A cut above

Rib-eye steaks are rich and juicy, but a panel of tasters finds that not all rib-eyes are equal

By Jonathan Levitt, Globe Correspondent  |  February 7, 2007

CAMBRIDGE -- The rib-eye, or Delmonico, is a thick, evenly marbled steak cut from the small end of the ribs, and probably the most flavorful steak on the beast. It is tender, but not mushy or bland like a filet mignon. It bites back, but is not as tediously chewy as flank, skirt, and hanger. To cook a rib-eye, there is no need to concoct a marinade or whip together a bearnaise. The meat itself has fat and flavor enough. All it needs is salt, pepper, and a hot grill.

Last week we picked up rib-eyes from six markets around Boston: Costco Wholesale, John Dewar & Company, Roche Bros., Shaw's, Stop & Shop, and Whole Foods Market. We stopped by without placing any orders, looking for basic steaks, nothing prime -- except for John Dewar, which only sells prime -- or dry aged. Then a group met at The Blue Room in Kendall Square for an informal taste test. Chef Jorge Lopes cooked the steaks on a wood-burning grill and a panel of six local foodies, along with restaurant co-owners Nick Zappia and his wife, Liz, cut into the meat without knowing which one was which. Tasters agreed on what they liked and disliked; they also decided that on a different day with another set of tasters and perhaps a broiler instead of a real grill, the results might be quite different. What surprised us all is that ordinary supermarket steaks got glowing marks. Stop & Shop's rib-eye won raves all around. So did the popular butcher John Dewar.

The Blue Room's grill is fired with hardwood charcoal and oak, maple, and birch, all from New Hampshire. Since Lopes didn't want flare-ups, he rubbed only a little canola oil on the meat (the rib-eye has plenty of fat), sprinkled it with salt and pepper, and grilled it over a medium flame. The steaks cooked for a few minutes on each side, and to test for doneness, Lopes pressed them with his finger, looking for the feel of medium rare, something that takes lots of practice. When done, he let each steak rest on the warm edge of the grill so the meat could relax and reabsorb the juices without turning cold.

For the tasting, we started randomly. The first one happened to be Whole Foods's rib-eye, trimmed at the market of its fatty eye, which caused the steak to unravel on the grill. The chef stuck a skewer through it to help keep the shape intact. When it came to the table, tasters commented on how thin it was. They also found the flavor disappointing. "It's squishy and soft," said one, summing up the group's opinion. "It tastes like a filet but is not small and cute like a filet." Tasters wished the meat were chewier, with bigger flavors. Another comment: "I want it to fight back a little bit more."

Next to appear was Stop & Shop's. The uncooked meat was a little pale, but when cooked, it was one of the favorites. "It looks restaurant-y," was one comment. "It's juicy and it tastes sweet , but like beef. It has a cleaner finish too. You actually have to chew this steak. There is a tinge of something else like that grassy , pasture-y thing."

John Dewar's rib-eye looked most like a steakhouse steak. "It tastes backyard-y," was a comment everyone agreed with. "Mmmm, now this one has that fat taste. You can feel the strands, but then they melt away. The beefy finish lingers and lingers. The size and thickness is impressive." The group thought it was the best-looking steak with the grassiest taste.

Points for a good, strong meaty flavor went to Roche Bros.'s rib-eye. And this comment: "A little bit goaty and smoky, gamey. The fat especially tastes dark and gamey, but I like it." In fact, everyone liked it.

Shaw's rib-eye was a bit thinner than the others, but tasters said that it had good texture. "There's lots of flavor, but the flavor is definitely beef," said one. The texture was described as "dense but not spongy," yet it didn't last in the mouth. "It's kind of tinny and dull. If you chew this one you can really see that there's not much happening here."

Tasters agreed that the Costco rib-eye was noticeably tougher. On the plate, juices ran out all at once and then the meat was unpleasantly chewy. "The first bite is amazing, but then it all disappears," was one comment. "The flavor is right there and then totally gone."

The final consensus: We've had enough steak for a while.