Brown Sugar Bourbon Cowboy Ribeye
Brown Sugar Bourbon Cowboy Ribeye sears a giant bone-in ribeye, finishes it in the oven, and glazes it with a brown sugar bourbon reduction.
A 28- to 32-ounce cowboy ribeye is not a steak you casually sneak into dinner. It arrives with a bone sticking out of it like it has its own handle and immediately becomes the largest personality at the table. That thickness is also why this recipe uses two kinds of heat: a hard skillet sear for the crust, followed by a 400°F oven to bring the center up more evenly without incinerating the exterior.
Season the steak with kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika, then give it 30 minutes before cooking. Sear both flat sides for four minutes and spend another minute on the fat edge—the part people often ignore even though browned rendered fat is one of the reasons ribeye exists. From there, the steak goes into the oven until the center reaches the recipe’s 125–135°F range.
The glaze waits until the end. Bourbon, brown sugar, Dijon, Worcestershire, and smoked salt simmer together for a few minutes, then get brushed over the steak only during the final three minutes of cooking. Any earlier and the sugar has far too much time to burn. Rest the ribeye for a full 12 minutes before slicing. It is a large steak; it has been through enough and would like a moment.
