Cooking Ribeye In Cast Iron

Ribeye Steak recipe
RIBEYE: Mouth watering, tender, well-marbled beef. Make it right, and you'll never long for anything again. Ribeye steaks are the king of beef, if you ask me, and if you are preparing this marvelous meat, you'd better be doing it properly. Grilling season is upon us and in the past couple of weeks, we had ample time to get out the grill and warm it up for the summer.

Then… there was WIND! Of course, one would find me with fresh ribeyes in the fridge. Cue the cast iron skillet folks, for they seal in the glorious savory juices from your steak, creating a delicious crust on the beef that is out of this world. I didn't miss the grill at all with these beauties. My super-secret trick? Searing in oil and finishing the steak with a pat of butter on top to melt all over. Flavor explosion, without the burn-factor that you get when using butter for searing. (*butter burns when at the high searing temperature you'll need to sear the steaks.)

The steps here are simple for this recipe. SEASON. SEAR. FINISH. Oh, and don't forget the butter. Please, don't forget the butter. You can also add herbs like finely minced rosemary or chives and a clove of sautéed garlic to the butter to create an even more delicious finish for your steak.
cast iron ribeye steak cows
Grain Finished or Grass Fed? Well, it is funny you ask. I don't begrudge anyone the choice of steak they'd like to indulge in. Choices are among us, and you can choose what you'd like. The marbling, texture and flavor of grain finished beef is the only beef I'm interested in. This is the beef I grew up eating, the beef I buy at the grocery store. Did you know that grain finished beef cattle spend the majority of their life on grass anyway? Only a portion of their life is spent with a diet that includes grains and other forages as well.

twin cows prepping to become ribeye steaks

Twins in the lot with their Mama.

If you ever have questions about beef, whether it is in recipe preparation, or how it is raised, just ask. I love connecting people to the experts I know, the farmers who raise the meat on your plate, whether it be grass fed or grain fed.

cast iron ribeye steak eater

Back to the BEEF!

Cast Iron Ribeye Steaks

These succulent steaks are prepared easily, and indoors, on days you cannot grill.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings: 4 steaks

4 thick cut ribeye steaks at room temperature
2 tbsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt or other seasoned salt of choice
1 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil or other high burning temperature oil like peanut, soybean or canola
4 tbsp Butter salted

Season ribeyes evenly on both sides with seasoned salt and pepper. Make sure steaks are at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until oil shimmers and is very hot to hold your hand 3 inches above. The key is to get a great sear (hot) on your steak to caramelize the outside and lock in the juices.
Gently put 2 of the steaks in the skillet, sear on each side for 3-4 minutes until well crusted. Remove to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat with other 2 steaks. Place steaks in skillet, into the oven. If your skillet is not large enough to hold all of the steaks, simply use a glass baking dish. Place 1 TBSP of butter on each steak. Bake steaks to finish, about 10 minutes at 350 degrees for medium doneness. Use an instant read thermometer to detect perfect temperature. Let steaks rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Rare: 120-125 degrees F Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees F Medium: 140-145 degrees F Medium Well: 150-155 degrees F Well Done: Don't do it to a Ribeye!