There’s just something about when a thick-cut, bone-in ribeye steak hits the table still searing. Also known as a Cowboy Steak, this gorgeously marbled cut of beef always impresses.
Thanks to the high fat content, a ribeye craves smoke, spice, and char. So, I coat the whole thing with an earthy coffee spice rub. Starting the coffee-rubbed steaks on the stove and finishing them in the oven ensures a deeply flavored crust and perfectly cooked meat. My favorite is medium-rare with some flaky salt. For an extra punch, the finished steak is slathered with a creamy goat cheese butter.
Buying better-quality meat does mean paying more, which is why I think of this as more of a celebration and not a casual weeknight meal.
Ribeye — or, what’s in a name?
To start, there are eight main cuts of beef known as ‘the primal cuts,’ many of which you are probably already familiar with. These cuts are the chuck, rib, loin, round, flank, short plate, brisket, and shank.
Each primal cut is then divided into the subprimal and individual cuts you know from the butcher.
Any cut of steak tells a story based on its shape, marbling, and texture. Ribeye steaks, as you’d expect, come from the rib section. The ribs aren’t home to hard working muscles like the shank (back legs). Instead, ribeye steaks are rich, juicy and very flavorful with gorgeously marbled fat throughout.
Start on the stove and finish in the oven.
When cooking thick cuts of meat over 1 ½-inches, I prefer a two-stage cook. I start my ribeyes on the stove to develop a deeply colored crust and then transfer them to the oven to finish. It can be difficult to achieve a perfect medium-rare on the stove alone. Finishing the coffee-rubbed steak in the oven also ensures that the spice mixture doesn’t burn.
Kitchen Notes
- One month ahead: Mix together the coffee spice rub and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Two days before: Make the goat cheese butter and transfer it to a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a log. Twist the ends of the parchment to seal and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to room temperature before use.
Coffee-rubbed Ribeye Steak with Goat Cheese Butter
Ingredients
Goat Cheese Compound Butter
- 2 oz 55 g goat cheese, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp 28 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 clove garlic
- zest of one lemon
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Coffee Spice Rub
- 2 Tbsp coffee, finely ground
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp aleppo pepper
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp ⅓ tsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Rib Eye Steak
- One 900 g 2-inch thick bone-in beef ribeye, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp 30 ml vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp 28 g unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Goat Cheese Compound Butter
- In a bowl, mash together all the ingredients. If not using immediately, transfer to a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a log. Twist the ends of the parchment to seal and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to room temperature before use.
Coffee Spice Rub
- Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ribeye Steak
- Set a wire rack on a baking sheet. Place the steak on the rack and bring it to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the steak with 2 Tbsp coffee spice rub, pressing onto all sides.
- Heat 2 Tbsp [30 ml] of oil in a large cast-iron over high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear the steak for 1 minute, flip and sear the other side for 1 minute more. Pile the 2 Tbsp butter, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 sprigs of rosemary on top of the steak and transfer to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of meat registers 125°F-130°F for medium-rare, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut the steak from the bone, slice, and sprinkle with flaky salt.
Notes
- One month ahead: Mix together the coffee spice rub and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Two days before: Make the goat cheese butter and transfer it to a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a log. Twist the ends of the parchment to seal and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to room temperature before use.
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