Very tough ribeyes?

[Alabama Smoke]

So my wife was in Costco recently and bought what she thought were three great steaks. Brought them home to show me and they were the leanest, I mean no fat, steaks I have ever seen I believe. They say they are Rib Eyes, they are shaped like Rib Eyes, they look like Rib Eyes...except for no fat... Not even sure they are Rib Eyes! Each are approximately 1.5 to maybe 1.75 inches thick and rather large......enough for both of us.

Anyway, I set up for slow 2 zone cook on the Weber Jumbo Joe, using the SnS basket and did a reverse sear. Pulled them at 135. They looked good but were so tough they were were difficult to eat!

Thinking of doing another tonight or tomorrow night and am looking for assistance. Short of beating them with a hammer (hey if that works let me know) what could I do differently to make this time around more tender and juicy. I recently got a new injector and honestly wondering if that would help???

Any suggestions appreciated!! Tom

[pkadare]

Sous vide them for 36 to 48 hours.

[Alabama Smoke]

Don't have one of those. Not yet anyway.

[smokin fool]

Sounds like something got mislabeled.
Uneducated guess, to be as lean as you indicate probably a cut off the round????

[Alabama Smoke]

Might be right here.

[rickgregory]

You cooked them too slowly and to too high of a doneness for the leanness. So yeah, they were likely tough.

Aside from mislabeling, my guess would be a) select meat b) grass-fed (which tends to be leaner with less intramuscular fat)

[Alabama Smoke]

They were select. Don't know about the grass fed. Sometimes the Costco here does not have the best cuts available. They sell so much meat if you get there at the wrong time you take what there is.

[Huskee]

+1 on Select and possibly grass fed

[Alabama Smoke]

Maybe. Had not thought of that.

[Chuck in Charlotte]

If you inject you'll need to take the temp up past 160 to make it safe, unless you pasteurize the injection and implements. I'd maybe add some beef fat and grind it into burgers.

[Alabama Smoke]

Had not considered that. Thanks.

[klflowers]

Slice them thin and make jerky

[DavidNorcross]

I agree with what others have said about grass fed but they should have noted that on the package. The lack of fat sure sounds that way though. I have a side of grass fed in my freezer. Sure cannot beat the flavor but man I have to work my but off with each cook so they dont chew like shoe leather...

[Jerod Broussard]

Tough Select ribeye = likely an older cow that was borderline Standard

[Mark V]

I wonder how many people look at steaks and think the redder the better, the less fat.

[Backroadmeats]

A lot!! Almost every grass fed steer that comes through the locker I get complaints on. The idea appeals to people until they try to chew it!!

[bbqLuv]

145* sounds overcooked to me. Maybe try adolf meat tenderizer and/or cook to 130/135*. Slice real thin across the grain may help. Perhaps you might chop or grind it up and make burgers--SteakBurgers!

[Alabama Smoke]

I now realize I mistakenly entered 145 as the pull it off temp and that comment was in error. I should have entered 135 as the temp I pulled at. Still, for that amount of lean I wonder if 125 might have been better. But since Costco uses needles to tenderize, I am quite nervous about keeping that beef too rare.

[bbqLuv]

I shop at Costco for meat and did not know they tenderized meat with needles.
125-135 degrees will kill off the nasties if kept at that temp for enough time.
That you for the warning, tip, information.

[Mr. Bones]

Bein's how ya done asked, Brother Tom...

Reckon if my first one come out like that, I'd most likely cube up th second one, sear it in some tallow, simmer a spell in either some beef stock, Guinness, coffee, wine, bourbon, any combo of any/all, or as ya see fit,. as suits th profile yer goin fer, an dish bein prepared, or summat, an make me up some chili, stew, stir fry, breakfast hash, etc. , an enjoy...

[Oak Smoke]

Or maybe fajitas?

[Alabama Smoke]

Bones and Oak Smoke, I have about decided to take the other two, do exactly that. cube them up, sear in bacon fat, then simmer perhaps in crockpot with beef stock until tender, then make chili or some other Mexican styled dish.

[Alabama Smoke]

bbqLuv as to your earlier comment regarding not knowing Costco uses blades (needles?) to tenderize their meat: They do not do this on large pieces such as whole packer briskets, roasts, etc. However, next time you pickup a package of steak, chops, various cuts of smaller food items, look for a separate label added to the corner of the main label. I believe the message is printed in red. It will explain the procedure and indicate cooking to 160F or above is necessary to kill all potential germs, etc. To be brutally honest, they print this in rather small print. I have never had a problem, but there could be if the folks handling this process are not careful as to procedure including cleanliness of both the meat and the equipt........

[bbqLuv]

I will look for this label. Good to know.
Thank you.

[Waiting for the Worms]

Since it came from Costco, you could return it. Otherwise, I'd slice it thin, marinade it, and do up some sort of stir fry.