Expert: John Langenfelder - 5/17/2008

Question
Hi John,

What is the difference between Rib Eye, Del Monaco, and Prime Rib? I have been told that they are the exact same cut of beef, only their preparation is different. Is this correct?

Thank you and Regards, Ken.

Answer
You are correct on the preparation.  Essentially they are the same cut of meat.  Prime Rib, Rib eye and Delmonico all come from the same cut of meat - the rib section.  Prime Rib is generally referred to as a roast, not a steak and you get a slice from the cooked rib roast.  Delmonico's name came more from the restaurant that it was prepared at but it is a rib eye.  Sometimes, a rib eye may come from a different end of the rib section than the delmonico, but it depends on the butcher and the store.  Check out wikipedia for more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib_eye and see the links for delmonico and prime rib