Introduction
I sure love a good char-grilled ribeye steak.
Fran Lebowitz: My favorite animal is steak.
With beef prices the way they are these days, a grilled ribeye can be a ‘rare’ treat.
When prices were lower, it seemed like everyone got their own steak. I think was the result of clever marketing by restaurants and meat producers. I remember restaurants used to call their 12-ounce steak a ‘Cowgirl Ribeye’ and the 16-ounce steak a ‘Cowboy cut’. We don’t want any sissy cowboys getting small steak, now do we?
As much as I love a good steak – and I really do – I would usually order the Cowgirl version. Not that I’m a sissy, but 12 ounces is more than enough for me. In fact, I would usually end up with left-overs. Left-over steak is never as good as it was hot off the grill, so this is really wasted money.
Today, we are a little more conscious about our spending. The reality is, 8 ounces is generally the best portion. These days, DaLynn and I will split a 16-ounce steak. She eats about 6 ounces, and I eat the rest. While I like my steak medium-rare, and she likes hers medium, this is a small sacrifice to make for me. I’ll cook it medium so she can enjoy it, and I’m happy with the rest.
Here is how I make a char-grilled ribeye steak that is juicy, delicious and grilled to perfection. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Char-grilled Ribeye Steak Recipe
Char-grilled Ribeye Steak
Equipment
- charcoal grill
- oak lump charcoal
- mesquite chunks
- glass pie dish
- grill tools
- large wooden platter
- foil
Ingredients
- 16 ounce well-marbled ribeye steak
- 1 tsp seasoned salt – such as Lawry's
- 1 tsp seasoned pepper – such as Lawry's
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce – Such as Lee & Perinns
Instructions
- Place uncooked ribeye into a glass pie dish.
- Sprinkle seasoned salt and seasoned pepper onto all sides of the uncooked steak.
- Add several dashes of Worcestershire sauce onto all sides – enough to coat the steak. Rest steak until it reaches room temperature while you heat up the grill.
- Heat a grill to 450 degrees over oak charcoal with mesquite chunks. Allow the greet to remain at this temperature covered and vented for 15 minutes.
- Using a long grilling fork or tongs, add the steak directly to the hot grate. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Turn the steak and cook for 4 minutes more, then check for doneness. Flip the steak every minute or so until desired temperature is achieved.
- A rare steak should have an internal temperature of about 120F.
- A medium-rare steak should have an internal temperature of about 130, and a medium steak should have an internal temperature of about. 140. Anything hotter than that is pretty much burnt, and you have wasted your money on a good piece of meat.
- When the steak is done cooking, remove it to a platter and tent with foil.
- Rest the steak for 10-15 minutes, turning once to redistribute the juices.
- Serve with a baked potato, salad, or sides of your choice.
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Rule of thumb for doneness
The angle of the dangle reveals the heat of the meat.
If you hold the steak up using a grilling fork, and it hangs to five o’clock, it is rare. If it hangs to 4 o’clock, it is medium-rare. 3 o’clock is medium. It’s best to use a digital thermometer for accuracy, of course. The internal temperature will actually increase slightly after grilling as you rest the steak.
What does a ‘well-marbled’ ribeye look like?
What you are looking for in a well-marbled steak is inter-muscular fat. That’s not the fat that you find on the outside of a steak, or the large chunks of fat that you might find that sits in the middle. It’s the thin ribbons and small flecks of white you find on the inside of the meat.
When the temperature of the meat reaches about 130 degrees Fahrenheit, the fat starts to break down. As it renders it bastes the surrounding muscle fibers, and gives it a very complimentary, rich, buttery quality that really enhances the flavor of the beef.
For this reason, in my opinion, the best way to serve a char-grilled ribeye steak is medium-rare. Rare steaks don’t get the rendered fat, and so you have to chew through the fat which impacts the flavor and texture of the meat. If you like your steaks rare, don’t go for marbling. You want a leaner cut, like a filet mignon. Take my word for it – If you are grilling ribeye, medium-rare will absolutely give you the best experience.
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