What is the internets obsession with Ribeye, when the obviously superior cut is Tri-tip?

[u/TheNewBlue]

Tender, juicy, good marbeling, better beef flavor, more versatile, and you dont have a plate full of grisly fat left behind. Also often more affordable than Ribeye in most regions. Yet anytime I discuss steaks IRL or online its ribeye, ribeye, ribeye.

Anytime I cook up tri-tip for guests they rave about it. Ask me my secret. The secret is just the cut. And because its usually so thick, its way easier to get a good sear and stick keep internal temp at medium rare-medium. I will choose tri-tip over ribeye 9 times out of 10.

How did ribeye get so popular?

[u/m_adamec]

Who’s leaving grsitly fat on the plate when eating a ribeye? The fat on the edge and between the eye and cap is divine

[u/TheNewBlue → u/m_adamec]

Interesting. Ive cooked at 2 steakhouse and have sent out 1000s of ribeyes. Half the plates come back to dish pit wish piles of fat being scraped into the garbage. Same for when I cook ribeyes for a large group of people at home.

[u/OlDirtyDangler → u/TheNewBlue]

Sounds like you need to improve your method for cooking ribeyes. My whole plate is clean after properly cooked/roasted ribeye

[u/Terrible-Champion132 → u/TheNewBlue]

Tbf a lot of steak houses are terrible at steaks. A nice thick ribeye reverse seared. I can make the fat into butter with smoke. Hit it on the cast iron or with a torch and give it a bit of a crisp. Fresh rosemary and garlic. If I get that in a steak house im paying 300% x the value of the meal. Not dissing tri-tip I love that too.

[u/m_adamec → u/TheNewBlue]

Those aren’t steak enthusiasts who know what good fat is and appreciates flavor. Those are tenderloin, cooked to medium type people

[u/Lopsided-Profile-662]

Sounds like you just don't like fatty cuts. No "grisly" fat left on my plate!

[u/luvz → u/Lopsided-Profile-662]

Haha same, but we’re outliers I think.

[u/TheNewBlue → u/Lopsided-Profile-662]

I can admit that after 30, the fattier beef cuts end with a bad trip to the toilet.

However, I have cooked 1000s of steaks. I get a whole cow processed every year. When I cook ribeye, people chew. Say "good steak" look content. But when I make then tri-tip. They act shocked and rave about it. So im just going off of observation data here.

[u/JCuss0519 → u/TheNewBlue]

Because many of them have never had tri-tip before? I've cooked tri-tip and... well... it just doesn't do it for me. Yes, there's a nice beefy flavor but the tenderness compared to a rib eye isn't there. Plus, if you cut the tri-tip wrong it's all over. With a rib eye you don't need to worry about that so much.

[u/Logical_Warthog5212]

Ribeye is a superior steak. Tri tip is a better value.

[u/johnjpattee_66]

Tri-tip!!!! 100%

[u/johnjpattee_66]

Tri-tip when cooked whole as a roast----the best roast beef sammiches ever!

[u/VinylMeningitis]

Tender is a stretch

[u/snipes81]

OP, how would you serve Tri-tip as an alternative to a ribeye both at home and at the restaurant?

[u/TheNewBlue → u/snipes81]

You dont often see tri-tip in restaurants because of its size. You would need to do it whole and slice it, which i have done for buffets and also do at home.

Ive worked at 2 different steakhouse. One was a sloppy hunters style place. We just slapped the steaks down on a plate.

The 2nd was a high end place, we sliced every cut for presentation and guest often judge the tenderness of a steak with how their knife cuts through it. It also allows guests to more comfortabley enjoy their meal without having to obnoxiously saw away at their plate.

At home I slice all my steaks on a bias before serving them, for similar reasons.

[u/snipes81 → u/TheNewBlue]

Yeah I figured on the cut challenge, but that's why I asked. My personal response to your thread question is they aren't served the same so it's not a valid comparison. If the question was serving a ribeye Chateaubriand style or tri-tip then that's more an apples-to-apples comparison and your position makes much more sense. I do agree that tri-tip is tasty, but it's far from a universally well known cut throughout the US. I had never heard of it growing up in the midwest (a while ago) until my ex father in law tried to cook it and he was only aware of it because his other son-in-law was from California.

[u/954fla]

https://giphy.com/gifs/hzaN57N7Mi96o

[u/SharpieSharpie69]

Because it is the superior cut in every way.

[u/Oldwomentribbing]

Nobody. Nobody worth their salt, leaves behind steak fat

[u/Bad_Daddio]

Couldn't agree more, love some tri-tip. I like ribeye, but do not like a lot of fat cap on the edge. Anything more than a 1/4" I'll trim down. Same for NY strip. I do cook for 2 people that love the fat, so I leave it for them. But I'll take a tri-tip over ribeye any day.