Lip-On Ribeye Roll – Subprimal Cut

Lip-on ribeye roll is a boneless subprimal beef cut from the rib primal section of the forequarter, specifically ribs 6 through 12. It’s where you get one of the most popular steaks, the ribeye. This cut includes a few key muscles, the longissimus dorsi (the eye of the ribeye) and the spinalis dorsi (the ribeye cap), along with others like the longissimus costarum and complexus, depending on how the butcher prepares the cut.

“Lip-on” refers to the cap of fat and muscle (the spinalis dorsi, or “ribeye cap”) that remains attached to the ribeye roll. Butchers remove the bone, making the lip-on ribeye roll easy to cut into ribeye steaks or roasts. Alternatively, a butcher can also trim the top layer of fat from the ribeye roll and separate the muscles to create cuts like the ribeye cap roll, petite roast, cap steak, and ribeye filet.

Lip-on ribeye roll is one of the most tender, well-marbled, and flavorful sections of beef on the entire cow. It’s also one of the most expensive, but if you care about flavor and texture, it’s worth every penny.