How To Cook Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye
Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeyes, also known as Cowgirl Steaks, are one of the most flavorful steaks on the market. You can’t go wrong with a well-marbled Cowgirl Steak because of its tenderness, juiciness, and rich flavor. And when cooked on the grill to an ideally recommended medium-rare, the Cowgirl Steak will make for a memorable meal. Other cooking methods, such as pan-seared Cowgirl Steak or broiled Cowgirl Steak in the oven, are fantastic. Our helpful cooking instructions and video will guide you in making an unsurpassed delicious steak. We recommend always using a meat thermometer for cooking your new cut perfectly.
How to Cook Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye Steak on the Grill
For those wanting to cook their Cowgirl Steak to a perfected medium-rare temperature encapsulating all its wonderful flavors, there are two primary grilling methods:
- Charcoal Grilling
- Gas Grilling
When using either grilling method, it is best if your steaks are completely thawed before cooking. Thaw your Cowgirl Steak in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. We recommend removing the steak about 30–40 minutes before you decide to cook, allowing it to come to room temperature. Next, season your Cowgirl Steak to your liking. Bring your grilled Cowgirl Steak to the next level with the Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Cowgirl Steak on a Charcoal Grill
To cook on a charcoal grill, place steaks over the hottest portion of the grill and sear both sides for 1–2 minutes. Then move to medium, ash-covered coals and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn 1 minute before the halfway point.
Cowgirl Steak on a Gas Grill
To cook on a gas grill, preheat on high. Sear both sides for 1–2 minutes, then reduce to medium heat and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn the Cowgirl Steak about 1 minute before the halfway point.
- For the perfect medium-rare Cowgirl Steak, grill for 10–12 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 13–17 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving by covering them lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is also essential because the cooking heat draws juices from the meat to the surface. If you slice into it immediately after cooking, you risk losing all those flavorful juices. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and delicious.
- When wondering if your steak is done, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak.
- Top off your Cowgirl Steak with the flavorsome Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter.
How to Cook Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye in the Oven
Baked Cowgirl Steak is simple to prepare and offers a flavor-filled, memorable dining experience. Like the grilling method, be sure your Cowgirl Steak is completely thawed before cooking, preferably in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, we recommend removing the steak about 30–40 minutes before you decide to cook, allowing it to come to room temperature. Lastly, season your steak as desired. For some of the best Cowgirl Steaks, we recommend using our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Set your oven to “broil” and preheat for 10 minutes.
Once you have seasoned your steak to taste, you can bake your Cowgirl Steak based on your desired cook time:
- During broiling, the door of an electric oven should be left ajar; the door of a gas oven should remain closed.
- Place steaks on the rack of a broiler pan. Position the broiler pan in the oven so that the surface of the beef is 3–4 inches from the heat. Broil to desired doneness, according to the Measuring Doneness and Cooking Times Chart below.
- For the perfect medium-rare steak (recommended), broil in the oven for 12–14 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 14–16 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Once you've removed your steaks from the oven, rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- While resting, the cooking heat will pull the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, you risk all those flavorful juices dripping on your plate and not in your steak. Waiting for your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it tender and juicy.
- Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak if you are curious about your steak’s level of doneness.
How to Cook Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye on the Stove
Have you wondered how to cook Cowgirl Steak in a pan on your stovetop? Attain perfect results with seared outside and sealed-in juices, a golden-brown caramelized crust, and an expertly cooked interior.
Before cooking, be sure your steak is completely thawed. We recommend bringing the meat to room temperature by removing your steak from the refrigerator 30–40 minutes before cooking. Season steaks to your preference; we recommend Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
For a medium-rare Cowgirl Steak, follow these steps for best results:
- Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot, for about 5 minutes. A very hot pan delivers the best sear.
- After you've seasoned your steaks and are ready, place steaks in the hot skillet (do not overcrowd), do not add oil or water. Do not cover.
- For the perfect medium-rare steak, sear in a skillet for 13–15 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 15–17 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Allow your steak to rest for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak allows the steak juices to pull toward the surface of your meat; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and tender.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your Cowgirl Steak to ensure it is fully cooked, from rare to medium-well.
Just as you cook your steak using a non-stick skillet, Cowgirl Steak in a cast iron skillet can provide exquisite flavor, rich deep brown crust, and the distinct finish we all desire. Follow the same directions as cooking Cowgirl Steak on the stove in a non-stick skillet.
