Best Way to Cook Prime Beef Ribeye on Cast Iron

For perfect ribeye steak, sear it in a super-hot cast-atomic number 26 skillet on each side, then finish it in a hot oven.

This method will nicely brown the fat and create a proficient crust on the exterior while keeping the inside of the steak tender and juicy.

Two boneless ribeye steaks in a cast-iron skillet, topped with butter.

Ribeye is by far my favorite cut of steak, with New York strip coming in at close second. Ribeyes are marvelous - they are tender, flavorful, well-marbled, and they have these wonderful fatty edges that are like processed to me, equally long as they're well-browned.

Cooking ribeyes at home is like shooting fish in a barrel, but yous need the right tool for the job: a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is the just reliable manner to create a good sear on the steak.

You besides need loftier-quality meat. I similar to get big, thick (i.v-inch), USDA prime ribeyes. When I cook these steaks according to the method outlined below, I get steakhouse-level results for half the cost.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Practiced tip
Oftentimes asked questions
Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
Related recipes
Recipe carte du jour

Ingredients

You'll only need four ingredients to cook these amazing steaks. The verbal measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here'south an overview of what you'll need:

Ribeye steaks: As mentioned above, I like to purchase big, i pound, one.five-inch thick steaks. Whenever possible, I go for USDA prime number grade. USDA pick is adequate, but information technology's far inferior to prime number.

I also recommend trying to find steaks that are non overly trimmed. See the photo? These USDA prime steaks were amazing, Merely I feel like they were only a scrap over-trimmed, especially the one on the bottom.

The ingredients needed to cook ribeye steaks.

Kosher table salt and black pepper: I highly recommend using kosher salt when cooking steaks. It's tasty, and its fibroid grind helps create that nice chaff that we're all looking for in a steak. I employ Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and I utilise quite a fleck of it since it has one-half the sodium of table common salt or sea salt.

Butter: For topping the cooked steaks. I feel like this isn't optional. It greatly enhances the flavour of the steaks and is one of the reasons why steakhouse steaks are and then awesome. They're finished with butter!

Instructions

It'due south easy to melt amazing ribeye steaks at home. Here's an overview of the steps - the detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card beneath.

You lot start by preheating your oven to 500°F.

Next, blot the steaks dry with newspaper towels. Keeping their surface dry out will assistance create a adept chaff on them.

Next, season them liberally on both sides with kosher table salt and black pepper. I likewise like to season the fatty edges.

Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over loftier heat until it's smoking. If the skillet is well-seasoned there'south no need to add together any oil.

Add the steaks to the skillet. Melt them for 2 minutes per side plus 30 seconds on the edges. Yous can lower the heat to medium-loftier if the skillet gets overheated, but mostly speaking, you want it super-hot.

Very carefully, using oven mitts, transfer the hot skillet to the preheated oven. Exit it at that place for about 3 minutes for medium-rare steaks, or for well-nigh 5 minutes for medium-done steaks (which is, past the way, the level of doneness recommended by the USDA).

Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and loosely comprehend them with foil to go along them warm. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then elevation them with butter and serve.

A photo collage showing the steps for cooking ribeye steaks in a cast-iron skillet.

Skilful tip

Yous could remove the steaks from the fridge an hour before cooking them to bring them to room temperature. Just since I like my steaks medium-rare, I actually prefer them to be refrigerator-cold.

This enables me to give them a good sear while keeping their inside red and warm. At that place'due south less of a risk of overcooking them this way.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the ribeye cut from?

Ribeye steaks are cut from the ribcage area of the cow, betwixt ribs number vi and 12. This area has lots of fatty, which is responsible for the beautiful marbling typical of ribeyes. This fat melts into the steak as it cooks, resulting in a wonderfully juicy steak. A diagram of cow parts

Should I use boneless or bone-in ribeyes?

Both are nifty and y'all can use both in this recipe. But while bone-in steaks are juicier and more flavorful, peculiarly around the bone, my personal preference is for boneless steaks.

