Rib-eye steaks are the stuff of romantic dinners and celebratory meals. If you’re looking to impress, this is the cut for you.
Tips from the Experts
A Rib-Eye is Two Different Steaks. One of Them is Way Better.
Rib-eye is a primo cut for good reason. But many people overlook its most tender, flavorful part. Here’s how to enjoy this steak to the utmost.
By and
Published Mar. 2, 2023.
Also known as beauty steak, Delmonico steak, and Spencer steak, a rib eye is cut from the rib of a cow. It's, in essence, a boneless piece of prime rib, and it shares that roast’s big beefy flavor, rich marbling, and tender texture.
But here’s something you may not know about this primo steak: It’s actually not just one steak. It's two—a big center eye and a slimmer attached cap that curves around the outer edge.
Why does this matter? Because we have a chef’s tip that can help you enjoy this steak even more: Separate the two muscles and then slice and eat each part individually.
Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter
The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
The cap is a muscle called the Spinalis dorsi and the eye, the Longissimus dorsi muscle. Because the cap is thinner than the eye and separated from it by a band of fat and silver skin, it may look less desirable.
Make no mistake: This is the best bit of beef on the cow.
Chefs in the know will even serve it on its own without the eye. At The French Laundry, Thomas Keller chargrills the cap and calls it culotte de boeuf.
The high-end mail-order meat emporium Snake River Farms refers to rib-eye cap from American Wagyu beef as its most luxurious product and peddles it for $64 per 8-ounce piece.
IACP Award Winner
Meat Illustrated
Learn to cook any cut with confidence! Meat Illustrated empowers home cooks to expand their meat recipe repertoire with 350+ foolproof meat-centric meals tailored for over 70 cuts.Save 45%
And only by eating it on its own can you appreciate the cap’s delectable qualities to the utmost.
If your rib eye also contains a third distinct muscle between the cap and eye—the complexus muscle—keep it attached to the cap, since it’s juicy and tender like the cap.
Then, trim off the gristle and, if desired, some of the fat.
And finally, cut the eye into strips across the grain as you normally would. But slice the cap on the bias into slightly wider strips—that way, you’ll be better able to savor its juicy, unctuous texture.
Serve the steaks—and watch how diners exclaim, “Wow, this Spinalis dorsi is delicious!” (I promise they will use those exact words.)
