USDA Choice Ribeye vs USDA Prime NY Strip

[ponyo]

Equal price which would you choose?

 

[MrSquished]

I have grown to love a nice NY Strip but something about the ribeye is just more tender with that extra fat in it. On the very rare occasion I go to a fine steakhouse I go with a ribeye

 

[JEDIYoda]

boneless Ribeye all the way!!

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Ribeye between these choices, but I also love a Porterhouse for the best of both worlds.

 

[BoomerD]

Ribeye between these choices, but I also love a Porterhouse for the best of both worlds.

Yep. Rib steaks are wonderful, porterhouse is a T-bone (NY strip) with a piece of tenderloin attached.

 

[echo4747]

Equal price which would you choose?

Its a very close call... guess I would base my decision after visually looking at the actual steaks.

 

[killster1]

id have to see the meat, maybe the ribeye has nice marble, here steaks are so cheap id buy a few of each, usually get 3 tbones and 2 tri-tip's, then other day a tray of ny strip or tray of ribeye, then on fancy days i get the eye of the ribeye at costco with the string wrapped around.. SO YUMMY! actually bought some steaks from walmart and turned out perfect filet mignon was like 12$?

 

[ponyo]

Its a very close call... guess I would base my decision after visually looking at the actual steaks.

Both are untrimmed in vac sealed 20 pound packages. Visually it’s hard to see and compare the marbling due to the dark cryo plastic package. The entire sealed package must be purchased. Both are Certified Black Angus.

 

[echo4747]

Both are untrimmed in vac sealed 20 pound packages. Visually it’s hard to see and compare the marbling due to the dark cryo plastic package. The entire sealed package must be purchased. Both are Certified Black Angus.

How much more per lb would it be to step up from choice to prime on the ribeye? 20lbs seems about right for a whole ribeye. 20lbs seems rather large for a whole strip loin. most strip loins I've ever purchased are ~13-14lbs

 

[zinfamous]

How much more per lb would it be to step up from choice to prime on the ribeye? 20lbs seems about right for a whole ribeye. 20lbs seems rather large for a whole strip loin. most strip loins I've ever purchased are ~13-14lbs

OP says equal price (this is a fantasy thread)

I'd go with the Strip assuming Prime means excellent marbling, as it should. I like Ribeyes, but Strips have that beefier taste. Prime should add the desired fattiness that you get with a ribeye, too, so bonus.

 

[echo4747]

I too would probably go with the prime strip as well... Even though I I like a good ribeye a bit more than a good strip, A choice grade ribeye is a bit of a gamble could be great or just so-so. If it is just so-so, your stuck with 20lbs of it.
** curious to know how much beef prices fluctuate around the country. I'm in Western New York and whole prime strip loin is $6.99lb (lowest price I've encountered)

 

[ponyo]

How much more per lb would it be to step up from choice to prime on the ribeye? 20lbs seems about right for a whole ribeye. 20lbs seems rather large for a whole strip loin. most strip loins I've ever purchased are ~13-14lbs

About $2.50 /lb more for USDA Prime Ribeye. But the Prime Ribeye is not Certified Black Angus and typical IBP, National Beef, Swift processed and not from smaller processing farms. The Choice Ribeye is WR Reserve Premium Black Angus Natural Beef. I’ve had WR Reserve Top Sirlion Cap and it was really good.

You’re correct about the size of the strip loin. It’s 13-15 lb range. I just said 20 lb because that’s the ribeye size.

 

[Fritzo]

Ribeye is the perfect cut of steak. The marbling, soft fat tissue, and flavor of the cut are a perfect combination.

Ribeye caps are a whole 'nother level:

 

[ponyo]

I too would probably go with the prime strip as well... Even though I I like a good ribeye a bit more than a good strip, A choice grade ribeye is a bit of a gamble could be great or just so-so. If it is just so-so, your stuck with 20lbs of it.
** curious to know how much beef prices fluctuate around the country. I'm in Western New York and whole prime strip loin is $6.99lb (lowest price I've encountered)

It’s currently $7.79 /lb here for the prime strip loin. Since the beef is graded from the ribeye, prime strip loin could be like choice in actual quality. But this prime strip loin is Certified Black Angus so it has that going for it vs other Prime strip loin.

 

[Scarpozzi]

It's tough....choice isn't as good as prime right? There's just typically more marbling in a ribeye....but that can vary by cut/cow. I always rank Ribeye > Strip > Sirloin.....

I paid $16.99 a pound for a single ribeye that my wife and I shared last Summer at the beach ($20 steak). I seriously can say, it was the best steak I've ever cooked. The marbling in that cut of meat was perfect and it was thick-cut. I cooked it medium/medium-rare and it melted when I sliced it... We live in a market where steak that expensive just doesn't sell as quickly as the $8-10lb cuts so the stores don't typically stock it. (I know that's not really expensive...just saying I wish we had more options in my area) The grocery store I bought the good steak from had twice the steak selection as my local grocery and they were the same store brand. It'd be like comparing a 40 year old Piggly Wiggly to The Fresh Market.

