Where Is the Ribeye on a Cow? [FIND OUT HERE!]

The ribeye has a characteristically tasty flavor, thanks to its high degree of marbling in the section of the cow from where you cut the meat. But where is the ribeye on a cow that gets such a great flavor?

The ribeye comes from the rib section of a cow. Usually, you cut the meat from the ideal central section, also known as the “eye” of a rib steak. This meat cut has plenty of marbling (the fat present between the muscle filaments) that gives the steak its juiciness. 

The ribeye is a famous and desirable steak, and it’s understandable why. This article answers the question: where is the ribeye on a cow? Read more below to find out about all the different cuts and meats.

Where Is The Ribeye On A Cow?

The ribeye comes from the primal rib, a large piece of meat from the upper section of the cow ribs with ribcage bones.

You can cut ribeye from any rib in the ribcage. Still, the ribs nearer to the anterior of the cow have the highest fat content, which provides a tastier steak. The ribs towards the cow’s rear are thinner, giving less flavor but more texture.

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Why Do We Call It the Ribeye?

The ribeye gets its name since you carve it from the center, or the eye, of the more significant piece of ribs. Various names come from multiple places, and other famous ways to call a ribeye steak are Scotch, Entrecôte, Spencer, Delmonico, Market, and Beauty steak.

What’s The Difference Between The Ribeye And Some Ribs?

The ribeye is a single piece of steak carved from a solo rib of a cow, while beef ribs are a broader reference to whatever cuts you get from the ribs. Beef ribs are a collective of the rib primal, short ribs, back ribs, and ribeye.

Beef ribs have multiple shapes and sizes, according to how the butcher prefers to cut them. The ribeye always stays the same—one rib steak, whether it does or doesn’t have the bone.

What Is A Cowboy Ribeye?

You can serve the ribeye steaks by removing the bone or leaving it in across various parts of the globe. While there are benefits to leaving the bone in, what aesthetics you prefer is up to you. Some places usually serve the ribeye by taking the bone out.

We occasionally refer to it as a Boneless Ribeye or a Scotch Fillet, but that’s how people usually serve as the ribeye in sections like the UK. New Zealand or Australia. Here in the USA, a “Cowboy Ribeye” is a bone-in-the ribeye steak with the bone left in, just like a Tomahawk steak.

What Makes The Ribeye So Costly?

While ribeye is a standard cut of meat from a cow, it still costs more than other cuts because of its taste. Most people prefer ribeye because the muscles around the cow’s ribs are powerful and fatty. So, the meat has a lovely marbling characteristic, making it one of the tastiest meat pieces available.

Many people think that the ribeye has the best flavor out of any other cut of beef. In contrast, filet mignon has a more excellent texture.

How Do The Ribeye And Sirloin Differ?

You get the ribeye and sirloin from end-to-end cow sections, but they do have their differences. The ribeye and sirloin steaks differ in these ways:

• The ribeye has a higher fat content than sirloin because it comes from the fatty section surrounding the ribs. In comparison, sirloin is thinner and less tough.
• You can serve a ribeye with the bone left in, while you only serve sirloin as a steak without any bones.
• The ribeye has more versatility than sirloin in how you can prepare it. Rib meat has a higher fat content, which is ideal for a BBQ or a roast. Meanwhile, sirloin is thinner, so it dries out when roasted.

What Other Meats Can You Get from the Ribs Besides the Ribeye?

The ribs are maybe the most plenteous section of a cow and have the most versatility in providing various cuts of beef\. Multiple cultures and slaughterers have partialities toward the ideal way to cut rib beef. Every beef piece has its benefits and drawbacks. Here are some examples of other beef rib cuts:

• Short Ribs – rib meat pieces with no bone.
• The ribeye – is a steak you get from the beef between the ribs.
• Plate Short Ribs – meat from the cow’s lower abdomen, called the plate.
• Chuck Short Ribs – meat near the shoulder from the first ribs.
• Tomahawk – the ribeye steak with the bone left inside.
• Prime Rib – a bulky section of beef between ribs two and seven, typically used in a roast.
• Rib Roast – the prime rib that people roast.
• Riblets – full ribs cut into small sections.
• Back Ribs – the meat of the ribs next to the spine

Is The Ribeye Similar to a Prime Rib?

These two cuts of meat are different kinds of beef pieces. Even though you get them from the same section of the cow, they don’t share the same characteristics. When butchers slaughter the cows, they first remove the ribs from the carcass as one large piece. That is known as the Rib Primal, different from the prime rib.

They then need to choose if they must cut a more extensive section of the rib meat as a collective to roast or if they should cut separate beef steaks from each rib bone out of the primal rib.

The ribeye is an individual steak cut from the beef between the ribs. In contrast, a prime rib is a more extensive section of the rib meat, including all the beef between six or seven ribs. Thanks to its size, you can fry or grill a ribeye steak, while you have to roast or slow-cook a prime rib.

What’s the Best Way to Cook the Ribeye?

You can prep the ribeye with multiple cooking techniques, such as a pan-sear, a grill, or a reverse sear. Any cooking technique for other beef cuts can also suit the ribeye. That said, one of the most acceptable and laid-back ways is pan-searing. You get a delicious, colorful sear on the cut while getting moist, medium-rare meat inside.

Here’s how to pan-sear the ribeye. Begin by letting the ribeye reach room temperature for around 30 minutes. During this time, season the beef openhandedly using salt and ground black pepper. Simultaneously, preheat a cast-iron skillet using oil over a medium-high flame.

Place your ribeye steak on the pan and sear it for two to three minutes until you get a golden-brown crust. Turn over the steak and repeat this for the other side. Reduce the temperature to let the steak continue to cook internally without overcooking externally.

Melt around two tablespoons of butter and put it into the pan. As the ribeye cooks, spoon the butter onto the ribeye to keep it juicy and hot. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the steak is at the right temperature for your preferred doneness. Once done, remove the ribeye from the pan, wrap it in foil, allow it to rest for five to ten minutes, and then serve.

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Final Words

Ultimately, the ribeye is a steak carved from fatty meat sandwiched between rib bones. It’s a desirable meat cut since the fat provides excellent marbling, which provides a delicious flavor to the ribeye while compromising on the tenderness of other flavorful cuts like the tenderloin. You occasionally serve the ribeye with its bone left in, known as a cowboy or tomahawk ribeye steak.

Keep reading: How To Grill The Best Ribeye Steak