Chuck Eye Steak Cooking Guide

Chuck eye is the ribeye muscle, one rib forward. Cook it like a ribeye: hard sear, medium-rare, rest. Then cut around the one tough seam.

What chuck eye is

The ribeye muscle keeps running forward into the chuck. Chuck eye steaks come off the fifth rib, on the chuck side of the line. It's the same muscle as a ribeye.

It does have more seams of connective tissue than a ribeye, and one steak can eat a little different from the next.

Before you cook

Thaw the steak all the way in the fridge. Cooking it frozen cooks it unevenly. Then get it ready.

• Find the seam. Look for a line of connective tissue running through the steak. It's normal on this cut, and it won't cook out in a fast sear. Trim it off, or plan to cut around it later.
• Dry it. Pat the steak dry with a paper towel.
• Season it. Salt and pepper, like a ribeye.

How to cook it

In a skillet. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it's very hot. Add oil. Sear the steak 3 to 4 minutes, flip it, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until it hits 130°F to 135°F.

On the grill. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Clean and oil the grates. Cook the steak over direct heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Chuck eye is usually cut thinner than a ribeye, so the gap between rare and overdone is narrow. Use a hot pan and stay at the stove.

Doneness and resting

Use a thermometer. USDA says never to judge doneness by color, firmness or time. Put the probe in the thickest part of the steak.

USDA's safe minimum for steaks is 145°F, then a rest of at least 3 minutes.

Chuck eye eats best at medium-rare to medium. Cook it to 130°F to 135°F. That sits under USDA's 145°F, so pick the temperature you're comfortable with. Past medium it gets tough.

Let the steak rest 5 to 10 minutes before you cut it.

How to cut it

Find the tough seam. If you didn't trim it before cooking, cut around it now. Slice the steak before you serve it. That makes the seam easy to spot and leaves you with the tender meat.

Ways to serve it

Anything that works on a ribeye works here. Try it:

• With a chili-thyme butter melting on top
• Sliced over a simple green salad
• With roasted potatoes and a pan sauce
• On a steak sandwich the next day

Quick reference