How "Ribeye's" are Marketed

Steve Wertz said:

Are meat purveyors required to abide by the USDA established terms
"ribeye" and "rib steak"? I couldn't find anything obvious on the
USDA website. The Guide to Meat Cuts will probably back up my
impression of these two different cuts, but are they required to
market using these terms?

A ribeye is effectively the heart of a rib steak. Cut away the bone,
and the outer swirls of fat, leaving the best part--that is a ribeye.
Matters not what rib is attached to the rib steak.

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

Steve Wertz said:

A "Rib Eye" is a rib steak from the small end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 10-12.

A "Rib Steak" is a rib steak from the large end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 6-9.

But in the grocery stores (especially when they're on sale), I see
rib steaks labeled as ribeye's that clearly came from every part
of the rib roast, small and large.

Today I went to a "real" butcher, so "real" that the health
department requires that the meat be handled only in a dedicated
room not accessible to the public (something about because they
also do wholesole). They can't display the meat in the same room
as the customers. You can watch them work through a window,
though.

You place your order with the "receptionist" in the waiting room:
specify type of animal, cut, grade, thickness, etc... They
forward the order to the cutters and maybe 10 minutes later
(depending on how busy they are), you get your meat all wrapped up
with your bill and pay the receptionist.

I ordered two Choice "ribeyes" 1.5" thick ($14/lb). When I got
home I noticed these were from the large end as opposed to the
small end, which really got me mad as I always insist on the small
ends. Usually I'd be able to point and choose , but that's not
possible at this place. These being professional meat guys, I
figured I wouldn't need to be redundant and specify "ribeye, from
the small end".

Are meat purveyors required to abide by the USDA established terms
"ribeye" and "rib steak"? I couldn't find anything obvious on the
USDA website. The Guide to Meat Cuts will probably back up my
impression of these two different cuts, but are they required to
market using these terms?

Fascinating. I'll have to print it off and show it to the butcher. They're all "rib eye" here, no idea which end of the beast is used.

Don't think I know of an establishment where the meat is kept away from the customers in a retail setting, must be an American thing. I know a poultry place like that, duck and game actually, but they are basically wholesalers who supply to the trade and retail customers are more of a sideline.

Christine

On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 19:15:54 +1100, Old Mother Ashby
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[Refusing to reformat these *long* lines...]

Quoted message said:

Don't think I know of an establishment where the meat is kept away from the customers in a retail setting, must be an American thing. I know a poultry place like that, duck and game actually, but they are basically wholesalers who supply to the trade and retail customers are more of a sideline.

It's *not* an American thing, though. This is the only place I've
seen do it. Apparently it has to adhere to more stringent hygiene
standards because of the wholesale accounts it services.

I have seen this setup at several halal butchers, though. I don't
think it's for hygiene, though.

-sw

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Old Mother Ashby said:

Steve Wertz wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Today I went to a "real" butcher, so "real" that the health
department requires that the meat be handled only in a dedicated
room not accessible to the public (something about because they
also do wholesole). They can't display the meat in the same room
as the customers. You can watch them work through a window,
though.

Quoted message said:

Don't think I know of an establishment where the meat is kept away from the
customers in a retail setting, must be an American thing. I know a poultry
place like that, duck and game actually, but they are basically wholesalers
who supply to the trade and retail customers are more of a sideline.

Christine

Same as what Steve mentioned, Christine - that wholesale thang.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-19-2006, Yummy! and church review. :-)

In article <[email hidden]>, on Wed, 22 Feb

2006 23:46:25 -0600 said:

A "Rib Eye" is a rib steak from the small end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 10-12.

A "Rib Steak" is a rib steak from the large end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 6-9

I checked my NAMP Meat Buyers Guide (the industry standard guide, and
the basis of the USDA IMPS, http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/imps.htm
). You're confusing a few terms.

The ribeye, NAMP #112, is the single longissimus muscle cut from the
beef rib primal, which goes from ribs 6 - 12 (NAMP #103).

The "ribeye steak" can be cut from anywhere on the single ribeye
(longissimus) muscle. This is NAMP #1112C.

