What is Ribeye? A Comprehensive Guide

Ribeye is one of the most popular types of steak, and for good reason. It’s incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. But what is ribeye steak? And where does it come from? In this comprehensive guide, …

What is ribeye steak

Ribeye is one of the most popular types of steak, and for good reason. It’s incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. But what is ribeye steak? And where does it come from? In this comprehensive guide, we answer all those questions and more.

Table of Contents

What is ribeye steak?

Ribeye steak comes from the rib area of the cow, which is located between the chuck and loin. It’s well-marbled, meaning it has a lot of intramuscular fat, which makes it really tender and juicy. Ribeye steak is one of the most flavorful types of steak because of all that fat.

When ordering a ribeye steak at a restaurant, you may see it referred to as a “prime rib” or “rib steak.” These are all the effectively same thing. In the case of prime rib, ribeye is the same piece of meat, but it’s simply cut into smaller individual steaks vs. being cooked as a roast (as prime rib often is.)

You’ll also see ribeye referred to as a Delmonico steak or a beauty steak. “Delmonico” because the Delmonico Restaurant used boneless ribeyes in their signature cuts. “Beauty”…well, look at this cut. It’s thick, full of beautiful marbling, and shaped just right. It’s enticing to look at, for sure.

How do ribeye steaks compare to other steak cuts?

Dive into our comparison posts where we compare the ribeye to other popular steak cuts:

How thick is a ribeye steak?

Ribeye steak is typically 1.5 to 2 inches thick. But you may find some that are even thicker. This is one of the reasons why ribeye steak is such a popular choice.

What is ribeye steak
Ribeye steak contains a lot of marbling, making it one of the more attractive steak cuts

What does ribeye taste like?

Ribeye steak is incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. The high-fat content (the marbling) makes it rich and buttery.

Is ribeye steak lean? Is it healthy?

Ribeye steak is not a lean steak. It’s a high-fat cut of meat. But that doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy. In fact, ribeye steak is quite nutritious. It’s a good source of protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc.

Here are the nutritional facts for 3 ounces (85 grams) of raw, lean ribeye steak:

  • Calories: 190
  • Protein: 26 grams
  • Fat: 10 grams
  • Saturated fat: 3.5 grams
  • Monounsaturated fat: 4 grams
  • Polyunsaturated fat: 1.5 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Vitamin B12: 1.3 micrograms (22 percent DV)
  • Niacin: 5 milligrams (31 percent DV)
  • Iron: 3 milligrams (17 percent DV)
  • Zinc: 4 milligrams (27 percent DV)

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/beef#nutrition

So, is ribeye steak healthy? Yes, it can be part of a healthy diet. Just remember to enjoy it in moderation.

Is ribeye expensive?

Ribeye steak is one of the more expensive cuts of meat. It’s not as expensive as filet mignon or Wagyu beef, but it’s still on the pricier side.

What temperature is best for ribeye?

Ribeye steak is best-cooked medium-rare to medium. This means it should be pink in the middle and slightly browned on the outside. You want the marbling to melt (it doesn’t entirely at rare temperatures), but you don’t want to cook it beyond medium as the ribeye will dry out. You lose all the flavor benefits of that delicious marbling.

As internal temperatures, aim to cook your steak to the following (depending on if you want medium-rare or medium.)

  • Medium-rare: 130 – 135°F
  • Medium: 140–145°F

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03/28/2024 03:23 am GMT

How to cook ribeye for the best flavor

There are a few different ways you can cook a ribeye steak. It’s best cooked using dry heat methods like grilling, broiling, or pan-searing. But our favorite of that bunch is to grill it. Grilling gives the steak a nice char on the outside while keeping the inside juicy and flavorful.

How to grill a ribeye steak

  1. Preheat your grill to high heat. You want it nice and hot so you can get a good sear on the steak.
  2. Season the steak with salt and pepper (or your favorite steak seasoning.)
  3. Place the steak on the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes per side.
  4. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 to 7 minutes (at minimum) before cutting into it.

Now, let’s talk about how to broil a ribeye steak. Broiling is very similar to grilling. The main difference is that you cook the steak in the oven under the broiler.

How to broil a ribeye steak

  1. Preheat your oven to the “broil” setting.
  2. Place the steak on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper (or your favorite steak seasoning.)
  3. Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes per side.
  4. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 7 minutes (at minimum) before cutting into it.

And lastly, let’s talk about how to pan-sear a ribeye steak. Pan-searing is a great way to cook a steak if you don’t have a grill or broiler.

How to pan-sear a ribeye steak

  1. Season the steak with salt and pepper (or your favorite steak seasoning.)
  2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add oil.
  3. Once the skillet is hot, add the steak to the pan.
  4. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side.
  5. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 7 minutes (at minimum) before cutting into it.

No matter which method you choose, the key to a delicious ribeye steak is not to overcook it. Keep it to that medium-rare to medium temperature and enjoy all that delightful marbling that makes ribeyes so flavorful.

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