How to Broil Beef Rib Rib-eye Steak
Rib-eye steaks have some of the juiciest, most tender, most flavorful meat available. This cut is ideal for grilling and for its indoor counterpart -- broiling. The broiler is an often-overlooked oven feature, but it's easy to use and does a good job in crisping the outside of the beef.
Rib-eye steaks have some of the juiciest, most tender, most flavorful meat available. This cut is ideal for grilling and for its indoor counterpart -- broiling. The broiler is an often-overlooked oven feature, but it's easy to use and does a good job in crisping the outside of the beef. It also eliminates the need for oil or butter, keeping the fat and calorie count down on your meal, an important consideration when preparing red meat. Successfully broiling a rib-eye is mostly a matter of setting the steak the correct distance from the broiler and not overcooking the meat.
Coat the rib-eye liberally with coarse kosher salt at least 40 minutes before cooking it or even up to a day or two ahead. This ensures moisture drawn out and seasoned by the salt has time to be reabsorbed into the muscle fibers.
Switch on your oven's broiler about 10 minutes prior to cooking your steak so it can preheat. Most broilers heat to 500 or 550 degrees Fahrenheit.
When broiling, you can't control the temperature as you when you're baking; rather, the key variable is the distance of the food from the heating element. Position the broiler rack the correct distance from the element on your stove.
Cover the bottom of a broiling pan with parchment paper or foil to protect against the meat drippings. While not necessary, doing so makes cleaning the pan much easier. Apply a thin coating of nonstick spray to the rack of the broiling pan. You will position a 3/4-inch thick rib-eye 2 inches below the broiler element; a 1-inch thick rib-eye 3 inches below the broiler; a 1 1/2-inch thick rib-eye 4 inches below the broiler; or a 2-inch thick rib-eye 5 inches below the broiler.
Season the rib-eye with black pepper or any other dried herbs and spices you want to use. Simply pat them on. Use these seasonings sparingly -- or not at all -- so you don't lose the rich natural flavor of this excellent cut. Place the meat on the rack of the broiling pan at the correct distance from the element.
Leave the oven door slightly ajar if you have an electric oven, or else the broiler may cycle on and off to prevent overheating, interfering with development of a crisp, nicely browned crust on your steak.
Broil a 3/4-inch thick boneless rib-eye for approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium; a 1-inch thick boneless rib-eye for about 7 to 8 minutes per side for medium; a 1 1/2-inch thick boneless rib-eye for around 9 to 10 minutes per side for medium; or a 2-inch thick boneless rib-eye for roughly 11 to 12 minutes per side for medium. Bone-in steaks typically take a few minutes less to cook than boneless cuts of the same thickness. Use an instant-read thermometer to confirm the steak has reached an internal temperature of 145 F, which is the minimum temperature recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Set the steak on a plate to rest for at least 5 minutes after removing it from the oven. Failing to rest beef between cooking and cutting it causes juices to run out, depriving the meat of flavor and succulence.
Tip
If you prefer your rib-eye cooked to a different doneness than recommended by the USDA, cook it to 120 F for rare, 130 F for medium-rare, 150 F for medium-well or 160 F for well-done.
warning
If you salt beef shortly or right before cooking it, the moisture drawn out evaporates during cooking, rather than being reabsorbed into the meat. This yields a drier, tougher finished product.