Seven Steaks of Summer #2: Certified Angus Beef bone-in ribeye Delmonico steak. - Acme Fresh Market
Delmonico steak. That means a ribeye, right? When I picked up these steaks at my local grocery store, I decided to investigate. And, it turns out, it’s not that simple.
Delmonico’s Restaurant was a famous New York City steakhouse back in the 1800’s, and a “Delmonico steak” became synonymous with a quality cut. The problem is, Delmonico’s said their steaks were cut from the sirloin. But…but…a sirloin is not a ribeye? It looks like, over time, the definition of Delmonico has shifted - and, this is another thing like “New York Strip vs Kansas City Strip” that may change definitions depending on where you are. Or, maybe they meant the french “Sur Loin” translated as “from the loin”, and it really was a ribeye. Nowadays, Delmonico mostly means ribeye - but if I were you, I’d make sure you’re getting a ribeye.4
Now, what to do with these Delmonico ribeyes? They’re not my usual thick cut - I got a deal on a family pack, cut about an inch thick - so I didn’t want to overcook them. I went with a spice rub, to give them a crisp crust quickly, before they overcooked. And I’m grilling them entirely over direct heat - no sear and move necessary for these thinner steaks.5
Also, I grill one side more than the other, so I have one side that is nice and browned, without cooking the inside past medium-rare to medium.6 I use a 3–3-rotate–3 pattern to flip my steaks; 3 minutes, flip, 3 minutes, flip and rotate, 3 more minutes. I start all the steaks pointing towards 10 o’clock on the grill, and grill them for three minutes. Then I flip them, still pointing towards 10 o’clock, and grill the other side for three minutes. Then I flip and rotate the steaks to point towards 2 o’clock, giving them beautiful diamond grill marks on one side. Three more minutes and I check the steaks - one inch steaks over high heat are usually take nine minutes on my grill. If they’re done, I get them off the grill, and serve them with the diamond patterned side facing up. If the steaks aren’t done yet, they get one more flip, pointing towards 2 o’clock, and a diamond pattern on the other side.
Grilled Ribeye Delmonico Steaks with Tex-Mex Rub
Equipment
- Grill (I use a massive Weber Summit)
- Instant Read Thermometer (I love the Thermapen Mk 4)
Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Tex-Mex Rub
- Total Time: 1 hour 9 minutes
- Yield: 3 steaks 1x
Description
Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Tex-Mex Rub. Sprinkling a spicy rub to my favorite cut of steak makes for a fantastic dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 (16 ounce, 1 inch thick) bone in ribeye Delmonico steaks
Tex-Mex Rub
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons ancho chile powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Rub the steaks: One to four hours before cooking, mix the Tex-Mex Rub ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the steaks. Put the steaks on a platter, and rest in the refrigerator until it is time to cook. (If you don’t have time to pre-season the steaks, sprinkle them with the rub right before putting them on the grill.)
- Set the grill for direct high heat: Set your grill up for direct high heat. On my Weber Summit, I turn all the burners to high, let the grill preheat for ten to fifteen minutes, then brush the grates clean with my grill brush and turn off any burners I won’t need.
- Grill the steaks: Set the steaks over direct high heat, with the steaks pointing towards 10 o’clock on the grill. (If you are using a gas grill, keep the lid closed as much as possible.) Grill for 3 minutes, or until they have dark browned grill marks on the bottom. Flip the steaks, keeping them pointed towards 10 o’clock, and grill for another 3 minutes, or until they have dark brown grill marks on the bottom. Flip and rotate the steaks so they are pointing towards 2 o’clock, and grill for another 3 minutes. At this point,they should be 125°F measured in the thickest point (which is medium-rare, after carry over cooking). If you want them cooked more, flip the steaks again, keep them pointing towards 2 o’clock, and cook for another minute (medium - 135°F) to 3 minutes (medium-well 145°, or as I call it, past the point of no return.)
- Serve: Let the steaks rest for ten minutes, then serve.
Notes
I go with a 3–3-rotate–3 pattern because I know that works on my gas grill. You may need to adjust - maybe your gas grill has a searing station, and you need 2–2rotate–2. Maybe you’re a little less powerful, and you need 4–4-rotate–4. Start with 3, then flip and see how the grill marks look. if they’re dark brown or just black, you’re good. If they’re light brown, you need longer; if the bottom of the steak looks burnt, you need less time. Sorry, should have had you check earlier on a powerful grill. Ahem. Once you are familiar with your grill, use your experience to guide the timing of the flips.
If you’re working over charcoal, then these timings are guidelines, not rules. Also, don’t worry about the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock orientation, because charcoal browns evenly. (On a gas grill, the preheated grill grates give us grill marks; on charcoal, the heat from the coals themselves browns the steaks.)
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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Craig says
Many (many) years ago when my wife and I were in our soup and salad days, a butcher explained to us that the Delmpnico steak was the first cut on the rib end, next to the top loin and not quite a ribeye. It was priced cheaper than the ribeye. It was our go to special meal meat. We were never disappointed. Even after the meat market closed, we looked for a Delmpnico steak at grocery stores and artesian butchers markets. It was cut thin and was not as marbled as a ribeye. But it was always our favorite.
Steve Skubinna says
My understanding was that the Delmonico steak, whatever the cut (and there are some very interesting sites that discuss the issue if you're a total food history geek) was a double thick cut.
Delmonico's had a fascinating history. There are several contenders for creating Eggs Benedict, they are one. They also named, but apparently did not originate, Baked Alaska. And Lobster Newberg (or Wenberg) is from there as well. For years they were the premier American restaurant.
Alex says
Why do you say to let the steaks "rest in the refrigerator" until cooking. I thought the idea was to leave a steak out to come up "to room temperature" before cooking.
Mike V says
With steaks this thin, it needs all the help it can get to avoid over cooking the inside - I don't want them at room temp to start.