 

[Fritzo]

It's tough....choice isn't as good as prime right? There's just typically more marbling in a ribeye....but that can vary by cut/cow. I always rank Ribeye > Strip > Sirloin.....

I paid $16.99 a pound for a single ribeye that my wife and I shared last Summer at the beach ($20 steak). I seriously can say, it was the best steak I've ever cooked. The marbling in that cut of meat was perfect and it was thick-cut. I cooked it medium/medium-rare and it melted when I sliced it... We live in a market where steak that expensive just doesn't sell as quickly as the $8-10lb cuts so the stores don't typically stock it. (I know that's not really expensive...just saying I wish we had more options in my area) The grocery store I bought the good steak from had twice the steak selection as my local grocery and they were the same store brand. It'd be like comparing a 40 year old Piggly Wiggly to The Fresh Market.

Choice is usually fine. You want to stay away from select. If you're having a special occasion, go with prime (it's almost 2x the price).

 

[echo4747]

another thing to consider is how long it will take you or your family to go thru the entire cut. After I cut the loin into individual steaks I bag each one , food saver it, and into the freezer. Many people say they dont notice the quality/flavor of a frozen steak to diminish even after 6 months.. I tend to notice a bit of a taste drop off after 2 months. We (me,wife,kid) have steak at least once a week (sometimes twice) so its rarely an issue for us

 

[Bartman39]

Just had a killer Ribeye yesterday so duh what do you think...

 

[ponyo]

Ribeye is leading the vote by big margin. I’m leaning choice ribeye as well but I never had prime Black Angus. So that makes me curious.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Choice is usually fine. You want to stay away from select. If you're having a special occasion, go with prime (it's almost 2x the price).

I'm sure the $16.99 stuff was prime, but it was better looking than other prime steaks I've seen. The marbling was legitimately small and evenly distributed. It was so consistent, it looked like it was manufactured. When you get down to some of those cuts, the ribeyes can be like sirloin with huge chunks of fat in-between the lean meat.

 

[Zeze]

Who the hell voted NY Strip? Ribeye is distinctly different.

I get an amazing cut of ribeye from my grocer at $10/lb. Good marbling too.

 

[echo4747]

Who the hell voted NY Strip? Ribeye is distinctly different.

I get an amazing cut of ribeye from my grocer at $10/lb. Good marbling too.

Yes they are different, however; I voted for prime NY strip.. as opposed to choice ribeye . At my local grocers/ meat stores choice ribeyes have ranged from very nice marbling to relatively little marbling. The OP wants to buy the whole ribeye in cryopac. Wont know how good it is until its sliced/cut. A correctly graded prime NYS strip will have very good marbling too.

 

[snoopy7548]

Always ribeye over NY strip, but sometimes the grocery store cuts have a huge vein or hunk of fat right in the middle of the cut, so I sometimes have to choose another. The worst is when the sticker hides a chunk of fat on an otherwise good cut. Those vaccum-sealed organic-fed cuts are always pretty consistent, though a bit more expensive.

These days I prefer a nice filet mignon with a sauce. Red wine and shallot reduction or garlic mushroom gravy. Oh man.

 

[spacejamz]

what is point of the question anyway? if you pick one, is that the only cut you will order for the rest of your life? I grill ribeyes and tbones and when I go out, I love a good prime rib but will get a ribeye every now and then...but lamb chops are my favorite...

 

[ponyo]

Yes they are different, however; I voted for prime NY strip.. as opposed to choice ribeye . At my local grocers/ meat stores choice ribeyes have ranged from very nice marbling to relatively little marbling. The OP wants to buy the whole ribeye in cryopac. Wont know how good it is until its sliced/cut. A correctly graded prime NYS strip will have very good marbling too.

There really isn't such thing as correctly graded prime NY Strip. The entire cow is graded based on the ribeye. So if the ribeye grades prime, then the entire cow grades prime. So you can end up with choice grade strip that's better than prime strip. Same thing with brisket and other meats. The only thing I've found consistent other than the ribeye grading is if the beef is Certified Premium Black Angus. I've had great luck with every certified Black Angus beef.

what is point of the question anyway? if you pick one, is that the only cut you will order for the rest of your life? I grill ribeyes and tbones and when I go out, I love a good prime rib but will get a ribeye every now and then...but lamb chops are my favorite...

I'm just curious what people would choose. I think it's a tough choice. I would normally just buy both but at this time I'm kind of limited with fridge space and might not have the time to eat both.