# Best way to cook a rib eye? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757 "2012-02-13T23:03:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/1 "2012-02-13T23:03:26Z")
I have a piece of rib eye, about .8 pounds. Right now it’s frozen, but I’d like to cook it tomorrow. Thing is, I’ve never cooked a rib eye before. I’m thinking of marinating it, then browning in a skillet and finishing it in the oven. The marinade would be beef broth, red wine, garlic, onion, and a bay leaf. I CANNOT eat black pepper (or red or white pepper, for that matter). Any suggestions? I’ll probably serve with mashed potatoes, gravy, and asparagus. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/2 "2012-02-14T00:19:16Z")
Start thawing!!! How thick is the steak? If it’s less than an inch you probably won’t need to finish in the oven, but if it’s a super-thick cut then you most likely will. I’d swap soy sauce for the beef broth but that’s just me. Some pineapple juice will add a bit of sweetness and help the steak brown faster. Pat it dry when you take it out of the marinade to cook it. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/3 "2012-02-14T00:23:23Z")
I would skip the marinade altogether. Rib eye doesn’t need it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/4 "2012-02-14T00:35:11Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > I would skip the marinade altogether. Rib eye doesn’t need it. Agreed. You could prepare a sauce from deglazing the pan, but you don’t want to saturate the meat with anything. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/5 "2012-02-14T00:43:23Z")
LAWRY’S® Seasoned Salt is the go to seasoning for beef. I checked and didn’t see any pepper listed in the ingredients. You may need to check that the spices it uses are ok for you. > **[Lawry's® Seasoned Salt | Lawry's](https://www.mccormick.com/lawrys/flavors/spice-blends/seasoned-salt)** > > There's a reason why Lawry's signature Seasoned Salt has been a family favorite for decades. This expert blend of salt, herbs and spices adds unique flavor to any meal you're inspired to make. The best thing to cook a boneless ribeye in is a Foreman Grill. Those thing just can’t be beat for this type of cooking. All that nasty far and tallow slides off into the drip tray and not into the meat. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/6 "2012-02-14T01:27:09Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Agreed. You could prepare a sauce from deglazing the pan, but you don’t want to saturate the meat with anything. Yup, a rib eye can stand on its own. Fry it in a cast iron skillet ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/7 "2012-02-14T02:00:23Z")
I’d marinade it in Dale’s for an hour or two, and grill it, preferably over charcoal, but the George Foreman will do if it is too cold/wet to grill outside. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/8 "2012-02-14T02:31:05Z")
Put a little olive oil and sea salt after your marinade (if you must) on a room temp steak to insure equal heating. Place on the grill, hotter at first to sear then slightly off flame to finish slower. Only turn (flip) it once so as to preserve the juices. As mentioned though, good ribeyes don’t need marinade. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/9 "2012-02-14T02:36:24Z")
If it is thick warm it first in 250 degree oven, for 10-15 mins. Then sprinkle with coarse salt and a teensy bit of sugar and sear it in a blazing hot cast iron or all clad pan. Both sides. The sugar will blacken and form a crust. Slide it back in the oven for further doneness if you like it like that. And then let it sit for 10 minutes off the heat. With a smear of hotel butter. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/10 "2012-02-14T03:10:51Z")
Rib-eyes are (IMNSHO) the best cut of beef for a steak, and don’t need any sort of marinade. I would generously salt it at least one hour (and up to 8 hours) in advance. Rub some fresh garlic on the outside if you like. I like garlic on everything, others just want beef. You want the steak bone dry when you start. Steam impedes browning. I’ll use sugar on chicken or pork to improve browning, but won’t personally use it on beef. A hot metal pan (I like well-seasoned cast iron because it can heat up hot enough to melt The One Ring) and a thin coat of oil on the dry steak will provide enough browning. Unless it is thick, start with a cold steak. This will allow time in contact with the pan without overcooking. