We’re ribeye fans, and we know as well as anyone what a really good one looks and cooks like. We vet literally hundreds of them a year, and even 10 years ago, would sort out the ones that were literally a cut above, starting with our “Pro-Magnum” steak line 8 years ago that Forbes magazine declared an “A-list” winner, and more recently with our highly acclaimed “Ribeye Nation” line of premium cuts.
We’re continuing the hard-to-find Nation line, but waiting for their size (most Nation steaks are ready in the late Fall, for those of you waiting…). In the meantime, we have a small percentage (5-15% from every two weeks of harvest cycles) of really nice steaks that are under Nation size (minimum 17 oz) that we sort off. These are an elevated steak for the following reasons:
- Confirmation: at least three rib area meat groups should be present and easily discernable, including Longissimus dorsi, Multifidus dorsi, and Spinalis dorsi, thereby maximizing flavor and texture experience. The steak should look basically like the state of Idaho, with a pronounced, untrimmed tail.
- Intramuscular Fat: this is fine marbling especially found with-in the L. dorsi area (the rib-eye) itself), not under 8% of the total eye area. This lends unparalleled flavor deposition and mouthfeel, and aids in the moist caramelization of the cooking faces without drying or burning.
- Intermuscular Fat: this is the solid fat areas, slightly orangish in color due to carotenoids present in our wild grasses, well formed between the ribeye meat area bundles. These allow for self-basting while cooking.
- Flavor: steak from this lot number is vetted for consistent grass-fed flavor. With only salt and pepper, this steak stands alone without the need for steak sauces and rubs.
- Tenderness: Rated on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being butter like and a 6 being needing a very sharp or serrated steak knife, a sample from this steak lot number group cannot be less than 8.0.
RCAs are vetted and hand selected by Scott and Max. Tenderness and Flavor is tested by Caryl and Glenn (a really hard job, they admit!), and it’s because all four of them care about and love a great steak. And they know you do too.
