Product Review: Olliffe Butcher Shop Leslieville Bone-in Ribeye

While exploring a little bit of Leslieville this Sunday, we made the last minute decision to check out Olliffe Butcher Shop before catching our streetcar back west of the Don Valley. I went in and announced to the butcher that I never cook steak because all I have is a cast iron pan and no grill and stood there, challenging him to sell me on some meat. I told him that the biggest reason I don't even try is because I don't want to spend good money on meat that I can't cook to its full potential.

This guy was very charismatic and told us about a time when he thought that way. Then he said that ribeye was a great steak to cook in a pan and that a chef he once knew in a fancy-pants restaurant actually said a cast iron pan was the preferred method of cooking bone-in ribeye. He walked me through exactly how to cook it:

1. Heat a cast iron pan up for about 20 minutes on medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Sear the steak on both sides after the pan has heated up.

3. In a separate vessel, place the steak in the oven for 15-20 minutes per pound.

4. Cut the bone off to check how done it is and then let it rest for 10 minutes. 

I cooked my 1.8 pound bone-in ribeye for about 32 minutes and then cut the bone off. It was cooked about medium. I wish I had checked it earlier, but my initial fears that I had overcooked it were unfounded. The flavour was phenomenal and the texture was soft and wonderful. Nothing like any steak I've ever cooked at home before.

I paired the steak with seared zucchini and mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes. What a beautiful Sunday night dinner.