Ribeye steaks have been the king of steak cuts ever since primitive man started turning wild cattle into dinner in the boreal forest.

Ribeye steaks come from the section of the beef called the “Rib Roll”. The Rib Roll is located between the top of the ribs and the side of the spine. On a fully grown beef, the boneless version of the cut normally weighs 12 – 14 pounds per side and will yield about 14 – 16 steaks, depending on the size of the steaks cut. It is one of the largest, most tender, and well-marbled cuts of meat on beef.

Ribeye steaks can vary greatly in size. Generally speaking, they are larger than all the other cuts simply due to the fact that the cross-section of the rib roll is much greater than any of the other steak cuts. We have lots of folks ask about 6 – 8 oz Ribeye steaks, but if we were to cut rib rolls that thin, they would be very, very hard to cook properly. The best bet for reducing the size of a Ribeye and maintaining a perfectly cooked steak is to cook one of our Classic Cut 14 oz Premium Ribeye Angus Steaks, then just spilt it to suite two. It can also be split prior to cooking, if one wishes, but will cook better if left as a whole steak for cooking.

Seasoning Ribeye steaks is easy. Being large in cross-section, and generally very well marbled and tender, they don’t require much seasoning at all. The marbling, as it melts, actually helps to pull the flavor from the seasoning into the steak and tends to amplify the flavor. The time-honored standard seasoning for many steaks is salt and black pepper. We prefer fresh ground salt and pepper to the pre ground variety, but either will work. Seasoning also adds a visual dimension to the presentation of the steak, and a combination of coarse ground and fine ground is the best combination. For those who prefer to keep it simple, try the pre ground and blended Nebraska Star® Beef Signature™ Seasoning. It is a secret family recipe and designed to bring out the natural flavor of beef. We’ve been eating beef for generations and Signature™ Seasoning was developed out of our love for beef.

There are many ways to cook a Ribeye steak, but we are fans of pan sear and oven finish – if we’re going for the perfect steak. There are many, many evenings here in Nebraska when it is simply too nice to cook in the kitchen and on those evenings we grill, but grilling is an art and takes practice, as most any grill master will tell you.

• If we’re cooking steaks for a group, a 400F oven is easily the best and most consistent way to cook a steak.
• We like to start by seasoning our steaks as described above, then place them in a preheated cast iron skillet with Organic Coconut grease, bacon grease or Crisco.
• We sear until the steaks all have a nice crust on all sides.
• From the skillet, we move the steaks to a drip rack and cookie sheet and place them in a preheated, 400F oven.
  • *The number of steaks and thickness of cut will determine the cook time, but smaller steaks will usually finish to a perfect medium rare in around 12 minutes, and larger steaks can take up to 20-22 minutes.
• Once the Ribeyes are cooked to your desired level of “doneness” retrieve from the oven and allow 5 – 10 minutes to rest at room temperature then serve with a nice cabernet.

In closing, there is no wrong way to cook a ribeye, it is a forgiving cut because of it’s inherent tenderness and texture.