Rib eye steak: What kind of steak is it? And how do you cook it best?
It’s considered by many to be the tastiest cut of beef. While others think that this type of steak is a bit fatty.
Either way, it’s a super tender piece of meat. And on this page we explain how you can best cook a rib eye steak.
Chapter 1
What is a rib eye steak?
The rib eye steak is cut from the narrow part of the rib of the beef and is one of the juiciest steaks there is. Because of its fatty edge, it has a lot of flavor. Due to the many layers of fat, it’s virtually impossible for a rib eye to become chewy if it has been on heat for too long. In terms of taste and tenderness, the rib eye is one of the best cuts of beef.
The rib eye comes from the forequarter of the beef; the rib cage. Most of the meat is on the top of the ribs. The front is called thick rib and is stew meat. The back is called fine rib. The meat from the core of the rib cage with no meat caps is the rib eye. With hoods it is a prime rib.
The meat at the bottom of the ribs is called flap rib. If the flap rib remains attached to the thick and fine rib and the leg is lengthened, you get tomahawk. So a tomahawk steak is a rib eye with ribs.
Other names:
United States: Beef striploin
Germany: Rind Roastbeef
French: Boeuf Faux Filet
Dutch: Rib eye
Chapter 2
How to cook rib eye steak?
You can cook rib eye in different ways, for example by frying it in a pan or grilling it on the barbecue.
Pan-frying
- Let the meat come to room temperature before you start frying it in a pan.
- Melt a knob of butter in a cast iron skillet or in a heavy-bottomed pan on high heat. Let the meat brown on both sides for a few minutes.
- Lower the heat and let the bavette roast for about 3 minutes.
- Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest wrapped in aluminum for 8 minutes.
- This will let the meat juice. The steak will be a lot tastier.
Roasting
The roasting of a rib eye can be controlled in the oven. To do this, follow the steps below.
- Preheat a convection oven to 75-80 ℃.
- Meanwhile, cook on high heat for 2 minutes on each side
- Place the rib eye in the oven until a core temperature of 54 ℃ is reached.
Grilling
You can grill a rib eye on an open or closed barbecue. With a closed barbecue you can cook the rib eye in a controlled manner. This technique produces a very tender, deep-tasting rib eye.
- First place the rib eye on the hot part of the barbecue for a few minutes.
- Turn the meat over and grill the other side for a few minutes, also on the hot part.
- Place the meat on the less hot part of the barbecue and let it cook until the desired core temperature is reached. For a medium-rare rib eye, a core temperature of 50 ℃ is sufficient.
Tip: When cooking a rib eye on a barbecue, make sure that the fat does not catch fire. If so, it’s recommended that you move the steak to a cooler area.
Chapter 3
Core Temperature & Cuisson
The table below shows the correct core temperature of the rib eye per degree of doneness. To achieve the right cuisson you can use the table below. Keep in mind that the core temperature of the rib eye will rise slightly after you remove it from the pan or the barbecue.
| RARE | MEDIUM-RARE | MEDIUM | MEDIUM WELL | WELL DONE |
| Bright red | Rosé | Light rosé – brownish | Grey | Grey-brown |
| 45 – 50℃ | 51 – 57℃ | 59 – 63℃ | 65 – 67℃ | >70℃ |