Specialty Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye Cooking
Perhaps you are feeling slightly more adventurous and curious about other cooking methods beyond the tried and true pan-fried or grilled Cowgirl Steak. Exciting, unique cooking techniques can provide a new and fun cooking experience along with the tender, exceptional flavored steak you've been craving. No matter your chosen method, ensure your steak is completely thawed in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Remove the Cowgirl Steak from the refrigerator 30–40 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Season your steaks to your liking; try using our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning for exceptional flavor.
Sous vide cooking allows you to reach a better-than-ever high-quality steak result. This method enables expert quality control, taking all the guesswork out of the process, leaving your Cowgirl Steak cooked perfectly to your desired level of doneness. Sous vide uses low-heat, extended-length cooking, allowing you to cook steaks from corner to corner evenly. The emerging favorite of sous vide cooking offers quality, evenly cooked, tender, and juicy steak.
Note: Due to food safety concerns, steaks cooked under 130°F should NOT be cooked for longer than 2½ hours at a time. The temperature mentioned in the chart below is what you would set your sous vide machine to reach that degree of doneness.
Prepare It
- Preheat your water bath: Fill your sous vide container with warm water and set the sous vide device to the appropriate temperature for the desired doneness.
- Repackage your steaks into sous vide heat-stable bags. We recommend seasoning with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning for an enhanced flavor. Or prepare your raw steaks by adding fresh herbs and Kanas City Steak Finishing Butter before placing them into the heat-stable vacuum-closed bag before sealing.
Cook It
- Before cooking, ensure the water bath has reached the desired temperature before adding the steak. Place the packaged steak in the water bath and allow it to cook for the recommended time based on your desired degree of doneness.
- Rare: 45 minutes at 122°F (1-inch steak) and 1–2½ hours (1½ inch steak)
- Medium-Rare: 45 minutes at 129°F (1-inch steak) and 1–4 hours (1½ inch steak)
- Medium: 45 minutes at 135°F (1-inch steak) and 1–2½ hours (1½ inch steak)
- Medium-Well: 45 minutes at 145°F (1-inch steak) and 1–3½ hours (1½ inch steak)
- Once your steaks are finished cooking, remove them from the sous vide and take the steaks out of the packaging.
- Preheat a skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. Place your steaks on the skillet and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Cook until the steaks reach the final desired internal temperature, according to the doneness chart.
- The sear will give your steaks the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor typically associated with grilled steaks.
- Serve as soon as possible. Unlike other methods of cooking steak, the low heat used in sous vide does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface, so additional resting time is not needed.
- We recommend topping your strip steak with Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter (even if you added butter during the sous vide).
You can’t beat the rich, smoky flavor of a great smoked Cowgirl Steak. To achieve this smokiness, smoking times will vary greatly depending on the cut of meat, thickness of the cut, quality of smoker, smoke and smoke retention, wind, and more. To reach base doneness, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
To begin, fire up your smoker and preheat it to 225°F.
- Place your well-seasoned steak onto the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke the meat until the steaks reach about 10°F below the desired internal doneness temperature (see recommendations on our Measuring Doneness Chart below.)
- After removing the steak from the smoker, you can check for smoking doneness based on temperature, which will be about 10°F below final doneness. Your steaks will warm an additional 5°F during the searing process.
- Temperatures are as follows:
- Rare: 115°F
- Medium-Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Next, preheat a skillet over high heat (you can do this on a grill or in your kitchen). Once hot, lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Place the steaks in the skillet and sear them for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Cook until the steaks reach approximately 5°F less than your final desired internal temperature.
- Remove steaks from the skillet and allow them to rest for 5 minutes, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface and locks in flavorful juices. Allowing your steak to rest will keep it moist and delicious.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer and the Measuring Doneness Chart below.
- Before serving, expand upon the smoky taste by topping with Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter for full flavor.
Cooking Times for Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye
Select a cooking method for your Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye and follow the recommended cooking times for the best results. For perfect doneness, we recommend you use a meat thermometer and use the Measuring Doneness Chart, below.
Measuring Doneness for Cowgirl Steak
Remove when your steaks are 5°F less than the temperatures listed.
The centers will continue to warm as they rest.
Cowgirl Steak Recipes
Looking for a specific recipe, marinade, seasoning or rub for Center-Cut Bone-In Ribeye? Check out our most popular Ribeye Recipes below or click Ribeye Steak Recipes to view our recipe library.