered by most steak lovers to be the best steak. I would agree although I reserve the right to change my mind depending on which steak is on my plate.
With a great combination of flavor, texture, and fat there are few cuts of beef that can rival the rib eye steak for pure steak enjoyment.
Where does the rib eye steak come from?
As you may have guessed the rib eye steak comes from the rib sub primal. Ribs 6-12 are where the rib eye comes from. There aren’t a lot of working muscles in a rib eye so it is a tender steak but unlike something like a tenderloin it has a lot of fat marbled throughout the meat. The fat is what gives a rib eye steaks its awesome flavor and texture.
Three primary muscles comprise the rib eye steak. The spinalis makes up the outer edge of the steak. This muscle is also called the cap of rib eye which we will talk about in a couple days. The further to the front of the primal the steak is cut the bigger the spinalis muscle will be. Many steak lovers consider this to be the best muscle on the steer. If your rib eye is cut from the front of the primal you will also have a small piece of the complexus muscle. At most you might have a bite or two of the complexus but I think it is every bit as good as the spinalis. The longissimus dorsi muscle makes up the majority of the rib eye steak. See the below image with my super lame photoshop skills to see where all these muscles are:
When buying a rib eye steak talk to your butcher and get him to cut one from the front of the primal. The further front you are the bigger the cap of ribeye will be. If I am just picking the ribeye out of the butcher case I go for whatever has the biggest cap.
How to cook a rib eye steak
The marbling in a rib eye steak just screams for hot, fast cooking. There is very little connective tissue to break down so you would never want to do a braise or slow cook of any kind.
Reverse searing is my preferred cooking method for a thick rib eye steak. For a thinner cut (under 1 inch) I would just grill it right over the heat. My target temperature for a rib eye steak is medium rare. If, however, you had to cook a steak beyond medium rare the marbling in a rib eye steak can still keep it at least somewhat juicy cooked to medium or even medium well. But let’s not think such a vile thought. 125 degrees should be your final target temperature.
Many of the famous cheesesteak restaurants in Philly use rib eye or their meat. This results in a great cheesesteak but if I were making one at home I would never “waste” rib eye on something like this. There aren’t a lot of recipes using rib eye steak in general primarily because it is such a great steak by itself. You will never need anything other than some kosher salt and pepper to give this steak a great flavor.
Where to buy rib eye steak
Every grocery store will carry rib eye steaks. They are a staple in every meat case in every grocery store. Heck, I’ve even seen some rib eyes at the dollar store. But 99% of the time I will avoid getting a rib eye steak at the grocery store unless it looks particularly impressive. You will rarely find a nice, thick, well marbled rib eye at the grocery store.
A quality butcher shop will be your best bet to get a good rib eye steak locally. Nearly ever decent sized city has a good butcher or two. If you happen to live somewhere like New York City or Chicago there are a lot of high end butchers who can give you a top quality steak.
Here in Jacksonville, FL we have a couple decent butchers and they have some good quality meat but if I am looking for something super special like a prime ribeye I go to Snake River Farms. Take a look at the picture below. The rib eyes on top are from Snake River Farms and the one on the bottom is in the meat case at the grocery store. Yeah, the picture of the grocery store steak is pretty bad but notice the almost complete lack of marbling on it. For a rib eye steak that is a crime against nature.
Yeah, the Snake River Farms prime ribeye is ~$34 per pound compared to $13 at the grocery store but in my opinion it is definitely worth the price difference. If I am going to buy a rib eye I want it to be awesome, not just mediocre. And rib eye steaks are one of the steaks where prime makes a big difference. If you have a chance to get a prime ribeye splurge and get it.
If you want to test your butchery skills you can also buy a boneless or bone in rib roast and cut some steaks yourself. Cut the steaks about 1 to 1/2 inch thick. You can usually save at least $5 per pound doing it this way. Costco carries whole rib roasts that work great for this or you can ask your butcher to give you one. They love it because it means they don’t have to cut it. Less work for them equals cheaper meat for you.
For your next steak night reach for a rib eye steak and cook it a nice medium rare. Rib eyes might cost a few bucks more than some other cuts but they are definitely worth it.
Like what you read? Be sure to share it with your friends and come back tomorrow to learn about another cut of beef.
