Another Where Does This Meat Come From Question.

[Stone]

Are these the same cut? Where on the cow are the from?

[tommy]

i'm guessing here, but i think they're all rib meat, but probably different ends of the ribs? that's probably all wrong, but here's a basic map.

i've always wondered about this as well. and i've seen "rib steaks" at the supermarket next to "rib eye", and they look totally different. i think some naming standards would help, but i don't see that happening any time soon.

[rickmartin]

The ribeye is the back loin in between the strip loin (strip steaks) and the shoulder. All pieces will be different depending on size of animal and grading etc. The outer roll (that really tender ring around a ribeye steak) usually defines a good specimen. Prime rib officially should be of prime grade, but is the same cut anotomically. Roast beef is any roasted beef, but usually is a top round or inside round. Ribeye would be really good roast beef, but probably not a good ribeye.

RM

[snowangel]

This sounds like a great subject for an ECI class!

[chefrodrigo]

I thought prime rib was named because it is a primal cut, I believe meaning not broken down to smaller cuts, and has nothing to do with prime grade.

Rodney

[chromedome]

The primal beef rib accounts for approximately 10% of carcass weight.  It consists of ribs 6 through 12 as well as a portion of the backbone.  This primal is best known for yielding roast prime rib of beef.  Prime rib is not named after the quality grade Canada Prime.  Rather, its name reflects the fact that it constitutes the majority of the primal cut.  The eye meat of the rib is not a well-exercised muscle and therefore is quite tender.  It also contains large amounts of marbling compared to the rest of the carcass and produces rich, full-flavoured roasts and steaks.  Although toasting the eye muscle on the rib bones produces a moister roast, the eye meat can be removed to produce a boneless rib eye roast or cut into rib eye steaks.

On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (Second Canadian Edition)

-Labensky et al, Prentice-Hall 2003

[Stone]

The ribeye is the back loin in between the strip loin (strip steaks) and the shoulder. All pieces will be different depending on size of animal and grading etc. The outer roll (that really tender ring around a ribeye steak) usually defines a good specimen. Prime rib officially should be of prime grade, but is the same cut anotomically. Roast beef is any roasted beef, but usually is a top round or inside round. Ribeye would be really good roast beef, but probably not a good ribeye.

RM

So if I were to take my really expensive cut of prime rib and grill it, it would be a $$$ ribeye steak?

[Fay Jai]

Kind of off topic, but not....While the link grom above WAS educational, (and funny...Nice Nose Ring!) I have always wanted to get one of those old time posters that you would see in butcher shops showing the cow and pig divided up into the different cuts. Anyone know where I might be able to find one?

(EXTRA COOL if it is from a butcher school or something like that...)

Thanks!

[winesonoma]

Go and get " Cutting-up in the Kitchen" by Merle Ellis which is out of print but available online and he will answer all your questions.