ALDI Steak Review – and how to cook the PERFECT ribeye steak

Before I get into my Aldi steak review and directions on cooking the perfect ribeye, let me give you some background on my history with ALDI and why I decided to do this post.

In case you didn’t know, I’m a big Aldi fan. And I’m also a big fan of ribeye steak. And I’m also a big fan of so many of their branded products – from their gluten free items to produce. I also buy a lot of my meat there – like chicken, pork loin, and the less expensive types of steak like top sirloin or a chuck roast.

Back to the steak – So a nice steak? Like a ribeye, strip, or porterhouse? I don’t know why, but I’ve never gotten around to buying one of those at ALDI. They are vacuum sealed, seem to be a darker crimson color than I’m used to seeing, and they’re less expensive. $8.99 a pound for USDA Choice ribeye (that’s the regular not-on-sale price) is downright cheap these days. At my local grocery store, the regular price is $12.99 a pound; at my local butcher it’s a little better at $11.99 a pound.

On those rare occasions that I make a nice steak (which happens about 2-3 times a year), I’d usually just use my local butcher.

But over the weekend, I decided to just go for it. I was looking through the ribeye steaks on the top shelf of the meat case at ALDI and found a really nice-looking ribeye. It was time to give it a try and review a nice ALDI steak.

But if I was gonna give this steak a proper review, I will treat it as well as I treat any nice steak and prepare it the best way I know how. And I’ll also show you how!

I totally forgot to take a picture of the steak in the package. But if I did, you’d notice the very dark red color. But once I opened it, it became the usual bright red within minutes.

If you are into ribeyes, you will know why this particular steak caught my eye – pretty good marbling, and a good-sized ribeye cap – that’s the slightly darker red area on the right. Technically, that part of the steak is called the spinalis dorsi, and it’s the most delicious meat on the entire steer.

For preparation, I gave it a nice heavy salting on both sides, and then put it back in the refrigerator completely uncovered overnight on a paper plate. This does two things. First, the salt acts as a dry brine – the salt sucked into the meat and seasons the entire steak, not just the outside. And the purpose of leaving it uncovered is to dehydrate it a bit and concentrate the flavor.

Then I cooked it my favorite way – on my trusty cast iron pan with butter. I get my pan REALLY hot – literally smokin hot. Once it’s ready, I place 3 Tbsp of butter in the pan. After it melts (which takes like 20 seconds), I place the steak (cold – not room temperature) in the pan.

Then flip it every 30 seconds. Yes. I’m break the “flip once” rule in addition to the “get it to room temperature” rule. You should try breaking these rules too. Flipping often is the way to go – you get a better sear, and the middle cooks slowly. And spoon some of the hot butter on top occasionally as it cooks. As you can see in the picture below, I obtained a nice even medium rare through the steak, with minimal “gray” area.

Ok – so how was this ALDI steak? This was a fantastic ribeye. Perfectly cooked, juicy, salty, buttery – AMAZING. This steak was as good as any I’ve gotten from my butcher or the local grocery store. If I was served this steak at a high-end steakhouse, I’d be more than adequately pleased.

And for $8.99 a pound? That’s a great everyday price. ALDI seriously impressed me with this one. Just make sure you are buying the right steak that suits your needs in terms of marbling and the composition of the meat/fat. This is more important than what store you buy it from.

Aldi Steak Review (and how to cook the PERFECT steak)

Ultimate Pan Seared Ribeye

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 14 minutes

Servings: 2

Author: Lauren Cobello

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. ribeye 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches thick
• Salt
• 3 Tbsp butter

Instructions

• Liberally salt all sides of the steak.
• Place the steak on a plate, and refrigerate uncovered overnight (or for at least a few hours).
• Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat.
• When it's smokin' hot, melt butter in the pan.
• Remove the steak from the refrigerator and place in the pan.
• Flip every 30 seconds for about 8-9 minutes, occasionally spooning hot butter over the top. This will get it to about a medium rare. If you want it more done, cook it longer.
• Remove from the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.

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