The "rib steak" can be cut from *anything* on the rib primal, and may or
may not include the ribeye muscle. This is NAMP #1103 (#1103A if
boneless).

Neither of the portion cuts specify where on the rib they should be cut.

--
Seth Goodman

Seth Goodman said:

In article <[email hidden]>, on Wed, 22 Feb

2006 23:46:25 -0600 said:

A "Rib Eye" is a rib steak from the small end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 10-12.

A "Rib Steak" is a rib steak from the large end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 6-9

I checked my NAMP Meat Buyers Guide (the industry standard guide, and
the basis of the USDA IMPS, http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/imps.htm
). You're confusing a few terms.

The ribeye, NAMP #112, is the single longissimus muscle cut from the
beef rib primal, which goes from ribs 6 - 12 (NAMP #103).

The "ribeye steak" can be cut from anywhere on the single ribeye
(longissimus) muscle. This is NAMP #1112C.

The "rib steak" can be cut from *anything* on the rib primal, and may or
may not include the ribeye muscle. This is NAMP #1103 (#1103A if
boneless).

Neither of the portion cuts specify where on the rib they should be cut.

Your URL doesn't really point to anything specific. I searched a few
of the files but found nothing pertaining to rib steaks, only rib
roasts. As far as I know a ribeye steak is indeed cut from the
longissimus, is well trimmed and is boneless; the most flavorless beef
cut there is, the infantile beef cut. A rib steak can be cut from
anywhere on the rib primal and typically includes the bone, and because
it does include the bone and is not so well trimmed is more flavorful,
not great flavor but passable... the rib is popular, especially at
large catered functions, because many people really don't like the
taste of beef... invariably when I've seen folks eat standing rib they
only eat the eye and never touch the rest, they are especially
frightened to gnaw around the bone, the only worthwhile portion of the
rib section.

Sheldon

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 23:46:25 -0600, Steve Wertz
<[email hidden]> rummaged among random neurons and opined:

Quoted message said:

A "Rib Eye" is a rib steak from the small end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 10-12.

A "Rib Steak" is a rib steak from the large end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 6-9.

But in the grocery stores (especially when they're on sale), I see
rib steaks labeled as ribeye's that clearly came from every part
of the rib roast, small and large.

<snip>

I dunno which end of the prime rib roast they're sending me, but once
I started ordering rib eyes from Allen Bros., no one else would do. My
first rib eye from them was so utterly spectacular that I'll never buy
locally again. I had no idea, evidently, what a good, really good rib
eye tasted like. And, no, I have no stake in the company. They're just
that good. Expensive, yes, but worth every penny, IMHO.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

Seth Goodman said:

I checked my NAMP Meat Buyers Guide (the industry standard guide, and
the basis of the USDA IMPS, http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/imps.htm
). You're confusing a few terms.

That's what I was looking for...

Quoted message said:

The ribeye, NAMP #112, is the single longissimus muscle cut from the
beef rib primal, which goes from ribs 6 - 12 (NAMP #103).

The "ribeye steak" can be cut from anywhere on the single ribeye
(longissimus) muscle. This is NAMP #1112C.

So there's two different terms then. Ribeye, and Ribeye steak.
"Ribeye" being just the center muscle without the tail (never
really sold that way, is it?), and "Ribeye Steak" being the cross
section of the whole rib roast?

Hmm. I've seen several places where "rib eye" two words, or "Rib,
eye" is from ribs 10-12. One that I'm looking at now is the USDA
SR18 database.

Lemme download the 2meg file now and take a look at those cuts.
I never really had to distinguish between the two in real life
since I always get to pick my roast or steak.

-sw

On 23 Feb 2006 17:16:23 -0800, "Sheldon" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Your URL doesn't really point to anything specific. I searched a few
of the files but found nothing pertaining to rib steaks, only rib
roasts. As far as I know a ribeye steak is indeed cut from the
longissimus, is well trimmed and is boneless; the most flavorless beef
cut there is, the infantile beef cut.

Now I'm even more confused. If the longissimus is one muscle,
then this must be the muscle that runs right through the center of
the rib roast. That would make this cut resemble (visually, at
least) a big long eye round. I've never seen just this muscle for
sale, in roasts or in cross-sectioned steaks. It always contains
the surrounding rib meat.