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side; don’t touch or move it. Cook about 2 minutes on the second side, then check the temp. Again, if it is not thick, you should not need to finish in the oven. Resting is important. Love a blue cheese compound butter on top myself. Other compound butters work well, like garlic/chive/parsley butter. Pineapple in a marinade makes meat mushy. Unless you are really good, stay away. Foreman grills and quality steaks do not go together. Personally, I don’t see the love of the grill…I have one hidden away someplace (it belongs to my MiL) because I can never think of a time it would work better than one of my pans. Lastly, searing a steak does NOT seal in juices, but it provides yummy browning. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/11 "2012-02-14T03:23:55Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Foreman grills and quality steaks do not go together. Depends on how picky one is. When I was single, I usually wanted hot meat fast, which the Foreman reliably delivers with no clean up hassles. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/12 "2012-02-14T03:32:35Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Depends on how picky one is. When I was single, I usually wanted hot meat fast, which the Foreman reliably delivers with no clean up hassles. Before I was married, when I got to the point I could afford a _quality_ steak, I could afford quality cookware to cook it with. Before that point, I had a different, inexpensive indoor grill that I _thought_ could cook a good piece of meat. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/13 "2012-02-14T04:46:26Z")
Alton Brown’s [Pan Seared Rib-Eye](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe/index.html) is the best possible way. If you do not own a basic Lodge cast iron skillet, you need to. Man, I wouldn’t season salt a ribeye nor put one on a Foreman if you gave me an entire free cow. Take the advice in this thread with a pristine grain of smoked sea salt. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/14 "2012-02-14T04:52:54Z")
Coincidentally, I had a rib-eye, mashed potatoes and asparagus for dinner tonight. I marinate rib-eye in balsamic vinegar for about an hour. Next season both sides with seasoning salt and grill it on my propane grill. Medium rare. I also grill the asparagus. Before grilling coat with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt (and cracked pepper but you’d skip that). ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/15 "2012-02-14T06:40:32Z")
OK, I think that if the weather’s good, then we’ll fire up the grill. Ribeye DESERVES the best treatment, and both of us vastly prefer grilled meat. It’s about an inch thick, but we both like steaks medium rare to rare. I forgot to mention that Himself doesn’t like salt. Yeah, this means that most of the stuff I make for us has no salt or pepper on it. I do, however, use lots of onion and garlic and bell pepper for flavor. And I salt my own portion when it’s on my plate. It’s Jack Spratt and his wife with us in many things, except that HE’S the one who will eat the fat. I cut all visible fat off my meat. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/16 "2012-02-14T06:55:10Z")
Thick cuts from butcher are best. You need some marbling (otherwise what’s point - just get New York Stripe then). Don’t need to do much. Salt and pepper (skip black pepper if you don’t like it). Just don’t over cook them. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/17 "2012-02-14T17:33:54Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Alton Brown’s [Pan Seared Rib-Eye](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe/index.html) is the best possible way. If you do not own a basic Lodge cast iron skillet, you need to. > > Man, I wouldn’t season salt a ribeye nor put one on a Foreman if you gave me an entire free cow. Take the advice in this thread with a pristine grain of smoked sea salt. Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/18 "2012-02-14T17:40:11Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Exactly. It’s like there are two universes here. Ours where we don’t ruin rib-eyes, and the other where Spock has a beard. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/19 "2012-02-14T17:54:51Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s like there are two universes here. Ours where we don’t ruin rib-eyes, and the other where Spock has a beard. Where they cook their rib-eyes to Well Done… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757/20 "2012-02-14T18:04:02Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > Yup, a rib eye can stand on its own. Fry it in a cast iron skillet Yep. While the pan is pre-heating, slice off a bit of the fattier bits and throw them in the pan, let them sizzle and pre-grease the pan (then give them to the dog afterwards). Season with salt, pepper and garlic only. If you can get outside to the BBQ, that’s great too. Ribeye works fine on the BBQ. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-cook-a-rib-eye/612757.md?page=2)