Cuts
Ribeye or Striploin: Which to Choose for a Restaurant Menu
Ribeye vs striploin compared: position on the carcass, marbling, grill behaviour, cut weight 1.2–5.5 kg, price 598–789 ₴/kg and raw cost per 250–300 g.
5 min read · updated · MYASYA team
In short: ribeye is juicier and more marbled, sits higher on our price list (695–789 ₴/kg) and yields 4–10 portions per cut. Striploin is denser and leaner, costs 598–620 ₴/kg, and a 3.5–5.5 kg cut gives 10–18 portions. Steakhouses and premium menus usually go for ribeye; banquets, bistros and high-turnover menus lean towards striploin. Below: where the difference comes from and how to work out the raw cost per portion.
Where ribeye and striploin sit on the carcass
Both cuts come from the long back muscle (longissimus dorsi), but from different sections of it. Ribeye is cut from the rib section of the back. It is not one muscle but several: the central “eye” with a seam of fat running through it, and the outer “cap” (spinalis), the most tender part. Between them lies a layer of fat, which is what gives ribeye its juiciness.
Striploin is the loin section, immediately behind the ribs. Here the muscle is a single solid piece with an even grain and a rim of fat along the edge. That is why striploin portions more evenly than ribeye: the steaks come out the same size and thickness from the first to the last.
Fat, marbling and texture
Ribeye is usually the most marbled of the classic steak cuts. The fat runs through the muscle in fine veins; as the steak cooks it renders and bastes the meat from within. The texture is soft, with a noticeable contrast between the tender cap and the firmer centre.
Striploin carries less intramuscular fat; most of it sits on the rim. The meat is denser, with a more pronounced beef flavour and a firm bite that suits guests who find ribeye too fatty. The rim can be left on for flavour or trimmed off before portioning.
The producer matters too. Astra Foods works with Nelore cattle on a 70% grass / 30% grain finish, which typically gives leaner meat with a pronounced beef flavour. Frigon beef is more marbled thanks to Angus crossbreeding, and the cut format is different: ribeye up to 3 kg, striploin 3.5–4 kg.
How they behave on the grill
- Ribeye is forgiving. Thanks to the fat it stays juicy even at medium, holds its temperature on the pass and suits a kitchen with a high volume of orders.
- Striploin likes medium rare. A lean muscle loses moisture quickly, so precise timing and resting after the grill matter more here.
- Score the fat rim of a striploin before cooking, otherwise the steak curls and cooks unevenly.
- Thaw both cuts slowly, in the fridge, still in the vacuum pack — that keeps drip loss down.
Cut weight, portions and price per kg
The calculation is indicative: take the cut weight from the price list, deduct trimming — around 10% for ribeye and around 15% for striploin with its fat rim — and divide by a 250–300 g portion. Actual yield depends on how your kitchen trims and whether the rim stays on.
| Item | Cut weight | Price, ₴/kg | Portions of 250–300 g | Raw cost per portion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribeye Astra | 1.2–1.5 kg | 789 | ≈ 4–5 | ≈ 220–265 ₴ |
| Ribeye Frigon | up to 3 kg | 695 | ≈ 9–10 | ≈ 195–230 ₴ |
| Striploin Astra | 4.5–5.5 kg | 598 | ≈ 13–18 | ≈ 175–210 ₴ |
| Striploin Frigon | 3.5–4 kg | 620 | ≈ 10–13 | ≈ 180–220 ₴ |
Prices are correct as of today; once you order, the price per kilogram is locked in, and we confirm the total after we weigh the batch. Note that Frigon striploin costs more per kilogram than Astra, while with ribeye it is the other way round — so it pays to compare producers as well as cuts against your specific menu.
Cost per portion
The difference in raw cost per portion between ribeye and striploin is roughly 30–50 ₴. It does not sound like much, but across 300 steaks a month that is 9,000–15,000 ₴ on meat alone. On the other hand, ribeye traditionally sells at a higher menu price, and that mark-up usually covers the difference in purchase cost.
So the question is not “which is cheaper” but which sells better in your format. A steakhouse with above-average spend per head will earn more on ribeye. A café or banquet hall where steak is one of a dozen items does better on striploin: lower raw cost per portion, uniform pieces and purchasing that is easier to plan.
Ribeye from Astra and Frigon: today's price, cut weight, minimum order 5 kg.Ribeye in the catalogue →
Striploin from Astra and Frigon: today's price, cut weight, minimum order 5 kg.Striploin in the catalogue →
Which steak to choose for a restaurant
Choose ribeye when
- the menu is built around steaks and guests are willing to pay for marbling;
- the kitchen serves medium and above — ribeye will not dry out;
- you need a flagship item with a high mark-up.
Choose striploin when
- an identical portion from the first piece to the last matters — banquets, set menus, delivery;
- guests ask for a leaner steak or meat with a more defined texture;
- you need to keep food cost in check without taking steak off the menu.
In practice, many venues keep both: ribeye as the high-ticket item, striploin as the workhorse steak for daily turnover. Buying 5 kg of each cut then covers both needs without surplus sitting in the freezer.
How to order
The minimum order for each cut is 5 kg. We ship by Nova Poshta across Ukraine from a single carton box, or you can pick up from our warehouse in Mykolaiv at 2 Omelianovycha-Pavlenka St, Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00. Payment is 100% prepayment by bank transfer; legal entities receive a full set of documents with every batch; deferred payment by agreement is available for regular clients.
Nova Poshta from a single carton box, pickup from our warehouse in Mykolaiv, payment and documents.Delivery and payment →
Terms for restaurants and steakhouses: orders from 5 kg, today's price list, deferred payment for regular clients.For restaurants →
