Ribeye Steak

At The Beatrice Inn, Angie Mar loves using cuts from Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors for their quality and attention to aging. The cold-smoking technique in this recipe captures the flavor of slow roasting over a wood fire in a fraction of the time.

Jaw-dropping centerpiece dishes require two essentials: salt and time. Preseasoning is the simplest thing you can do to make a good piece of meat great. Given enough time to penetrate tissue, salt works flavor magic: It denatures proteins, breaking up their molecular strands into shorter amino acids—among them an abundance of glutamic acid, the essence of umami—to release a complex symphony of savory flavors. Rich cuts of meat, like a bone-in rib eye, benefit from a dry brine and air dry, which concentrates flavor. Seasoning ahead of time increases iron-y notes in prime-graded cuts of meat and breaks down the connective tissue, resulting in an especially juicy steak.

Red wine pan sauce is an amalgamation of fond (those browned bits left in the pan after searing meat), shallots, broth, good-quality red wine, and a few pats of butter to bind it all together and thicken it to a syrupy consistency. A perfect interplay of acid from the wine and sumptuous fat, the sauce is an ideal accompaniment to a peppercorn-crusted rib eye steak. The well-marbled cut stays more tender than New York strip, and its rich, beefy flavor infuses the pan sauce. Trim the steak of large pieces of fat and tie it into a round for even cooking   Slideshow: More Rib Eye Steak Recipes

A delicious new use for your fondue pot: Shabu-Shabu. You’ll quickly cook fresh vegetables and paper-thin rib eye in hot and flavorful kombu broth right at the table. To get your rib eyes super thin, freeze them whole until very firm, about 30 minutes, and slice. Or, purchase some sliced rib eyes at an Asian grocery store. Slideshow: More Rib Eye Recipes

The surprise in this dish is celery, which is actually perfect for skewering and grilling. It becomes deliciously crisp and tender, making it the ideal partner for rich and fatty rib eye steaks. Slideshow: More Rib Eye Steak Recipes

These rib eye steaks from Seattle chef Renee Erickson are pan-roasted in a cast-iron skillet and basted with butter as they cook for an incredible caramelized crust. Slideshow: Best Steak Recipes