Ask The Butcher: Ribeye Steak from Quadra Village Butcher

The daily offerings on the blackboard at Quadra Village Butcher Shop. Photos by Deanna Ladret

Ribeye Steak is also known as Delmonico steak, Scotch fillet, beauty steak, or Spencer steak. Richly marbled, sliced thickly, ribeye is generally considered the Cadillac of cuts. But have you ever wondered what, exactly, it is?

Ribeye ready to be cut into steaks

Ribeye steaks, as their name hints, are cut from the ribs of the cow, located between the shoulders (chuck) and the loin (mid to rear sections). Typically, ribeye steaks are sold boneless and are one of the most popular––and pricey––cuts of beef for their flavour and tenderness. Ribeye is great on the barbecue or grill, making it a nice summer steak (though here in Victoria we like to smugly barbecue year-round). Its natural flavour, due mainly to the fatty marbling, means it can be slapped on the grill as-is, sans marinade––unless you want to, of course. Cook ribeye steaks anywhere from rare to medium for the best flavour and texture.

At Quadra Village Butcher Shop, ribeye steak is one of the top sellers. This certified Halal butchery, opened in 2009 by Bachir Boukhouali and his wife, has been supplying high quality grass-fed beef, bison, goat, lamb and poultry to Victoria’s Muslim community and anyone else who wants fresh custom-cut meat. The beef is delivered weekly, sourced from a farm in the Fraser Valley and slaughtered and handled in accordance with Halal law (blessed, then killed quickly with a sword; no cross-contamination with unholy animals).

In addition to the impressive variety of non cloven-hoofed meats, Quadra Village Butcher Shop also carries a small line-up of interesting grocery items, including rose jam, Kismet curry powders, and other Middle Eastern edibles.