How to Cook Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye
Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye (also known as the Cowboy Cut Ribeye) is a giant of a Ribeye steak that will make you feel like you are home on the range! We’ve left the rib bone in place so this Cowboy Cut steak will look monumental on the grill or on a serving platter. The best way to cook Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye steak is on the grill, but several other methods are also great choices, such as pan-searing on the stove, broiling in the oven, or even specialty methods like using a smoker. No matter which method you choose, our cooking instructions and video will deliver the tender and juicy Cowboy steak you crave. Use a meat thermometer and you can be sure your steaks are cooked to perfection!
How to Cook Cowboy Steak on the Grill
Grilled Cowboy steak is delectable and creates the perfect flavor and tenderness for this massive cut of meat. There are two main approaches for grilling a cowboy-sized, Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye:
- Charcoal Grilling
- Gas Grilling
For each method, you will want to make sure your steak is completely thawed. Bring the Cowboy steak to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator about 30–40 minutes before grilling. The best steak selections that are cooked on the grill are seasoned to taste with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye on a Charcoal Grill
Preheat your grill on high. Place steaks over the hottest part of the grill, and sear both sides for 1–2 minutes. Then move to medium, ash-covered coals and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye on a Gas Grill
Preheat your grill on high. Sear both sides for 1–2 minutes, then reduce to medium heat and continue to grill for the times listed in the Cooking Times Chart below. Turn about 1 minute prior to the halfway point.
- For the perfect medium-rare grilled Cowboy Ribeye steak, grill for 18–20 minutes for a 2-inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak.
- Prior to serving, add a Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter for an additional flavor boost.
How to Cook a Cowboy Steak in the Oven
The flavor and tenderness of an Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye is outstanding, especially when cooked in the oven. Choose your favorite Cowboy steak recipe and get started! Just as in the grilling method, be sure your steak is completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to allow the steak to come to room temperature. Lastly, season your steak as desired. We recommend using our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Set your oven to “broil” and preheat for 10 minutes.
Once you have seasoned your steaks to taste, use the instructions below to cook your Cowboy Steak in the oven:
- Place steaks on the rack of a broiler pan. Position the broiler pan in the oven so that the surface of the steak is 4–6 inches from the heat. Broil to desired doneness, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart and Cooking Times Chart listed below.
- For the perfect medium-rare Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye in the oven (recommended), broil for 19–21 minutes for a 2-inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer and measure the internal temperature of the steak.
How to Cook Cowboy Steak on the Stove
Cooking a cowboy-sized, Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye in a pan on the stove delivers excellent results. With this method, your steak will have a rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor.
Be sure your steak is completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator for 30–40 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Season your steak as desired; we recommend a generous serving of our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Here is how to pan-sear your Cowboy steak on the stove to a medium-rare temperature:
- Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, for about 5 minutes. A very hot pan delivers the best sear.
- Place steaks in the hot skillet (do not overcrowd). Do not add oil or water. Do not cover.
- For the perfect medium-rare, Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye, sear for approximately 4 minutes on each side.
- Remove steaks from the stove when a meat thermometer reads 5°F below your desired degree of doneness temperature; for a medium-rare steak, a meat thermometer should read 130°F. View our Measuring Doneness Chart and Cooking Times Chart for further instructions.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking"). The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your steak to ensure your Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye is cooked to the perfect level of doneness, from rare to medium-well.
Similar to using a non-stick skillet, pan-searing Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye steak in a cast iron skillet is a great way to cook your steak. It provides full flavor with the deep brown crust and crispy finish that so many crave with this method. Follow the same set of directions as you would if cooking Cowboy steak on the stove in a non-stick skillet.
Specialty Cowboy Steak Cooking Methods
Traditional methods like grilling and cooking on the stovetop are tried and true, but there any many specialty methods to choose from. Select a professional technique reverse sear your Cowboy steak. You can even use a sous vide machine to bring out the full flavor of your steak. No matter which specialty method you choose, your steak should be completely thawed in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Remove the Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye from the refrigerator approximately 30–40 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Prior to cooking, season your steaks as desired using Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Take the cooking process a step further with the professional reverse sear Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye method.
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Place steaks in the oven on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven.
- Allow the steaks to cook in the oven until the internal temperature reached 10°F lower than the desired final temperature. This usually takes around 1 hour. View our Measuring Doneness Chart and Cooking Times Chart below.
