Salt to Meat Ratio Depending on who you talk to you or which web site you visit, you'll get a different answer regarding how much salt to add to meat. Based on research and my own experience, around 3/4 of a teaspoon of table salt or sea salt per pound of meat works well in most situations. I have also used as much as 1 teaspoon per pound depending on the recipe. You really need to understand your likes and your recipe to determine the best amount of salt. It's also important to factor in the type and brand of salt. Most table and sea salt are approximately the same. For example, table salt is fine so it is tightly packed while kosher salt tends to have irregular crystal shapes leading to less sodium per measurement. Even among the varieties of kosher salt there are vast differences so be warned!
My Favorite Pan My favorite pan is a twenty dollar cast iron pan. I remember vividly how my step-father coveted his iron pan and warned us about not using soap to clean it. Seasoned and maintained properly, an iron pan can last forever. It is better than any non stick pan and far more durable. It's thick base holds heat better than any pan in my arsenal and prevents food from burning by dispersing the heat.
Ribeye caps are hard to find these days since consumers have moved towards leaner cuts of meat. What a shame! My local supermarket butcher tells me the caps get removed before they arrive at his store. Thank goodness for Costco! They have educated me on this long lost cut of meat. The cap is the the part of the ribeye steak that stretches from the bone and halfway around to the fat cap. It's the most flavorful and tenderest part of the cow... hands down. It's also the most expensive part but well worth the splurge.
Look at the amazing marbling on the ribeye cap! It's not just a big hunk of fat on the edge, the meat has veins of fat running all the way through it. That translates to flavor! Usually the cap is cooked well done since it's on the edge of the prime rib or the ribeye steak. By separating it and slicing it into single size portions, the proper medium rare can be achieved, bringing out the full flavor.
I've been using a special marinade for my steaks since I was in my teens but I think I found it's true home in the ribeye cap. It compliments the fattiness of the cap with salty and sour notes. It's really easy combination of wet and dry ingredients including Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. I prefer to apply the wet ingredients first followed by the dry so it is not washed away from the topside. About an hour of marinading is good enough.
Grill your caps on really high heat, whether it's indoor or outdoor. That means you need to heat up your outdoor grill for at least twenty minutes. For indoor, I like an iron grill which I heat on medium high for at least ten minutes. You can see the smoke rising on the attached picture.
Grill all four sides of the ribeye cap slices for a perfect medium rare. That means you really need to char the outside well. This cut of meat can be deceiving. The first time I cooked it, I thought it was done in the middle due to the nice char I had. It ended up being closer to rare. It was still awesome but most people like a little more red than blue in their meat.
Slice Meat
Slice Ribeye cap into five or six slices, depending on the size.
Marinade
Pour half the wet ingredients over the top of the meat followed by the dry ingredients. Flip the meat and repeat. Cover and marinade the slices for one hour or more in the refrigerator.
Preheat Grill
Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill. At least twenty minutes for an outdoor grill on high or ten minutes for an indoor grill on medium high.
Grill
Pat the meat dry if there is excess marinade. Spray some oil on the side of the meat that will be grilled first. Grill all four sides till charred which should achieve a nice medium rare.
Serve
Cool the meat for ten minutes and serve with sides like mushrooms, Chinese broccoli and oven roasted potatoes.
