Ribeye is an amazing, flavour-packed cut of beef. Learn how to cook ribeye steak medium rare using the reverse sear method below. It's simple but guaranteed to produce juicy results, from edge to edge.

How to Cook a Ribeye Steak Medium Rare

Ribeye is a thick, fatty cut packed full of flavour. Reverse sear is the best cooking method for ribeye.

Starting off low and slow in the oven allows the fat to gently render and baste the steak from within, boosting juiciness and flavour.

It also prevents the classic problem with thick steaks: overcooked edges and a raw centre. Reverse-searing ensures a steak that’s the perfect medium rare all the way through — from edge to edge.

Ribeye Steak Temperature

Monitoring the internal temperature of your steak is the best way to remove the guesswork and eliminate the risk of overcooking.

Ribeye is best served medium rare, but here are the temperatures for each doneness:

Tip: Remove your ribeye from the oven 10 °C before it reaches your final desired temperature. It will continue to rise as you sear and rest it.

Learn more about steak cooking temperatures.

How to Cook Beef Ribeye Steak in the Oven

Follow these tips to cook ribeye steak in the oven:

• Season well — first, season well with Kosher salt.
• Bring it up to temperature slowly — cook at 100 °C oven temperature.
• Monitor the internal temperature — use a wireless thermometer like RFX to slowly bring the steak up to 45 °C
• Spot-check — check the steak all over using an instant-read meat thermometer like Thermapen.
• Sear — finish your ribeye in a hot pan with some butter to get a nice crust.
• Rest to temperature — the internal temperature will rise to 55 °C (medium rare) as it rests. Once it starts dropping, you're ready to slice.
  
  

What is the Best Sauce for Ribeye? 

Because ribeye has so much flavour, it really doesn't need a sauce. A pinch of flakey sea salt will bring out the flavours.
However, if you prefer a sauce with your steak, creamy sauces like Diane or peppercorn go so well with a ribeye.

When to Season Your Ribeye

As with any steak, you have two options when it comes to salting.

1. Salt just before cooking 
2. Salt the night before and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight 

Both of these methods ensure an amazing crust and ensure your steak retains the maximum amount of juices.

The benefit of the overnight method is that it draws out some surface moisture, then gets reabsorbed back into the meat, carrying the salt deeper inside. The end result is that seasoning isn’t just on the crust, but throughout the steak, giving you even more flavour.

Ribeye Steak Recipe 

• Liberally season a thick ribeye (inch thick) well with Kosher salt.
• Pre-heat your oven to 100 °C. Place the ribeye directly on the oven rack with a tray beneath to catch the cooking juices.
• Track your cook using a wireless thermometer like RFX. Once your ribeye reaches temperature, spot-check with a Thermapen to ensure it's perfectly done throughout. We're aiming for a temperature of 45 °C as ribeye should be served medium rare to medium—this allows all of the fat to render properly, giving you maximum flavour.
• Once you hit 45 °C, place the steak in a hot cast iron pan with a little clarified butter. Spend some time building up a really great crust and then leave it to rest.
• The steak will rise to around 55 °C after cooking which is a perfect medium rare. 

Mike Tomkins

Masterchef 2021 Runner Up

@thenotecook

"Thermapen is one of those kitchen tools I can't live without - it's something I use every single day from making sauces, to bbq cooking, to private dining and events, it comes with me everywhere! A Thermapen will improve you as a chef and a cook by taking the guess work out of complex cooking."