Meat from the rib section tends to be tender and well marbled with the fat that makes steaks and roasts juicy and flavorful. Rib steaks and roasts are sometimes called "prime rib" even when the meat isn't good enough to be graded "prime" by the USDA. It's best not to marinate rib cuts.

Cuts:

back ribs = rib bones = barbecue beef ribs = Texas ribs Notes: These aren't very meaty, but the ribs are long and fun to eat. They come in slabs containing several ribs. Grill the whole slab, then cut them into individual ribs when you serve them. Allow 1/2 to 1 pound per person. Substitutes: pork spareribs

rib-eye roast = Delmonico roast. Notes: The juicy rib-eye comes from the same muscle that gives us those exquisite top loin and top sirloin cuts. This cut can be roasted to make a boneless version of a rib roast, or cut into individual steaks, called rib-eye steaks. Rib-eye roasts are very tender, well marbled with fat, and fairly expensive. Substitutes: tenderloin roast OR rib roast

rib-eye steak = Delmonico steak = Spencer steak = market steak = fillet steak = beauty steak Notes: Rib-eye steaks are very tender, well marbled with fat, and fairly expensive. They're usually boneless, but you can sometimes find bone-in rib-eye steaks. Note that club steaks are also sometimes called Delmonico steaks. Substitutes: club steak OR Porterhouse steak OR T-bone steak OR strip steak

rib roast Notes: The entire rib section includes seven ribs, but it's usually cut into smaller chunks. Each rib will feed about two people, so if you're feeding, say, six people, you should get a three-rib roast. You can buy this cut as a standing rib roast, with the bones left in, or as a rolled rib roast, which is boned, then rolled and tied. The nice thing about a standing rib roast is that it can stand by itself in the oven pan without a rack, plus the bones provide added flavor. A large end rib roast is cut from the part of the rib section nearest the chuck, so the steaks are bigger but tougher. The small end rib roast = sirloin tip roast includes the ribs next to the choice loin section, so the meat's more tender and lean. If the short ribs are lopped off of a rib roast, you get a half standing rib roast. A steak cut from a rib roast is called a rib steak. Substitutes: rib eye roast (similar, but boneless) OR veal rib roast (much less fat) OR top loin roast OR whole tenderloin (more tender and more expensive)

rib steak = entrecote Notes: Rib steaks are cut from rib roast, and shouldn't be confused with rib-eye steaks, which have less fat and bone. Rib steaks are sometimes called club steaks, though that name is usually reserved for a different cut from the loin. Substitutes: club steak OR rib-eye steak