Chef's notes:
The beef ribeye is one of my favorite steaks to cook. I like it pan fried, broiled, grilled, cooked over a campfire, maybe even deep fried. My ultimate favorite steak is the hanger steak, a.k.a. onglet steak. They have a deep, rich beef flavor and, when cooked to mid-rare, are tender and juicy. The only problem is that they can be hard to find at times. For every 2,000+ pound beef cow, there are only 1–2 pounds of hanger steak and up to 20–30 pounds of ribeyes. Now, a ribeye may not be as flavorful as a hanger steak, but it’s still damn good, and it’s readily available.
Ingredients
- 4 beef ribeye steaks
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Canola oil
- Butter, just a little
Grilled Beef Ribeye Steak with Sea Salt and Black Pepper
- Pick up some beef ribeyes. Some of these ribeye’s are a bit on the fatty side, not that anyone could ever accuse a ribeye of being lean. A little extra fat isn’t necessarily a bad thing anyway. The fat will render as the steaks cook, leaving behind some crispy, yummy stuff. Plus, your diners can just eat around the fat if they don’t like it.
- Season the beef steaks with salt and pepper. As I recommend with all steaks that are both tender and delicious, season the steaks simply using salt and pepper. Use a good sea salt and a fresh cracked or milled Tellicherry black peppercorn. Don’t forget to season the sides of the steaks, too. Add the seasoning to the steaks after they have warmed up to near room temp and just before you cook them.
- Grill the first side of the ribeyes. Heat up the grill on high for at least 10 minutes before you start grilling the steaks. Also, clean the grill grates with a grill brush and swipe with a bit of canola or vegetable oil. A paper towel works well for applying the oil to the grates. Don’t put too much oil on the grill or you may start a fire.
- Finish grilling the steaks and let them rest. If you lay the steaks just askew of the direction of the grates you will be able to make nice grill marks. Also, when you flip or rotate the steaks, move them to a fresh spot where the grate will be nice and hot. Once the steaks are done to your liking, remove from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before eating. For help deciding when your steaks are done to your liking, check the tips and tricks section below for a temperature guide.
Tips & Tricks
- The temperature guide for cooked meat and steaks is as follows: Rare: 120–125 degrees F, medium rare: 130–140, medium: 140–150, medium well: 150–160, and well done: 160+.
- Choose good looking and smelling steaks to grill.
- Yellow fat on meat means that the steak is from a very old animal. Avoid old animals, they do not taste good.
- Melt a little butter on your steaks for a little extra flavor.
