Smoked Ribeye Cap

Everyone knows Manny is a huge fan of the holidays. We've got a whole holiday "theme" schedule for various days that we try to do every year. One of those is pre-Christmas with ribeye caps in the pizza oven after we cook the bread and it's still piping hot. Last year I thought it would be awesome to smoke the ribeye cap before we seared it, so we gave it a try. This deliciousness is the result of that experimentation.

We don't salt the meat initially because the compound butter has salt in it. Watch the ribeyes carefullty on the smoker. You're getting it close to final temperature, but not all the way. The compound butter can be made in large batches and refrigerated. It comes in handy for all kinds of things, not the least of which is spread on top of freshly baked bread or rolls. While the pizza oven isn't required for this recipe, it sure is cool! Any direct heat at the highest possible setting will work just fine.

As always, from our table to yours... #SpiceConfidently #EssenceOfFlavor #ChemistryInTheKitchen #CasaMSpice

— Mike Hernandez

ingredients

For the Ribeye Cap:

4 ribeye caps
Casa M Spice Co® Uncontrolled Cattle Drive®

For the Compound Butter:

1 stick salted butter, room temperature (to soften)
12 cloves garlic, minced 2
1 Tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tablespoon Casa M Spice Co® Chain Reaction®

FEATURED QUOTE

Watch the ribeyes carefullty on the smoker. You're getting it close to final temperature, but not all the way.

- Mike Hernandez

LET’S GET COOKING

1.
Preheat your smoker to 200°F
2.
Sprinkle each of the ribeye caps with Casa M Spice Co® Uncontrolled Cattle Drive
3.
Smoke the ribeye caps for about an hour or until the internal temperature on each reaches 135°F
4.
While the ribeyes are on the smoke, mix all the ingredients for the compound butter thoroughly and cover, but leave at room temperature so it's easy to spread.
5.
Remove the ribeye caps from the smoke and let them rest for 20-30 minutes to cool off (so they don't melt the compound butter instantly).
6.
Slather each ribeye cap with the compound butter mixture. We knew we were going into the pizza oven, so we only did the top so it didn't ignite as soon as we put it down, but if you're using a standard grill, you can safely coat the entire ribeye cap.
7.
Sear the ribeye caps over VERY HIGH HEAT to caramelize the outside and melt the compound butter.
8.
Pull from the heat at the appropriate temperature for your preference. 130°F for medium rare or140 for medium. Let them rest for 10 minutes and they will continue to cook and hit a high point of about 135°F or 145°F respectively.
9.
Cut and serve while hot. We like to pair this with scalloped au gratin potatoes.