Grilled Prime Ribeye Cap Steaks

Ask any butcher for their favorite cut and many will whisper the same answer: the ribeye cap. This is the spinalis dorsi, the thin, lavishly marbled muscle that crowns the ribeye — more tender than filet, more flavorful than the eye. Grilled simply and set beside creamy Gruyère spinach and earthy wild mushrooms, it makes a steakhouse dinner that outshines the steakhouse, at your own table.

Grilling the Cap

The cap is all about high, direct heat and restraint. Because it is richly marbled and relatively thin, it wants a medium-high grill and only 3 to 4 minutes a side — just long enough for a deeply charred crust over a warm, rosy medium-rare center. Season it with salt and pepper over its Worcestershire-soy marinade, and pull it a touch early to rest, where the juices redistribute and the temperature carries gently up. Slice against the grain and the tenderness is almost startling.

The Steakhouse Sides

What turns a good steak into an occasion are the sides. Build a proper creamed spinach on a Gruyère Mornay and sear the wild mushrooms hard in butter until deeply browned and meaty. Together they bring the earth and cream that a great cut of beef loves, and they can both be made while the grill heats, ready to plate the moment the steaks come off.

Jorj Morgan

Grilled Prime Ribeye Cap Steaks

Savor the smoky elegance of grilled prime ribeye cap steaks, perfectly complemented by rich Gruyère creamed spinach and earthy wild mushrooms for an elevated take on Southern comfort.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

The Steaks

• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) beef cap steaks (or beef tenderloin steaks)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Creamed Spinach - Vegetables

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 2 pounds fresh spinach leaves, about 8 cups
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Creamed Spinach - Cheese Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated, about ½ cup
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wild Mushrooms & Garnish

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ pound fresh assorted wild mushrooms, sliced, about 2 cups
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about ½ cup

Equipment

• 1 Large rectangular ceramic baking pan
• 1 Heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet
• 1 Heavy-bottomed saucepan
• 1 Stainless steel wire whisk
• 1 Heavy glass mixing bowl

Method

 

The Spinach & Gruyère Sauce

1. Marinate the steaks in a large bowl or dish by seasoning with Worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic and onion powders. (You can do this hours in advance and as much as overnight.)
2. Preheat the oven to 350°.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the spinach leaves and cook until they just begin to wilt. Season with some of the salt and pepper. Transfer the sautéed spinach to a colander and let it sit for several minutes to drain excess liquid. Pour the spinach into a medium size baking dish.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until bubbling, about 2 minutes.
5. Slowly pour in the milk. Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
6. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the Gruyere cheese. Pour the cream sauce over the spinach and toss to combine.

The Mushrooms

1. Use the same skillet that you used for the spinach to melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan. DO NOT TOUCH THEM until they are deeply golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Flip the mushrooms over and sauté on the second side until golden, about another 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the mushrooms over the spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake the spinach casserole until the cheese is melted and the spinach is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

The Cap Steaks

1. Prepare an outdoor grill, or heat up a grill pan on top of the stove to medium-high heat.
2. Just before grilling, season the steaks with salt and pepper. Cap steaks will cook more quickly than their look-a-like filets.
3. Grill for about 3 to 4 minutes per side and then check for doneness. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving. Scoop a generous portion of the mushroom topped cream spinach onto a plate. Set the cap steak alongside the veggies.