Here's Why Ribeye Is The Best Cut For A Steak Sandwich

It's no secret that ribeye is the best cut for dozens of sandwiches, whether you're making Philly cheesesteaks or meaty monstrosities on ciabatta. But understanding what makes this meat so ideal is a great way of expanding existing recipes or inventing new ones. We spoke with Laura Ascher, recipe developer and owner of Cast Iron Skillet Cooking, to get a better understanding of what makes this cut so special.

"Ribeye is the best cut for a steak sandwich because of its incredible marbling, rich buttery flavor, and tender texture," Ascher told Food Republic. "The fat running through the meat keeps it juicy and flavorful, and when it's cooked just right, each bite will melt in your mouth. The marbling ensures you get the perfect balance of tenderness and rich beef flavor, which is exactly what you want in a sandwich." As versatile as it is delicious, you can slice, season, and prepare a ribeye however you want, provided you maintain a certain level of juicy tenderness.

Whether you like it sliced razor-thin or in thick chunks, properly preparing a ribeye creates a unique layer of decadent flavor. As the fat renders from the meat, it combines with any cheeses, sauces, or juices from additional ingredients, suffusing each bite with a flavor profile that's hard to mimic. The best part? To get this result, you might only have to make a small change in your steak's preparation, depending on what temperature you prefer it.

The ribeye is a cut of steak that's foolproof for beginners, so don't feel any pressure because of the price tag when choosing the perfect steak at the store. Whether you prefer grilling, reverse searing, broiling, or pan frying, there's no need to deviate from your preferred recipe. But there are a couple of things to remember.

"I like to cook ribeye the same way, whether it's for a steak dinner or a sandwich," Laura Ascher told us. "The key difference for a sandwich is that I cook it no more than medium rare, and I slice the meat very thinly against the grain. This ensures each bite is tender and easy to chew, and it helps prevent big chunks of meat from pulling out of the sandwich as you take a bite." Slicing the meat against the grain is particularly important. While ribeye is plenty tender in its own right, slicing steak against the grain shortens muscle fibers, making it even more so.

Cooking a ribeye to medium rare all but guarantees that the intramuscular fat within the meat keeps it nice and moist, improving both its flavor and texture. If you like thicker meat in your steak sandwiches, there are plenty of ways to ensure its tenderness. Whether you're tenderizing steak with nothing but a fork or soaking steak in a milk bath, chefs have been experimenting with red meat tenderization for centuries, so there's no shortage of options.