{"id":28,"date":"2026-03-15T01:45:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T01:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/?p=28"},"modified":"2026-03-15T01:45:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T01:45:56","slug":"why-ribeye-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/15\/why-ribeye-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Ribeye Matters!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cleavers Philadelphia<\/strong> is using domestic USDA ribeye<\/strong>, that\u2019s actually the gold standard for premium Philly cheesesteaks<\/strong>. The key is dialing in the exact spec and slicing method<\/strong> so the meat cooks perfectly on the flat-top and gives you the flavor people expect from a ribeye cheesesteak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is the ideal ribeye spec for Cleavers sandwiches<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Domestic USDA Ribeye Spec for Cleavers Cheesesteaks<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Why Domestic Ribeye Matters<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Domestic beef usually has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 higher marbling
\u2022 better consistency
\u2022 stronger beef flavor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared to imported ribeye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why many top Philly cheesesteak shops insist on domestic beef<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

USDA Grade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

USDA Choice (Domestic)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choice is ideal because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grade<\/th>Pros<\/th>Cons<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Prime<\/td>Amazing flavor<\/td>Too expensive for sandwiches<\/td><\/tr>
Choice<\/td>Best balance<\/td>None<\/td><\/tr>
Select<\/td>Cheaper<\/td>Less marbling<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Choice gives the classic Philly cheesesteak flavor without blowing food cost<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Trim Level<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recommended spec:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/4 inch trim<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This leaves enough fat for flavor while keeping waste manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Aging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ask suppliers for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21+ day wet aged ribeye<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 deeper beef flavor
\u2022 more tender shaved meat
\u2022 better browning on griddle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Ideal Slice Thickness<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

For cheesesteaks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/16″ thin sliced<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This creates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 soft texture
\u2022 quick cook time
\u2022 better cheese melt integration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Portion Size for Cleavers Sandwiches<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Typical premium cheesesteak portion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Size<\/th>Meat<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Regular<\/td>8oz<\/td><\/tr>
The Cleaver<\/td>16oz<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Ideal Cooking Method for Ribeye Cheesesteaks<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

For the flat top:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Preheat griddle to 350 degrees<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Place shaved ribeye on hot steel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Let it sear 10\u201315 seconds before chopping<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Chop (not fine, medium to large pcs), season with salt and pepper, then mix with saut\u00e9ed onions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Melt cheese into meat<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Load roll<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    This keeps the ribeye juicy<\/strong>, not steamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Cleavers Philadelphia is using domestic USDA ribeye, that\u2019s actually the gold standard for premium Philly cheesesteaks. The key is dialing in the exact spec and slicing method so the meat cooks perfectly on the flat-top and gives you the flavor people expect from a ribeye cheesesteak. Below is the ideal ribeye spec for Cleavers sandwiches. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28\/revisions\/29"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleaversphilly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}