Bone-in vs boneless ribeye, I finally switched sides

I used to be all about boneless ribeye for my shop's display case. Thought bones were just wasted weight customers pay for. Then last month a regular asked me to cut a bone-in steak for him and I tried one myself that night. The flavor difference was insane, that bone adds something no dry rub can touch. Plus the bone keeps the meat moister during the cook since it insulates the edge from overcooking. Now I cut half my ribeyes bone-in and they sell out way faster. The old timers were right, I just wish I'd listened two years ago when they told me. Anyone else find bone-in cuts move quicker even at a higher price per pound?

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dixon.felix1mo ago

Honestly I think we're overselling the bone a little bit. I've done side by side cooks with bone-in and boneless from the same steer and the difference is real but it's not night and day. The bone does insulate the edge somewhat but you can get 90% of that same result just by not overcooking the lean side. And the weight thing still bugs me, at least around here people see bone and think they're getting ripped off even if the flavor is better.

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eva_gibson1mo ago

and honestly @dixon.felix you nailed it with the insulation point. I did the same test last summer with two tri-tips from the same butcher, same marbling, cooked to the same temp, and the bone-in was maybe a hair juicier near the end but that was it. People around here won't shut up about the bone like it's magic, but really it's just a crutch for sloppy temperature control. I still buy bone-in when it's cheaper per pound, but if they're the same price I grab boneless and save myself the cleanup.

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