Guys, I honestly thought I didn’t like steak that much. BUT OH WAS I WRONG. This Ribeye Steak recipe is unreal! You will not believe how tender and juicy it is! Salting well ahead of time is the secret. Oh, and tons of garlic butter. I’ve got all the details for the best way to cook ribeye steak, grilled or on the stove top! Originally published January 3, 2022.
The best cooking temperature for a ribeye steak is 135 degrees Fahrenheit, or medium rare. At this temperature, the meat is tender and juicy, with an attractive pink color. When a ribeye is cooked to higher temperatures, the meat dries out and becomes a gray color.
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How do I choose a Ribeye Steak?
The most important thing to look for is lots of white marbling, which are veins of fat throughout the red meat. Fat=flavor! Those white veins of fat will melt into your steak as it cooks, making your steak ultra tender and juicy.
Ribeye is expensive. If you’re spending this much money on a cut of meat, you don’t want to mess it up. It’s not hard, you just need to follow instructions and for heaven’s sake get a meat thermometer!
How to cook Ribeye Steak
I think the best way to cook a ribeye steak is in a cast iron pan on the grill. (This is how I make hamburgers too. It’s life changing.) Remember how fat=flavor? If you grill on a rack, some of that beautiful flavor just melts into your grill, and is lost and gone forever. A pan means you get to keep it all. When you cook meat this hot and fast, it’s going to smoke like crazy, and doing it outside means your smoke alarm won’t go off!
First start about 24 hours in advance by salting the heck out of your steak. (You can do as little as 4 hours too). I use about 1 teaspoon kosher salt per side of steak. First the salt draws moisture out of the steak, but then it absorbs it all back in, taking the salt with it and incorporating flavor throughout the entire steak. Put it in your fridge uncovered. I know this feels weird. But this gives the salt a chance to work it’s magic and dries out the steak so that you get a really fantastic sear on the grill.
Just look at that gorgeous brown! Yum.
After you have seared both sides, turn the heat down to low. Now it’s time for some garlic butter. This stuff is magical. It browns the minute it hits the pan. Use a spoon to drizzle butter from the pan over the top of the steak to get all that flavor incorporated.
Keep dousing it and cooking on low until your steak reaches the temperature you like (scroll down for a cooking time chart). Get a decent meat thermometer!
Doesn’t it look amazing?? It only takes about 10 minutes. Don’t forget your hot pads! Aren’t you glad to be doing this outside and not in your house? Remember to take it off the heat 5 degrees below the doneness level you want. It will keep cooking off heat.
I know putting cast iron on the grill is kind of an untraditional method and you might not have a skillet. I’ve provided instructions in the recipe for how to do it on the grill rack if you don’t have a cast iron pan.
If you want to cook it on the grill rack, the method is basically the same. Super high heat sear, flip and sear again, turn the heat down and finish on low, then top with garlic butter off the grill. See recipe for details!
How To Grill Ribeye Steak Medium-Rare
FAQ
What is the best doneness for a ribeye steak?
How should a ribeye be cooked?
What is the best way to eat a ribeye steak?
Can ribeye be a little pink?
Is a thick ribeye better than a thin?
If you like your steak on the rare side, it’s much easier to achieve a good cook with a thick ribeye than a thin one. With a thin ribeye (1.5 inches or less) you’ll have a hard time getting the surface of the steak properly browned before the inside of the steak cooks to well done. A thick ribeye buys you time.
Rib steak vs Rib eye: Which is healthier?
Most red meat is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are excellent for heart health and other body functions. Red meat is a significant source of protein, which is necessary for muscle health and both of these steaks are loaded with protein in each serving. Steak is also a good source of vitamin B12, vitamin B6, iron, phosphorus and zinc. Rib steak has quite a bit of saturated fat, especially in fattier pieces, like the ribeye. Because sirloin steaks have less fat content than a ribeye, it’s safe to say that the sirloin is the better option if you are following a low-fat diet.
What does a medium rare steak taste like?
A medium-rare steak has a warm, red center that oozes with juicy, beef-forward flavor. You’ve officially reached medium-rare when you hit 130° to 135°F, a temperature at which the proteins within the meat start to denature but can’t fully finish. The result is a steak with the perfect amount of tender chewiness.
How do I choose a ribeye steak?
You can also get ribeye attached to the bone (rib steak) or the increasingly popular tomahawk steak, which is attached to the whole French-trimmed rib bone (and looks like something a caveman would tuck into). When buying your steak, look for a nice deep red colour with lots of marbling.