How-To Guides

How to cook ribeye steak

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What is a ribeye steak?

A ribeye steak is taken from the rib cage area of the animal, named for the distinctive ‘eye’ of fat visually apparent when prepared. A cut known for its high degree of marbling, it’s made up of two muscles: the rich, juicy spinal muscle and the tender longissimus muscle.

Even though its fat content is higher than other cuts of steak, the intramuscular fat that makes up the marbling helps keep ribeye moist during cooking and produces an out-of-this-world flavour.

Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the most popular steakhouse choices and a firm favourite with steak enthusiasts.

Ribeye steak cooking time

Times will vary depending on the thickness of your cut. Unlike leaner steaks such as sirloin, which can be served rare, we recommend pan-searing your rib-eye to medium-rare. This gives the fat enough time to render down and helps bring its delicious beefy flavours to the fore.

We advise around 6-8 minutes of cooking time to achieve a medium-rare stage of doneness (see Top tips).

The best way to cook a ribeye steak

  1. Take your ribeye steaks out of the refrigerator.
  2. Remove your meat from the vacuum packaging and pat dry any moisture. Allow it to come up to room temperature. This helps the steaks cook more evenly.
  3. Heat a griddle or heavy-based frying pan until smoking hot.
  4. Just prior to cooking, rub a little olive oil over both sides of the steaks and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Place the steaks in the pan and brown them on both sides, around 90 seconds per side. The steaks will naturally release from the pan when a crust has formed, so if they adhere to the pan at all, wait a few moments and try again (a rich, golden crust should have formed).
  6. Turn the heat down a touch and cook for a total of 4-6 minutes, turning the steaks approx. every 90 seconds throughout. Baste frequently with the fat naturally rendered during cooking.
  7. Remove the steaks from the frying pan and leave them to rest in a warm place for a minimum of 6 minutes. If preferred, this is the optimum time to add a knob of butter, perhaps flavoured with garlic and tarragon, to your steaks to really enhance their flavour. Watch it melt and mingle with the juices from the meat.

Top tips

  • To gauge how done your meat is while cooking it, you can carry out a quick and reliable finger test to ensure it is rare. Prod the palm of your hand with your finger, just below your thumb. It’s a little soft and fleshy. Now bring your thumb towards your pointer finger, and touch the same area of your palm again. It will feel slightly firmer, which is what a rare steak should feel like.

Ribeye steak for two recipe

Create a romantic dinner at home by cooking up this ribeye with steak pan potatoes, and peas recipe. It’s also a fantastic way to expose your potatoes to the intense, beefy flavours of the steak.

Brent, a proud New Zealander, was lucky to grow up in Hawke's Bay, often referred to as the Fruit Bowl of New Zealand, and famed for its wineries. As a third generation farmer, agriculture and livestock management are in his blood. Enthused by the wholesome food production scene, Brent began his 16-year career in hospitality at a local winery, and then gained experience at some world class hotels; Huka Lodge beside the Waikato River NZ, and Hayman Island within the heart of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Having met his future wife Dawn, Brent moved to England in 2007 where he then spent 4 years as Head Chef at Hipping Hall, gaining multiple awards during his tenure. Brent is passionate about native breeds and the conservation and enhancement of natural biodiversity in rural landscapes; so his 2013 appointment as the General Manager of Swaledale Butchers was the perfect match.