The Best Steaks Ever!!

Have you ever wanted to eat the Best Steak Ever?!?  Let me tell you what you’ve been missing then, Wagyu Ribeye Cap!

In case you don’t know, the spinalis dorsi muscle, or ribeye cap, is generally cut with the ribeye steak.  It’s the uber-tender, outer portion of the steak.    On a ribeye loin, the spinalis does not go the whole way down.  The “loin end” on a ribeye generally resembles a strip more than a classic “ribeye.” This end also has a texture more similar to a sirloin or NY strip steak.  As a butcher cuts into the loin, the stereotypically-looking ribeye emerges.  Yep, this is the steak with the spinalis.  The good part.  The juicy part.  The part that absolutely melts in your mouth, with much ooo-ing and eyes cast heavenward while you chew.  That’s a ribeye cap, and you really can’t get anything better as a steak than that.

Trimming it out

If you want to buy a whole ribeye and trim it out yourself, it’s not really hard. I’m not going to get into everything here, there’s plenty of videos on youtube about it.  If you purchase a whole ribeye cap, know that you will have to trim off the silver skin (again, youtube) and then cut it into steaks.  This is the way I purchase my ribeye cap.  I trim out the silver skin and then cut (with the grain) about 3 finger length strips.  Tightly roll them up, tie them with butchers twine, and you’ll be ready for the grill.

What makes them the best steaks?

In a word, marbling.  If you like tender steaks, you’re probably a filet fan.  If you like more texture, value  and a general “beefiness,” you probably prefer sirloins.  If you want more flavor, you’re a ribeye fan.  If you want the ultimate, you’ll be wanting these.  Beef gets flavor from muscles that have to work.  Beef gets tenderness from either marbling (intra-muscular fat) or muscles that don’t work as hard.  Filet (aka beef tenderloins or tenders) is not a muscle that works hard, thus its’ tenderness.  That being said, it does’t have a ton of intramuscular fat, so it is not intrinsically flavorful.  Sirloins  (the hips) work hard, and therefore generate a good beefy flavor.  Again, as they are more hard worked muscles, they aren’t super tender (barring a couple of exceptions to the whole sirloin, depending on how your butcher trims it out.  See my post on Sirloin Cap.)

Now that brings in Ribeyes

Ribeyes are kind of a mix of muscles- they have to work, so they develop flavor.  But, they don’t have to work too hard, so they also generate good intramuscular fat.  It’s this fat that melts while cooking,making the ribeye taste so moist and juicy.  It’s also this fat that carries the flavor over your tastebuds and makes you absolutely love the flavor.  And, of all the different muscles, it’s the spinalis dorsi that has the most intramuscular fat.

OK, enough of the theory, let’s get a steak on the grill!

As I said, Ribeye Cap steak is an amazing steak (and expensive) so you want to cook it right.  You can usually buy choice or prime ribeye caps at a few butcher shops, or even Costco.   I ordered these online and made sure they were a wagyu grade (when you’re going to splurge, SPLURGE!!!)  I like to roll them up like a filet- they cook better using a reverse sear method, and they look pretty dang impressive on a plate!   I used a new Kingsford Charcoal for cooking these- Kingsford Apple.  It has apple chips embedded in the charcoal, and added some great smoky nuance to the steaks.

What about Buttah?!?

You said it, butter makes everything better!  For these, I made a quick garlic-rosemary compound butter and the flavor could not have been better.  Making your own compound butter is super easy, I usually keep 3 or 4 in my freezer at any time so I’ll have it when it’s time to serve something- cilantro-lime butter goes perfectly with grilled skirt steak, a lemon-thyme butter for scallops, etc.

Anyway, follow the recipe below to ensure you get a great steak!  These were amazing, and I hope yours are too.  Now get out there and grill!
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Ribeye Cap Steaks

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• Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Yield: 4 people 1x

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Description

These steaks are totally melt in your mouth good. You can buy pre-rolled ribeye cap steaks, or purchase ribeye cap from an online vendor or your local butcher shop and roll yourself!

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Ingredients

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For the Butter

• 8 TBS unsalted butter (European or cultured)
• 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1 TBS minced garlic
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper

For the steaks

• 4 Ribeye cap steaks (rolled and tied to look like filets)
• 1 TBS coarse ground black pepper
• 1 TBS granulated garlic
• 1 TBS paprika
• 3 TBS kosher salt
• 1/2 TBS granulated onion
• 1/2 TBS ground coriander
• 1/2 TBS crushed red pepper flakes

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Instructions

1. Allow butter to come to room temperature. Add to a mixing bowl with other butter ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap. Scrape butter onto plastic wrap, then use wrap to form butter into a log shape. Refrigerate at least one hour to firm up before using. Cut butter into wheels to place on cooked steaks.
2. In a small bowl, add seasonings for steak and mix seasonings together. Season outside surfaces of steak. Allow steaks to sit out at least 30 minutes at room temperature before grilling (lightly covered.)
3. Start grill with coals on one side of grill. Oil grates. Place steaks on opposite side of grill. Using a meat thermometer, cook until steaks reach an internal temperature of 120 degrees. Remove steaks from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
4. While steaks are resting, open grill to allow more air to charcoal so it will get hotter. Add a few coals if necessary. Place steaks over hot coals and allow to sear and develop some delicious char marks. Remove from grill, plate and top with butter. Serve to the acclaim of your family and friends!

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Category: Main Dish