I think it's safe to say John Wayne ate steak.
These are the famous first ones uttered by Mr. Alton Brown in the very first moments of television's greatest TV of all the times - Good Eats.
OK. I know a lot of you are rolling your eyes and thinking of a handiful of shows that better belong among the greatest. For me, Good Eats has had the biggest impact of any show on my life. I may not be writing a food blog right now if it wasn't for Alton and his cast of characters and puppets.
Back to the point. Today we are talking about steak.
The very same steak that was the topic of that first ever Good Eats episode - the Ribeye. I love a Ribeye steak. Ribeyes are flavorful, tender, and juicy. Very hard to beat a good Ribeye.
I don't eat Ribeye a lot. Why? They aren't cheap eats. It's more of a special treat thing - the kind of meal I save for a day like father's day, the first cook-out of the year, bringing home a baby from the hospital, any kind of momentous day can be a Ribeye day.
How to Find a Good Ribeye Steak
As mentioned, Ribeye are not cheap. Well unless you buy them from Dollar Tree:
Saw this banner hanging up at the front door of my local Dollar Tree store. It's for a 3.5oz frozen Rib eye steak for $1. Bravo to them for finding a way to bring Ribeye into their store of cheap goods. Cheap doesn't often equal good.
This post will be your guide to finding a Ribeye steak for a good price. Notice I didn't say the cheapest price - we already know who won that one. I am defining a good price as being the price you pay for a good, not necessarily top of the line steak.
What is a Ribeye Steak?
Before we get into talking prices, I want to take time to describe what you are getting in a Ribeye. Time to pull the cow diagram.
Ribeye steaks come from the rib section of the cow. This is in the middle of the cow closer to the front. The middle of the back doesn't get much work, so the meat is tender. Since it is closer to the front it contains more fat.
Bone-In or Boneless
Ribeye either comes either boneless or bone-in. Which is better? I love the look of the bone in the steak. But does it really make a difference in taste. Research has been thoroughly done on this topic. Check out Steak University for the result. The results may surprise 🙂
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Ribeye Prices
To give you an example of what a good price for a Ribeye steak is let's look at the price in one area. All of these prices come from stores in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area.
[table]
Store, Price
Busch's (Boneless Choice), $14.99/lb
Costco (Boneless Choice), $9.99/lb
Costco (Prime Bone-In), $13.99/lb
Kroger (Angus Choice), $14.99/lb
Meijer (Choice), $13.99/lb
Meijer (Grass Fed), $18.72/lb
Whole Foods (Grass Fed), $22.99/lb
Whole Foods (Dry Aged), $22.99/lb
Sam's Club (Choice Angus), $9.98/lb
Lucky's Market (Organic), $13.49/lb
Lucky's Market (Bone-In), $12.99/lb
Trader Joe's (Kosher), $16.49/lb
Trader Joe's (Premium Angus Choice Beef), $13.99/lb
Trader Joe's (Organic), $13.49/lb
[/table]
Most of those Ribeye steaks fall in the $11.99 to $14.99 range. Your club stores (Costco and Sam's Club) are offering the best deals. Whole Foods Market has grass fed and dry aged options that are quite expensive - $22.99/lb.
Grass-Fed Ribeye from Thrive Market
If you are looking for a cheaper, yet still quality grass-fed rib eye steak, you should consider buying them from Thrive Market. Thrive sells steaks from 100% grass-fed, humanely raised cattle from Patagonian prairies of Osorno, Chile.
The steaks come packaged in packs of 2 with each steak weighing 8 ounces. You get 8 pounds for $139.99 with free shipping. That is about $17.50 a pound, which makes it cheaper than the other grass fed choices in my area.
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What is a Good Price for Ribeye
I prefer to buy my meat where their is an actual butcher you could talk with. Sorry Trader Joe's, you and your pre-packed meat are out.
Whole Foods Market does indeed have some good meat people, however that price tag is too hard to shallow. I like the dry aged concept, more on that in a moment.
Costco comes in at $9.99/lb. Costco cuts their beef in house. And you could dry aged them yourself. I have done dry aging with brisket and turkey before. Check out this video on the process below.
What to Look For in a Ribeye
You want the Ribeye steak to be odorloess, bright in color, moist, and with plenty of marbling (the fat running through it). Below you will see an example of some good marbling in a Ribeye.
These are beautiful Ribeye steaks. If you see them this good for a good price, don't hesistate to buy them. These are Prime Ribeye steaks from Costco going for $13.99/lb. That is a high quality steak for the price of an average Ribeye at most grocery stores.
How to Cook a Ribeye Steak
I like to cook it in a cast iron skillet just as Alton Brown did in that first episode. All you had to the meat is some oil, pepper, and salt. As just he recommends:
- Cook it for 30 seconds. Flip. Cook for another 30 seconds
- Place the whole skillet and steak in a 500 degree oven.
- Cook for two minutes. Then flip and cook another two minutes.
- Allow 5 minutes to rest before eating
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Resources
When it comes to cast iron, I always opt for Lodge. They are American made and are a very good value. You don't need to spend over $100 for something really fancy. Here are the Lodge cast iron cooking vessels I recommend for Ribeye steaks
- I cook my Ribeye steaks in a Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet. It's enough space to fit 2 steaks in it (one for me and one for my wife).
- Lodge also has a cast iron skillet now that comes with a silicone handle so you to protect your precious mits. Or if you already own one, you can just buy the just the handle for like 5 bucks. It comes in 7 colors for more fun.
Recommended Steaks to Order Online
If you are looking to buy steaks online for yourself or for a very lucky gift recipient, there are options a plenty out there. The one I would recommend is the Chicago Steak Company. I love the Chicago Steak company because...
1. They sell quality steaks that are either prime or top choice steaks including Ribeye. Their steaks are either wet aged or dry aged for improved flavor.
2. They educate people about steaks. Their Steak University site has a lot of helpful information on steaks.
I am always about finding a good deal on steaks. I am seen deals for free shipping and/or free steak burger and around special occasions like Father's Day. Check out the steaks from Chicago Steak Company.
Meat Deals Newsletter
I wanted to let you know before you go that we have a newsletter dedicated to bringing you the best meat deals that we find whether online or in the store. Who doesn't want a good deal? If you are interested enter your email address below. Thanks 🙂
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Catherine
Once, I made a batch of gorgeous chocolate chip cookies using Alton's "The Chewy" - followed the recipe to the letter - & took a photo. They were, hands down, the best cookies I've ever made. I took a photo & tweeted it, and guess what! HE HEARTED THAT TWEET. I felt pretty special, man. Check it out: https://twitter.com/ccnomad/status/873061198836531200
I was late to the Good Eats party, but when I discovered it on Netflix, I binged it. Couldn't get enough. You have good taste in great teachers/chefs. 🙂
Catherine
*delete mark through one or the other of those reports that I took a photo. Prob the second one. 😛
Eric Samuelson
That is so awesome. I wrote a couple things on his wall on facebook but never got a response. Maybe one of these days 🙂
Nancy
Almost every cooking debate in our house ends with "Alton says" End of discussion LOL
I may have a slight crush on him.
Eric Samuelson
It's a great discussion ender!
Rob Hack
WOW! Your prices are high,especially 2017. Here in Oregon Safeway has ribeye on sale often. Tomorrow it's 8.99 boneless 7.99 bone-in. For 4th of July (I call it "Ribeye month") it's under 6.00 bone-in.
Eric Samuelson
Yeah those are definitely better prices than what I see. Thanks for sharing what you are seeing in your part of the country.