Still downloading the file.... slow dialup....

Quoted message said:

not great flavor but passable... the rib is popular, especially at
large catered functions, because many people really don't like the
taste of beef... invariably when I've seen folks eat standing rib they
only eat the eye and never touch the rest, they are especially
frightened to gnaw around the bone, the only worthwhile portion of the
rib section.

This is the best tasting steak out there, _IMO_. Your opinion
differs. I eat the whole thing, not just the eye. I don't know
who you've been hanging around, but I've never seen anybody eat
just the eye (longissmuss?) and leave the surrounding tissues.

I much prefer the surrounding tissue more than the actual eye
(hence the reason for my post), but the lusciousness <cough> of
the outside portion makes up for the somewhat blander interior.
That why I look for cuts from the small end - less longissmuss
whatever...

-sw

Sheldon said:

Seth Goodman said:

In article <[email hidden]>, on Wed, 22 Feb

2006 23:46:25 -0600 said:

A "Rib Eye" is a rib steak from the small end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 10-12.

A "Rib Steak" is a rib steak from the large end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 6-9

I checked my NAMP Meat Buyers Guide (the industry standard guide, and
the basis of the USDA IMPS, http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/imps.htm
). You're confusing a few terms.

The ribeye, NAMP #112, is the single longissimus muscle cut from the
beef rib primal, which goes from ribs 6 - 12 (NAMP #103).

The "ribeye steak" can be cut from anywhere on the single ribeye
(longissimus) muscle. This is NAMP #1112C.

The "rib steak" can be cut from *anything* on the rib primal, and may or
may not include the ribeye muscle. This is NAMP #1103 (#1103A if
boneless).

Neither of the portion cuts specify where on the rib they should be cut.

Your URL doesn't really point to anything specific. I searched a few
of the files but found nothing pertaining to rib steaks, only rib
roasts. As far as I know a ribeye steak is indeed cut from the
longissimus, is well trimmed and is boneless; the most flavorless beef
cut there is, the infantile beef cut. A rib steak can be cut from
anywhere on the rib primal and typically includes the bone, and because
it does include the bone and is not so well trimmed is more flavorful,
not great flavor but passable... the rib is popular, especially at
large catered functions, because many people really don't like the
taste of beef... invariably when I've seen folks eat standing rib they
only eat the eye and never touch the rest, they are especially
frightened to gnaw around the bone, the only worthwhile portion of the
rib section.

Sheldon

This is getting a bit confusing to an Aussie.

We have filet (or eye filet), the tender but flavourless cut that you
use for filet mingnon - that sounds like your ribeye. Then we have
ribeye (my favourite steak), which is the steak with the rib bone
attached, much larger (sometimes ginormous) with a bit of fat through it
which adds to the flavour. This can also be purchased as a rib roast.
And we have scotch filet, which has no bone and has a bit of fat through
it and a decent flavour. It is usually cut fairly thin and is good for
steak sandwiches.

And of course there's porterhouse and rump and t-bones, none of which I
bother with. I never buy rump steak, but we often have rump roast,
especially since the butcher gave up doing rolled sirloin (which was
always a bit fatty).

I think there's a chart in the relevant Time/Life Good Cook volume, must
go and have a look - I seem to recall that it shows British, American
and Continental cuts.

Christine
Why is everything so complicated?

Steve Wertz said:

A "Rib Eye" is a rib steak from the small end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 10-12.

A "Rib Steak" is a rib steak from the large end of the [prime] rib
roast, rib #'s 6-9.

But in the grocery stores (especially when they're on sale), I see
rib steaks labeled as ribeye's that clearly came from every part
of the rib roast, small and large.

Did they include the improperly used apostrophe?

Quoted message said:

-sw

--Bryan

Steve Wertz said:

I ordered two Choice "ribeyes" 1.5" thick ($14/lb).

AKA, the "P.T. Barnum Steak."

--Blair

Steve Wertz said:

On 23 Feb 2006 17:16:23 -0800, "Sheldon" <[email hidden]>
Now I'm even more confused. If the longissimus is one muscle,
then this must be the muscle that runs right through the center of
the rib roast.

