Ribeye Cooking Temperatures

While I am a firm believer that cooking a steak to any measure of doneness outside of the medium-rare range (130°F - 135°F) amounts to ruining the meat, I do make one exception. That exception means that I belong to an exclusive club of elites.

The 137°F Club. When it comes to ribeye steak, there is a more optimal temperature than the standard medium-rare range, and it can almost only be achieved through the precision of a sous vide. This is because cooking to exactly 137°F, and maintaining it for long enough for the fat to render, is not something a cook can likely achieve without a sous vide circulator.

Generally speaking, the changes in a steak due to temperatures are as follows:

1. 130°F - 140°F: Animal fats render, which is a slow process of liquifying

2. 130°F - 135°F: Medium-rare doneness

3. 135°F: Collagens begins to contract, myoglobin begins to denature

4. 135°F - 145°F: Medium doneness

137°F is the sweet spot for a ribeye, which a large fat content, to get rendered fat without too much denaturing or overcooking of the meat. This works only with something like a ribeye because of the high fat content.

Despite it being above the medium-rare range and well into the medium range, this will result in the best ribeye possible.