Forget the rest of the ribeye and score yourself some of these amazing cap steaks to make the most delicious Grilled Ribeye Cap Steaks! The perfect blend of beefy, juicy, tender, and fatty, these tied and rolled steaks are some of the best eats!
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Kissed by flame and smoke, the fat melts into this steak creating mouthwateringly delicious bite after bite! Grilled Ribeye Cap Steaks are easy, and if you see them at the grocery store, buy them all and load your freezer! Hands-down one of my favorite cuts of steak, these Grilled Ribeye Cap Steaks really are that good!
What you’ll love about Grilled Cap Steaks
- Fatty, juicy, tender, and beefy – they’re the perfect steak!
- Everyone will talk about this unusual cut!
- They cook quickly and are perfect at med-rare!
What Is a Cap Steak?
Have you ever seen a ribeye roast for sale marked as capless? The cap is the fatty, tender, and slightly darker flap of meat that sits over the top of a ribeye. And, when you buy a capless roast, some lucky people somewhere are getting to enjoy steaks made from that top cap.
The cap is fatty, juicy, beefy, and freaking good! When you cook a whole rib roast, it’s the part that everyone fights over and the part that always gets eaten first.
So you can imagine an entire steak made from the cap! DELICIOUS!
Cap steaks are made from the ribeye cap. That cut of meat is sliced and then rolled and tied into a steak. Nobody in my area had heard of cap steaks, but I convinced a friendly butcher to cut me some and now he knows exactly what I want when I’m craving the best part of a ribeye steak.
You can roll and tie them yourself, or if you’re lucky enough, score some already butchered at your local store. Keep your eyes open for cap steaks – they’re just that good!
Ingredients
- Ribeye cap steaks – One per person.
- Coarse salt and pepper
- Compound butter – To top the finished steaks.
You’ll Also Need:
- A charcoal or gas grill – Instructions for both are below.
- A digital meat thermometer
What Is Compound Butter?
Compound butter is the fancy chef term for flavored butters. Steakhouses and fancy restaurants have long known that the key to taking a great steak and making it amazing is butter. And, when you flavor that butter, you’re adding even MORE to the steak. Steaks and butter go hand-in-hand. The butter adds richness and a bit more salt that can ooze into the steak. And the butter can soften any hard charred bits, making it overall more tender to eat.
To make a simple compound butter for BBQ Cap Steaks
- Combine 1/4 cup of softened butter with 2 minced cloves of garlic.
- Roll it in plastic wrap to make a log, then chill it.
- Slice into coins to top each steak.
How To Make Grilled Cap Steaks On a Charcoal Grill
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of this page.
If you’re going to grill your cap steaks, cook them hot and fast to sear in all the flavor and juices.
- Rest the steaks at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking to let them warm up a bit.
- Liberally season the steaks with coarse salt and cracked black pepper.
- Prepare your charcoal grill for 2 zones (one side super hot with ashed-over coals on one side of the grill).
- Sear the steaks over the hot coals for about 3 minutes then turn them 90-degrees and sear them for another 2 minutes (to get great grill marks).
- Flip the steaks and move them to the cooler side of the grill, and cover the grill.
- Cook the steaks until they reach 125-F with a digital meat thermometer.
- Remove the steaks and rest them, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes.
- Top them with compound butter before serving.
How To Make Grilled Cap Steaks on a Gas Grill
- Rest the steaks at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking to let them warm up a bit.
- Liberally season the steaks with coarse salt and cracked black pepper.
- Preheat the gas grill firing up 2 burners (or more if you’re doing more than 4 steaks).
- When the grill is hot, add the steaks to the grill. Sear the steaks over the flame for about 3 minutes, then turn them 90 degrees and sear them for another 2 minutes (to get great grill marks). If you get flareups, move the steaks out of the fire until it dies down.
- Flip the steaks and turn the heat down to low. Cover the grill and cook the steaks until they reach 125-F with a digital meat thermometer.
- Remove the steaks and rest them, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes.
- Top them with compound butter before serving.
Recommended
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- There is visible fat on these steaks, so watch for flare-ups. Move the steaks out of the direct flame to prevent burning.
- Resting the steaks is hugely important. They’ll be so much tastier and juicier if you let them rest for about 10 minutes.
- Don’t be afraid to season steaks aggressively – they can take it!
Make It A Meal
Wondering what to serve with grilled steaks? Check out this big list of steak side dishes, or pair your beefy steaks with:
- Smoked Mashed Potatoes
- Caramelized Onions
- An amazing salad
- And don’t forget the cookies for dessert!
Storage
Keep any leftover steak in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat it gently (or eat it cold on a salad) to not overcook it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cap steaks cook quickly, and with high heat and cooking them to about medium-rare, you can be eating (including resting time) in about 20 minutes.
It all depends, but most ring in around 4-6 ounces.
Cap steaks are best when they’re medium-rare. I pull them at 125-130-F and let them rest and they’re perfect.
Grilled Ribeye Cap Steak
Ingredients
- 2 ribeye cap steaks about 4-6 ounces each
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter or compound butter
Instructions
- Rest the steaks at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking to let them warm up a bit.
- Liberally season the steaks with coarse salt and cracked black pepper.
On a charcoal grill:
- Follow steps 1 & 2, then:
- Prepare your charcoal grill for 2 zones (one side super hot with ashed-over coals on one side of the grill).
- Sear the steaks over the hot coals for about 3 minutes then turn them 90-degrees and sear them for another 2 minutes (to get great grill marks).
- Flip the steaks and move them to the cooler side of the grill, and cover the grill.
- Remove the steaks and rest them, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes.
- Top them with compound butter (or plain butter) before serving.
On a gas grill:
- Follow steps 1 & 2 then:
- Preheat the gas grill firing up 2 burners (or more if you're doing more than 4 steaks).
- When the grill is hot, add the steaks to the grill. Sear the steaks over the flame for about 3 minutes, then turn them 90 degrees and sear them for another 2 minutes (to get great grill marks). If you get flareups, move the steaks out of the fire until it dies down.
- Flip the steaks and turn the heat down to low. Cover the grill and cook the steaks until they reach 125-F with a digital meat thermometer.
- Remove the steaks and rest them, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes.
- Top them with compound butter (or plain butter) before serving.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- There is visible fat on these steaks, so watch for flare-ups. Move the steaks out of the direct flame to prevent burning.
- Resting the steaks is hugely important. They’ll be so much tastier and juicier if you let them rest for about 10 minutes.
- Don’t be afraid to season steaks aggressively – they can take it!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
