Thanks to the heads up from rmeugene I got these three choice rib roasts for $5.99 per pound, and I want to slice them into ribeyes. I’ve never done this before, and I figure I should ask for pointers before I start cutting them up. The questions are:
1) Can anyone recommend a video?
2) What knife should I use? The choices are a) a brisket slicer, b) a chef’s knife, c) a carving knife.
3) Should I put them in the freezer for awhile before I start cutting?
4) Should a trim some of the fat off?
Use a brisket slicer. Measure the width of the blade as it is usually 1.5 inches so perfect ribeye size. Freeze meat about 20 minutes beforehand. Lay blade on top of meat so you can gauge the ribeye spacing and slice. Repeat the laying of blade for next slice. Trim any excess fat off and freeze for cooking later or prep for cook.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
I’ve done 2 of these, and also a couple strip loins. Just search “rib roast into rib eyes” and watch all the videos, until you pick up the common points.
Use the knife that is the sharpest. I tried a brisket slicer, a cleaver, a boning knife, and my chef’s knife, and I preferred the chef’s knife by a pretty wide margin. I think that’s because it is the knife I’m most comfortable with.
My first rib roast was frozen solid, I partially thawed it and went to work. The second one was fresh, and I didn’t freeze it. I can’t say one was easier than the other; neither was particularly difficult.
Trim that fatty little triangle part, definitely. Myself, I trim some of the fat cap. But lots of people don’t. It’s a preference. I do it because on thinner cuts, the fat cap can cause the steak to curl; if you leave the fat cap, notch it before searing.
I took a measuring tape and marked the size steaks I wanted, just scoring the surface at those spots. I made some 1/2”, some 3/4”, some 1”, and a couple 1 1/2”. Mrs Mosca wants thinner, I want thicker.
When you go to cut… place the knife where you want, and cut. Hard. Fast. Push the knife down and away. You want it to be the same thickness top to bottom. Don’t saw at it, you won’t have a smooth surface if you do, but you can draw it back if you need a little more room to finish the cut. If your knife is sharp, this will be easy, but the knife won’t push its own way through like it does for a potato. Cut that sucker like you mean it!
It’s pretty easy to figure out once you start. Be fearless! You should be fine!
Thanks gents, I appreciate your help! I now have 16 steaks of varying thickness (and cut quality 😬), 9 ribs for soup or stock, and at least 5 pounds of fat for tallow or burger grinding. I ended up using my chef’s knife, and this is the video I found most helpful.
This is definitely an interesting and helpful video, but this guy's knife sharpness and technique could stand some improvement. The whole reason to have that long knife is so you can make the entire cut in one motion without sawing back and forth.
Rib Roast Score - Now What?
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