Rib

The rib primal is where you'll find some of the most celebrated and expensive cuts in the entire carcass. Spanning ribs 6 through 12, this section sits just behind the chuck along the upper back of the steer.

What makes rib cuts so exceptional is the combination of tenderness and marbling. These muscles do relatively little work compared to the chuck or round, so the meat stays tender. Meanwhile, the intramuscular fat — what we call marbling — develops heavily in this region, especially in higher-grade cattle.

Key Cuts from the Rib: - Ribeye steak (boneless) / Rib steak (bone-in) - Standing rib roast (prime rib) - Back ribs (beef back ribs) - Tomahawk steak (frenched, bone-in ribeye with full rib bone) - Cowboy steak (bone-in, shorter bone than tomahawk)

The Ribeye Cap (Spinalis Dorsi): If you ask any butcher what the single best-tasting cut of beef is, most of us will say the ribeye cap. It's the outer ring of the ribeye, and it has more marbling than virtually any other muscle. Some specialty butchers will peel this off and sell it separately — if you ever see it, buy it immediately.

Grading Matters Here: The difference between Select, Choice, and Prime is most visible in the rib primal. A USDA Prime ribeye will have dramatically more marbling than a Select, and you'll taste every bit of it.

A bone-in ribeye at USDA Prime can run $25–$45 per pound retail, while Choice typically falls in the $16–$25 range.