The way folks trim ribeye steaks drives me crazy

I was working the counter last Saturday and a customer asked me to cut them a couple of ribeyes from a whole loin. I see so many butchers online and even in shops around here in Kansas City who leave that big fat cap on the outside completely uneven. They just slice it off in one thick chunk and call it done. But if you take the time to trim it down to about a quarter inch and even it out across the whole steak, you get way better rendering when it hits the pan. Plus you can save that thick fat for grinding into burgers or making tallow. I spent 10 years learning this from an old timer who would yell at me if I rushed a trim job. Anyone else notice grocery stores churning out sloppy ribeyes lately or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

brookebailey1mo ago

That 1/4 inch even trim you mentioned is something I see maybe 1 in 20 butchers actually doing around here in Texas. A lot of them just hack off the whole spinalis cap and leave the rest of the fat totally uneven, which messes up the cook completely. How do you handle the tail end of the ribeye where it tapers off, do you trim it flush or leave a little extra for the guy who likes crispy edges?

xena_murphy1mo ago

Leave a little extra at the tail, @brookebailey, because that crispy rendered fat is the best part for anyone who actually enjoys texture and flavor. A flush trim might look cleaner on the plate but it sacrifices the crunchy contrast that makes a good ribeye great. People who hate a little char on the end usually aren't the ones ordering a fatty steak in the first place.