This ultimate steak and marinade will make you a legend of any barbeque. Ribeye Cap, aka Spinalis Dorsi is a melt in your mouth lesser known cut of beef. Guaranteed to be the best steak you have ever had, BAR NONE! Looking for a special occasion cut of beef, this is it.
The Ultimate Steak Marinade:
First, start with the marinade. All great marinades start with 4 basic components; Acid, Salt, Fat, and Aromatics. The same holds true for this marinade. This is how we built the flavors. Once you make the marinade allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour or more. This will allow all the flavors to come together. The marinade works beautifully on any other cut of steak as well. You can also use this on various cuts of pork.
ACID:
The acid component here is lime and rice wine vinegar. Used in equal parts lime adds a citrus punch whereas the vinegar adds a mellow sweetness. Both ingredients work well together as well as add dimension and brightness to the marinade.
SALT:
Soy Sauce provides the right amount of salt for this recipe. Additionally, it provides an essential umami flavor. Soy is easily absorbed into the meat therefore makes for a perfect vehicle to flavor the meat. A touch of Worcestershire sauce further adds depth of flavor.
FAT:
Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Think of the fat as the glue that holds the marinade together. Besides adding a fruity herbal flavor, the oil ensures a good adhesion of the sauce to the meat. It also provides a good caramelization to the exterior of the beef.
AROMATICS:
Finally, the aromatics used are garlic, and shallots for pungency. Flat leaf parsley and cilantro for a grassy herbal note. A small amount of cumin to add an earthy warm spice. Please note, cumin can easily overpower the other flavors therefore use sparingly. Black pepper for a slight bite to bring it altogether.
Ribeye Cap what is it and is it Worth it?
The cap is also called Spinalis Dorsi (or spinalis steak) or the Beef Deckle . If you’ve had a ribeye steak you’ve had a part of the cap. It is my personal favorite part the steak. Tender and buttery full of beef flavor. The open grain and fat content of the meat make it a perfect vehicle to carry the marinade. This is truly a ‘special occasion’ cut. Purchased in two different ways either rolled or flat. Rolled resembles something similar to individual fillet mignons. In contrast to flat which is the whole cap. The flat resembles something similar to a thin highly marbled brisket. Our preference is the flat for two reasons. First, there is more surface area for marinade adhesion (as shown above). Secondly, more crust for the same reason.
Is it worth the price and effort? The answer is unquestionably YES! Not an everyday steak cut, hard to find and rather expensive cut Blending a perfect balance of tenderness along with juicy meaty flavor is without a doubt the best of both worlds. As the name implies it is the cap on a rib eye steak.
Finding The Ultimate Ribeye Cap Steak
As mentioned above this steak can be difficult to find and not typically found in grocery stores. Gourmet markets or butcher shops would be more like to carry it. I have been able to find it at Wild Folk if you are in the US within their delivery zones, for a reasonable cost.
Contact us with any questions here.
The Ultimate Steak and Marinade, Ribeye Cap
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ribeye Cap Steak
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar unseasoned
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup parsley italian flat leaf, minced
- ⅓ cup cilantro minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1 pinch sea salt used as finishing salt
Instructions
- Inspect the steak and remove any large pieces of fat, silver skin, or connective tissue. Place steak in a resealable bag or shallow baking dish. refrigerate
- Chop and mince garlic, shallots, parsley, and cilantro place in a small mixing bowl.
- Add all the liquid ingredients, cumin and black pepper to the bowl and whisk to incorporate. Cover and allow to sit for at least hour at room temperature before marinating the steak.
- Pour marinade on steak and make sure marinade is well distributed all over steak. Refrigerate. Marinade for no more than 5 hours. Remove steak from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to grilling and allow steak to come to room-temperature.
- Preheat grill in 2 zones. high heat on one side (direct), no heat on the other side (indirect).
- Sear steak over direct high heat 3 minutes per side. Move to indirect side of the grill and continue cooking approx. 6 minutes each side (for Medium). Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer to check the desired doneness (Temperatures and times are approximate) Rare: 125°F Medium Rare: 135°F Medium Rare: 145°F Medium Well: 155°F Well: 165°F+
- Remove from heat allow steak to rest for 15 minutes. Slice into ¼" strips across the grain and serve.
