Why Reddit Thinks A Capless Ribeye Isn't A 'Real' Cut Of Steak

Reddit has no shortage of food opinions from long-winded debates about the validity of pineapple on pizza to one position from a user stating: "A ribeye without the cap is not a ribeye. I will never buy that." While a capless ribeye may still be delicious, many Redditors commented on the post agreeing that it isn't a real cut of steak. 

The original post lamented that the quality of meat at their local Costco had declined, as the bulk retailer was selling capless ribeyes without indicating they were capless. The "cap" is the spinalis dorsi muscle, a tender, beefy part of the cut that adds more flavor than the filet or tail, despite being such a small portion. One Redditor pointed out that they thought the cap was the best part of the steak and, between removing the cap and increasing prices, they no longer thought Costco was the best store to buy meat from. At $23.99 a pound, the original poster decided that they'd rather buy their ribeyes at Whole Foods, where the prices are similar but at least the steaks hadn't been tampered with. 

Without the cap, a ribeye may still be the best cut to order at a steakhouse thanks to its tenderness and marbling, but it won't be quite as good. It's almost like a cupcake without the icing — fine, but missing everyone's favorite part. Unfortunately, it's a little harder to tell when a ribeye is capless than when a cupcake has no icing.

All the fat of a ribeye not only makes it a foolproof cut for beginners, but easy to identify the cut's two main segments: the filet and the cap. Reddit's strong feelings about capless ribeyes sparked a discourse about how to identify them, with one user explaining, "It's the really tender and juicy piece of meat that sits on the rim of the ribeye. You'll usually see it separated by a strip of fat."

Capless ribeyes typically won't have this streak, or will have just a shred of it along their tops, appearing as a well-marbled rectangular piece of beef. If you don't see a clear cap, tail, and large streak of fat, odds are you've discovered a capless ribeye. Since they lack much of their fat, you may want to treat them as a lean cut, searing them over high heat and leaving them more rare to preserve their juices. However, if you want to avoid capless ribeyes in the first place, many Redditors pointed out that Sam's Club offers full-cap ribeyes for a price comparable to Costco's.

Ribeye caps are typically rolled into a tight spiral. This lets it cook like a whole steak, developing a beautiful Maillard crust on the exterior while leaving the interior pink and juicy. These rolls may be trussed up with butcher's twine, speared with skewers, or held together with meat glue to maintain their shape. This is an uncommon cut, so don't be afraid to speak to your butcher about cutting one for you, so that you can avoid the pitfalls above.