Right. It's the "eye" of the rib primal. Hence, Rib Eye.

If you just take a steak off the whole primal, it's a Rib Steak, with a
Rib Eye embedded in it.

Quoted message said:

This is the best tasting steak out there, _IMO_. Your opinion
differs. I eat the whole thing, not just the eye.

It's good, but it's fatty. When I get them I'll grudgingly suffer the
fattiness of the lean tissues, but I dissect around them and leave
the contiguous adipose on the plate.

Quoted message said:

I don't know
who you've been hanging around, but I've never seen anybody eat
just the eye (longissmuss?) and leave the surrounding tissues.

I don't know if I've ever seen a true Rib Eye sold or served anywhere.

Whether anyone really knows the difference anymore seems to be
lost anthropology.

Quoted message said:

I much prefer the surrounding tissue more than the actual eye
(hence the reason for my post), but the lusciousness <cough> of

Have that cough checked; it could be related to arteriosclerosis.

Quoted message said:

the outside portion makes up for the somewhat blander interior.
That why I look for cuts from the small end - less longissmuss
whatever...

Check out Flat-Iron steaks. A properly cut one (no connective tissue)
is almost as tasty as a Hanger Steak and beats a Rib Steak for
flavor if not perhaps for tenderness.

--Blair

Sheldon said:

Your URL doesn't really point to anything specific. I searched a few
of the files but found nothing pertaining to rib steaks, only rib
roasts.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/imps/imps100.pdf

Items Nos. 1103, 1112, 1112A, and 1112B.

You idiot.

--Blair

P.S. What an awesomely informative website that is.

In article <[email hidden]>, on

25 Feb 2006 15:56:54 -0800 said:

Sheldon said:

Your URL doesn't really point to anything specific. I searched a few
of the files but found nothing pertaining to rib steaks, only rib
roasts.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/imps/imps100.pdf

Items Nos. 1103, 1112, 1112A, and 1112B.

You idiot.

--Blair

P.S. What an awesomely informative website that is.

If you like that site, try this one, too:

http://www.meattrack.com/BackgroundURMIS.php

Hope you've got a broadband connection. ;-)

--
Seth Goodman

Blair P. Houghton said:

Right. It's the "eye" of the rib primal. Hence, Rib Eye.

If you just take a steak off the whole primal, it's a Rib Steak, with a
Rib Eye embedded in it.

Do you ever see them sold that way? That's a prefect way to ruin
a good steak. Not to mention -= what would the butcher do with
the leftover meat? Certainly not make it into $2.50/lb hamburger
when he could sell it as a rib steak for $8.

Quoted message said:

I don't know if I've ever seen a true Rib Eye sold or served anywhere.

OK, then. Either have I.

Quoted message said:

Check out Flat-Iron steaks. A properly cut one (no connective tissue)
is almost as tasty as a Hanger Steak and beats a Rib Steak for
flavor if not perhaps for tenderness.

All the flati-rons I see are cross cut against the grain (with the
gristle). I really like the hanger/flap meat, which brings up my
#1 reason to shop at CostCo.

-sw

Blair P. Houghton said:

Steve Wertz said:

I ordered two Choice "ribeyes" 1.5" thick ($14/lb).

AKA, the "P.T. Barnum Steak."

You buy Select grade, I buy top Choice or Prime.

-sw

Seth Goodman said:

In article <[email hidden]>, on

25 Feb 2006 15:56:54 -0800 said:

P.S. What an awesomely informative website that is.

If you like that site, try this one, too:

http://www.meattrack.com/BackgroundURMIS.php

Hope you've got a broadband connection. ;-)

I have, but they don't, it would appear...

....and could they ever do with a lesson in color management.

--Blair

Steve Wertz said:

Blair P. Houghton said:

Steve Wertz said:

I ordered two Choice "ribeyes" 1.5" thick ($14/lb).

AKA, the "P.T. Barnum Steak."

You buy Select grade, I buy top Choice or Prime.

I buy Choice and pay half that.

--Blair
"Step right up!"