The Best Part of a Ribeye Isn’t the Center: Look for This Muscle Before Buying

Two ribeye steaks can sit beside each other at the grocery store, carry the same USDA grade, and cost nearly the same per pound. Yet one may contain a much larger portion of the muscle prized for its tenderness and rich flavor. It’s not the thick white fat around the edge, and it isn’t the large oval of meat in the middle.

The part worth looking for is the ribeye cap, a curved band of meat that wraps around the central eye. Known as the spinalis dorsi, this muscle has a tender texture and generous marbling, making it one of the most desirable sections of the ribeye.

Its size varies depending on where the steak was cut from the rib section. That means choosing between two ribeyes involves more than checking the price, thickness, or amount of visible fat.

The curved outer muscle is the ribeye cap

The large central portion of a ribeye is called the eye, or longissimus dorsi. It’s tender and flavorful, but the smaller muscle curving around it has a different texture.

The cap contains fine streaks of intramuscular fat and comes from a muscle that performs relatively little work. Those characteristics contribute to its tenderness and rich flavor.

Look for a curved strip of red meat separated from the eye by a seam of fat. Don’t confuse that strip with the exterior fat covering the steak.

A ribeye with a larger cap gives you more of that prized muscle without requiring a different cut of beef.

Ask for a chuck-end ribeye

Not every ribeye contains the same proportion of cap meat.

Steaks cut toward the chuck end of the rib section tend to have a larger cap and a smaller central eye. Ribeyes from the loin end often have a larger eye and less cap.

At the butcher counter, ask whether a chuck-end ribeye is available.

If you’re choosing from packaged steaks, compare the curved outer muscle rather than looking at the total size alone.

Fine marbling throughout both the eye and cap remains desirable, but a larger cap can make one steak more appealing than another at a similar price.

A thick cut, around 1½ to 2 inches, also provides more control during cooking, allowing the exterior to develop a crust without overcooking the center.

The next time two ribeyes look almost identical in the meat case, inspect the curved muscle around the edge. The steak with more cap may contain more of the section you would otherwise have to purchase as a separate specialty cut.