Why? just because they are easier to eat and I don't go frustrated with tasty bits of meat that are left stuck to the bone.

Should I marinate a ribeye steak?

There's no harm in marinating it for an hour or two in the fridge, but it's unnecessary. Ribeye is very tender and flavorful, so it doesn't really require a marinade which is typically used to tenderize and add together flavor.

Tin can I skip the oven and merely pan-fry the steaks?

Yes, especially if you like your steaks rare or if they are thinner - effectually i-inch thick. If skipping the oven, endeavour cooking the steaks for 3 minutes per side plus thirty-60 seconds on the edges.

Tin I purchase a ribeye roast and cut my own steaks?

Absolutely. I ofttimes buy a boneless ribeye roast at Costco, then cut my own steaks and freeze them for later.

The best way to freeze them while preventing freezer burns is to wrap each of them in plastic wrap, then in foil, and and then place a few of them into freezer bags.

What if I don't like fat on my steak?

Well, you could cut off the separable fat afterward the steak is cooked (don't trim it before cooking - it adds season). But that would be a shame.

If y'all don't enjoy fat on your steak, even well-browned fat, then yous should probably go with a leaner cut such as filet mignon.

Serving suggestions

These steaks are so big and fatty, the all-time sides for them are fresh and uncomplicated. I like to serve them with arugula salad, tomato salad, or asparagus salad. They're also practiced with steamed broccoli and roasted asparagus.

While creamed spinach is a classic steakhouse side dish, I feel that it's too rich for these fatty steaks, then I prefer sauteed spinach instead.

Storing leftovers

Reheated steak isn't very good, in my stance. So while the leftovers tin can go along in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days, it'due south best to only melt as much equally yous tin can actually finish right abroad.

If you practise end up with leftovers, try them common cold - they're surprisingly good (kind of like thick, fatty slices of cold roast beefiness). If you must reheat the leftovers, do and so very gently, in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.

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Recipe carte du jour

Bandage-Iron Boneless Ribeye Steak

For perfect ribeye steak, sear it in a super-hot cast-iron skillet on each side, then finish it in a hot oven.

Prep Time 5 mins

Melt Time ten mins

Rest time 5 mins

Total Time twenty mins

Grade: Primary Grade

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 1134 kcal

▢ 2 ribeye steaks ane lb. each, i.5-inch thick, USDA Prime
▢ 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher table salt
▢ ½ teaspoon freshly basis black pepper
▢ 2 tablespoons butter

Preheating your oven to 500°F.
Blot the steaks dry with paper towels. Keeping their surface dry will help create a good crust on them.
Flavor the steaks on both sides and on the fatty edge with kosher salt and blackness pepper.
Rut a well-seasoned cast-fe skillet over high heat until it's smoking. If the skillet is well-seasoned there's no demand to add together any oil.
Add together the steaks to the skillet. Cook them for 2 minutes per side plus 30 seconds on the edges. You tin lower the estrus to medium-loftier if the skillet gets overheated, just generally speaking, you want it super-hot.
Very carefully, using oven mitts, transfer the hot skillet to the preheated oven. Leave it there for about three minutes for medium-rare steaks, or for well-nigh v minutes for medium-washed steaks.
Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and loosely encompass them with foil to keep them warm. Permit them rest for 5 minutes, and so meridian them with butter and serve.

You could remove the steaks from the fridge an 60 minutes before cooking them to bring them to room temperature. But since I like my steaks medium-rare, I actually prefer them to exist refrigerator-cold. This enables me to give them a good sear while keeping their within scarlet and warm. There's less of a gamble of overcooking them this way.

You lot can try skipping the oven and just pan-frying, especially if you similar your steaks rare or if they are thinner - around 1-inch thick. If skipping the oven, attempt cooking the steaks for 3 minutes per side plus 30-lx seconds on the edges.

The USDA recommends cooking steaks to medium.

Source of nutrition information: University of Rochester.

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