The rib eye steak is a boneless cut from the cow’s upper rib cage, known for its tenderness and strong beef flavor. It is ideal for direct heat cooking methods due to its marbling, and should be cut thick with good marbling and a definite red color. Dry aging is used in high-end steakhouses, but not recommended for home cooking.
A barbecued steak gets its name from the location of the cut, the cow’s upper rib cage, and the fact that it’s boneless, making it an “eye” in beef-cut terminology. Also known as a Delmonico or beauty steak, this steak is generally considered one of the most desirable cuts of beef. It can also be one of the more expensive cuts to buy from a butcher or butcher shop. Many steakhouse patrons order barbecued steaks for their exceptional tenderness, strong beef flavor, and reputation as the best choice on the menu. A quality rib eye has ribbons of fat running between the muscle tissue, a desirable condition known as marbling.
While the beef cow is still alive, different parts of its body do more work or bear more weight than other parts. All of this effort and exercise can make those areas look leaner and tougher. The tenderest cuts of meat are found in sections of the cow that didn’t do as much work or carry as much weight, such as the upper rib cage. This is the prime rib section that offers popular cuts such as prime rib, stand-up rib roast, T-bone steaks, and the boneless rib eye steak. When the rib section is cut but not separated, it is sold as a standing rib roast. If the rib section is separated into individual ribs but not boned, it is sold as a steak. Only when the rib bone is removed and other unwanted pieces of tail are cut away can it be sold as a rib eye.
Because a ribeye steak contains significant ribbons of saturated fat or marbling, it becomes especially tender during the cooking process. The fat between the muscle tissue slowly melts into the meat, creating a very smooth and satisfying texture. This is why rib eye steaks are ideal for direct heat cooking methods such as broiling, broiling, or deep-frying. Slow roasting a rib-eye steak would simply push the fat out of the meat, leaving a very tough, dry piece of beef in its wake. Most ribeye steak recipes call for at least a two-step cooking process; a quick hot burn, followed by a slower direct heating method. Steak cooks typically grill ribeyes on a grill over hot coals or gas burners.
Some steak cooks prefer to soak raw ribeye steaks in a seasoned marinade to infuse more flavor into the meat and lightly tenderize it. Others believe that rib-eye steak is already so flavorful that all it requires is minimal seasoning and careful supervision while cooking to the desired level of doneness. Many high-end steakhouses use a method called dry aging to bring out the best flavors in a ribeye steak. Exposure to air in a cool room causes the outer surface of the meat to lose some moisture and some of the steak’s natural juices to essentially ferment before it’s sent to the kitchen for preparation. A ribey steak intended for the backyard grill or home kitchen shouldn’t be aged this way, but should be allowed to come to room temperature just prior to cooking.
When buying a barbecued steak, a consumer should look for a sizable number of white spots scattered throughout the meat. This is a sign of good marbling, an essential element of a quality ribeye. The meat should be a definite red, not a dull brownish-red color that indicates unwanted aging. If a ribeye steak is marked for quick sale, it should be made the same day. A good barbecued steak should be cut fairly thick, at least a half to an inch thick. A thinner ribeye will be much more difficult to cook accurately. While the thought of a juicy two-inch-thick ribeye steak has its appeal, a home cook may want to practice with thinner cuts until they’re comfortable with proper broiling and steak cooking techniques.
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