The Best Way to Cook your Chunky Cattleman's Cut Beltie Ribeye
Preparation
The first step to a perfect ribeye begins before it ever touches heat. For a thick cattleman's cut (Nannas’ are 4-5cm thick), you want to:
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Remove the steak from refrigeration 45-60 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. This promotes even cooking from edge to center.
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Pat the steak thoroughly dry with paper towels. Any surface moisture will inhibit browning by creating steam instead of direct heat contact.
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Season generously with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. The large crystal size of salt flakes adheres better to meat surfaces and dissolves gradually during cooking.
Cooking Method: Reverse Sear
For thick-cut ribeyes, the reverse sear method produces superior results because:
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Start by slow-cooking in a low oven (140°C)until the internal temperature reaches about 55°C for medium-rare (adjust accordingly for desired doneness). This gentle, even heat allows proteins to denature gradually without squeezing out moisture.
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After resting briefly, finish with an extremely hot sear in a cast iron skillet with high-smoke-point oil and butter. The already-warm interior means you only need to sear long enough to develop a crust without overcooking.
Why This Method Works
The reverse sear technique works particularly well for chunky ribeyes for several scientific reasons:
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The slow initial cooking breaks down collagen in the intramuscular fat gradually, allowing it to render and baste the meat from within.
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The steak cooks evenly from edge to center, eliminating the overcooked "grey band" that traditional methods create.
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The final high-heat sear creates a Maillard reaction (browning) that develops complex flavour compounds without overcooking the interior.
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Ribeye's abundant marbling benefits from this method as it gives fat time to render properly, creating a buttery texture.
The result is a perfectly cooked steak with a consistent medium-rare interior from edge to edge, a flavourful crust, and properly rendered fat that carries the rich, beefy flavour ribeyes are prized for.