- After removing steaks, let them rest for 5 minutes, covering lightly with foil.
- Preheat a heavy skillet or cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Add some butter or a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil and sear steaks for 1–2 minutes on each side. The final internal temperature of your steak should be 135°F for medium-rare and 145°F for medium.
- The sear will give your steaks the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor that is typically associated with grilled steaks.
- Serve immediately. Unlike other methods of cooking steak, the low heat of the oven used in reverse searing does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface so additional resting time is not needed.
Choose a sous vide machine to cook your Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye steak and get rid of the guesswork that comes with cooking this cowboy-sized cut. Your steaks will be cooked perfectly to your desired doneness every time. Sous vide uses a low-heat, long-time cooking process which allows for an evenly cooked Cowboy steak from end to end and guarantees every bite is as tender and juicy as the first.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
Follow these directions to cook your Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye sous vide:
Prepare It
- Preheat your water bath: Fill your sous vide container up with warm water and set the sous vide device to the appropriate temperature for the desired doneness. The sous vide device should be set as follows:
- Rare: 122°F
- Medium-Rare: 129°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- All our steaks arrive vacuum-sealed in sous-vide-ready, heat-stable packaging, allowing you to simply add them to the water bath and cook to your desired degree of doneness. However, if you have the means to repackage your steaks into sous vide heat-stable bags at home, we recommend seasoning your steaks with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning for an enhanced flavor, prior to cooking in the sous vide. Another option is to add fresh herbs and a Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter, along with your raw steak, into the heat-stable vacuum seal bag before sealing.
- After thawing, bringing to room temperature, seasoning, and preheating the sous vide; you're ready to start cooking.
Cook It
- Make sure the water bath has fully reached the desired temperature for cooking before adding in the steak.
- Place the packaged steak in the water bath and allow it to cook for the recommended amount of time, based on your desired degree of doneness.
- Rare: 2 hours
- Medium-Rare: 2 hours
- Medium: 2 hours
- Medium-Well: 2 hours
- Once your steaks are finished cooking, remove them from the sous vide and take them out of the packaging.
- Preheat a skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). A hot skillet delivers the best sear.
- Lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. Place your steaks on the skillet and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Sear until the steaks reach the final desired internal temperature, according to the Measuring Doneness Chart below.
- The sear will give your steaks the rich golden-brown color and enhanced flavor that is typically associated with grilled steaks.
- Serve immediately. Unlike other methods of cooking steak, the low heat used in sous vide does not draw the juices of the meat to the surface so additional resting time is not needed.
- We recommend adding an additional savory flavor by topping your Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye with Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter (even if you added butter during the sous vide).
Smoked Cowboy steak is flavor-filled and provides a unique taste that is enjoyed by many. Smoking time varies greatly depending on the cut of meat, thickness of the cut, quality of smoker, smoke and smoke retention, wind, etc. It is best to use a meat thermometer and base doneness off internal temperature.
Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2½ hours at a time due to food safety concerns.
To begin, fire up your smoker and preheat it to 225°F.
- Place your well-seasoned steak onto the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke the meat until the steaks reach about 10°F below the desired internal doneness temperature (see recommendations, on our Measuring Doneness Chart below.)
- You can check for smoking doneness by internal temperature. Temperatures are as follows:
- Rare: 115°F
- Medium-Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium-Well: 145°F
- Next, preheat a skillet over high heat (this can be done on a grill or in your kitchen). Once hot, lightly coat the bottom of your skillet with a high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.
- Place the steaks in the skillet and sear them for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Cook until the steaks reach approximately 5°F less than your final desired internal temperature.
- Remove steaks from the skillet and allow them to rest for 5 minutes, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time (this is called "carryover cooking").
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface; if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the final degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak.
- Prior to serving, expand upon the delicious taste by topping with Kansas City Steak Finishing Butters for full flavor.
Cooking Times for Cowboy Steak
Select a cooking method for your Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye and follow the recommended cooking times for the best results. For perfect doneness, we recommend you use a meat thermometer and use the Measuring Doneness Chart, below.
Measuring Doneness for Cowboy Steak
Remove when your steaks are 5°F less than the temperatures listed.
The centers will continue to warm as they rest.
Cowboy Steak Recipes
Looking for a specific recipe, marinade, seasoning or rub for Extra-Thick Cut Bone-In Ribeye? Check out our most popular Ribeye Recipes below or click Ribeye Steak Recipes to view our recipe library.