When thinking about prime rib and ribeye you would think that they have to be the same thing or similar. They actually have a lot of differences. I’ve wondered, how different are they?
I’m general, prime rib is a bunch of ribeye steaks that have not been sliced individually. Both prime rib and ribeye steak come from the rib primal part of the cow, and they are from the same muscle. While being cut differently they are the exact same pieces of meat.
So, prime rib is very similar to a ribeye steak but there are still a lot of differences.
Is prime rib just a ribeye?
Prime rib is not just a ribeye, although it can be considered a bunch of ribeyes put together. A prime rib and a ribeye steak are both used and cooked differently to give them different tastes, prime rib is a roast and ribeye is a steak.
What are the other names for prime rib and ribeye?
Prime rib has other names such as an export rib, bone-in rib roast, standing rib roast, boneless prime rib, ribeye roast, and boneless rib roast.
Ribeye steak has other names such as ribeye roll steak, tomahawk, bone-in ribeye steak, boneless ribeye steak, and rib steak.
Both of these pieces of meat have a lot of names. A lot of the variation in the names is whether or not the price of meat is boneless or not.
Is prime rib or ribeye USDA prime?
Prime rib is not considered a meat quality grade of prime by the USDA because it has the word prime in its name. Although, prime rib can have a meat quality grade of prime if it meets the requirements of the USDA.
The same goes for ribeye, although it is a great cut of steak in and of itself it is not always a prime grade. For it to be a prime grade, it must have a high marbling content.
What’s the difference between ribeye roast and prime rib?
Ribeye roast is prime rib. A ribeye roast does not have a bone in it. But, a prime rib can have a bone in it and then it is not a ribeye roast.
What are a prime rib and a ribeye called at the grocery store?
Prime rib is usually called prime rib roast, rib roast, or standing rib roast at the grocery store. A ribeye steak is usually called ribeye or rib steak.
Both a prime rib and a ribeye steak should be pretty easy to spot and probably do not have any names that would make you think that they may be something else.
Is it cheaper to buy prime rib or ribeye?
According to the USDA in their most recent national retail report for beef which can be found here. On average prime rib is $5.94 per pound and ribeye steak is $12.62 per pound. The data set is mostly made of meat from the meat quality grade of choice which is the second-best meat quality grade and most popular meat quality grade.
The question comes to mind if prime rib is less than half the price per pound as a ribeye steak and if a prime rib is a ribeye steak that is not cut into steaks, then why not buy prime rib and cut it into ribeye steaks? That’s a great idea if you have a big enough knife to cut it and want to be thrifty.
That is a lot of steaks though. It will be approximately 7 steaks. Unless you are planning on having a big get-together, you are gonna have to store those ribeye steaks that you do not use. Although, if you were planning on buying a prime rib then you were probably planning a party anyways. But, if you choose to cut the prime rib into steaks, you can grill those instead of roasting the prime rib.
Can you cook prime rib like a ribeye?
You shouldn’t try cooking prime rib like a ribeye. The prime rib and a ribeye are cut specifically the way they are in order to be cooked differently. Prime rib is a big roast which is definitely something you do not want to throw on the grill the same way you would a ribeye steak.
How to cook prime rib and ribeye.
Prime rib is usually roasted, unlike a ribeye steak which is usually grilled. Even though they are kind of the same part of the cow, the different ways they are cooked give them completely different flavors.
You want to cook a prime rib slowly because it is a roast. It is gonna be tough to cook it well all the way through, that is why you always see prime rib so bloody inside.
It is a very thick chunk of meat and you have to cook it slowly for a long time to get it anywhere close to done.
A ribeye can be cooked just like any other steak. I recommend a good amount of salt like always. I wrote about how important it is to put enough salt on a steak in this article here.
With the ribeye being so fatty and flavorful, you won’t have to worry too much about it cooking up really fast and getting chewy.
I talk about how fatty steaks are the best to cook and how to not overcook steak in this article here.
Conclusion
Both prime rib and ribeye steak are the same pieces of meat. This means they are exactly the same thing and come from the same part of the cow which is the rib primal.
The difference is prime rib is made into a roast where as ribeye is cut into a steak. You cook both of them completely differently.
You can learn about how a t-bone and porterhouse steak are the same but a little different in an article I wrote here.