[6] The rib portion is in bright orange (photo courtesy Hirsch’s Meats | Abacus).
WHAT IS PRIME RIB?
The “prime” in “prime rib” prime is mostly a traditional/marketing term meaning “the best.” It’s not a precise anatomical label—and it often refers to one (or both) of these:
1. It comes from the rib primal (the “prime” part—more about that below.)
Prime rib is a roast cut from the rib section of the beef carcass (roughly 6–12 ribs). It’s naturally tender because, like the tenderloin, the muscles in that area do less work than, say, the shoulder or round.
Prime rib is also sold as:
Ribeye roast (boneless prime rib)
Rib roast
Standing rib roast
2. It may be USDA Prime grade—but it doesn’t have to be.
A common misconception is that “prime rib” automatically means USDA Prime, the top quality grade of beef (compared to USDA Choice or USDA Select).
The grade is based largely on marbling (intramuscular fat) and maturity.
However, in the store, a “prime rib” roast can be Prime, Choice, Select, or ungraded—yet still be called “prime rib” because it’s from the rib section and is a classic “best roast” cut.
In reality, only about 5% of beef is graded “prime,” and the limited supply is sold at only the finest butcher shops and restaurants. It will be labeled “USDA Prime Rib Roast,” not just “Prime Rib.”
[7] What a beauty: a boneless wagyu prime rib from Snake River Farms (photo © Williams-Sonoma).
WHAT DO “PRIMAL MEAN” & “RIB PRIMAL” MEAN?
In butchery, a “primal” is one of the large sections of the animal that is separated during the first stage of butchering. Think of it as the “master cut.”
A whole beef carcass is first split into four quarters; those quarters are then broken down into roughly 8-9 primal cuts
These primals are too large to cook whole, so they are further broken down into sub-primals (like a ribeye roll—more about that below), and finally into retail cuts (like a ribeye steak).
The orange section of the chart labeled “Rib” represents one of the major primal cuts of beef.
The reason the Rib is considered one of the most valuable primals is that it sits in the middle of the back where the muscles don’t get much exercise as the animal moves.
This makes it extremely tender compared to the Chuck or Round primals.
There is a distinction between the “Primal” and the “Sub-Primals” found within te area:
The Primal: The “6-12 Rib Primal” is the entire section shown in that orange box. In professional butchery, it is the bulk piece of meat and bone that comes off the hanging side of beef.
The Sub-Primals: Once a butcher starts working on that orange section, he/she breaks it into sub-primals. The most famous ones from that specific box are the Ribeye Roll (the centered muscle) and the Short Ribs (which are cut from the lower portion of that same rib section).
Breaking Down The Rib Primal
The Ribeye Roll is the “heart” of the rib primal, containing the most prized muscles in the cow. It is typically broken down into:
Ribeye Steaks (Bone-In or Boneless): The most common retail cut. A bone-in Ribeye with a long bone is called a Tomahawk, while a shorter bone is a Cowboy Steak.
Prime Rib Roast (Standing Rib Roast): The ribeye roll left whole (usually with 2 to 7 ribs) to be roasted slow and low.
Ribeye Cap (Spinalis Dorsi): Often called the “butcher’s butter,” high-end shops will sometimes peel this outer muscle off the roll and sell it separately as a Cap Steak or rolled into a Ribeye Cap Roast.
The Eye of Ribeye (Longissimus Dorsi): If the cap and the complexus muscle are removed, the center lean muscle is sold as the Eye Steak (very uniform and lean).
[8] Who’s ready to feast? (photo © Good Eggs).
The 9 Standard Primals Of Beef
The labels on the chart generally correspond to the 9 standard beef primals:
Chuck (shoulder)
Rib (orange section)
Loin (often split into “short loin” and “sirloin”)
Round (back leg/rump)
Flank (lower belly)
Short Plate (mid-belly, labeled as “Plate” on the chart)
Brisket (chest)
Shank (fore and hind legs)
While Prime and Choice are what you see most often at high-end steakhouses and grocery stores, there are actually eight total grades of beef. They are generally split into two categories: high-quality table meat and utility/processing meat.
THE 8 USDA GRADES OF BEEF
These are the grades you will encounter at a butcher shop or supermarket:
USDA Prime: The top grade with maximum intramuscular fat, which translates directly to flavor, juiciness, and tenderness and a rich, beefy flavor.
USDA Choice: The second-best grade, the everyday high-quality steak, still very good but not as luxurious as Prime.
USDA Select: This is the grade directly below Choice. It is very lean and lacks the marbling of the higher grades. It is often less tender and juicy, so it benefits from marinating or braising rather than dry-heat grilling.
USDA Standard: This is frequently sold as “store brand” or ungraded beef. It has very little marbling and is often used for budget-friendly cuts or in applications where the meat will be heavily processed.
Other grades that aren’t typically sold to consumers:
USDA Commercial: This grade usually comes from older cattle. While it might have some marbling, the age of the animal makes the meat tougher, so it is rarely sold as individual steaks in retail.
Utility Grades: These grades—USDA Utility, USDA Cutter, and USDA Canner—are typically sold to food processors or commercial kitchens to be used in ground beef, canned stews, frozen dinners, or pet food.
[9] If you’ve never had a stuffed prime rib, here’s the recipe for this one, stuffed with spinach, sausage, and mushrooms (photo © Francesco Tonelli | New York Times).
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*The export is butcher lingo for a bone-in prime rib with the cap removed (exported) that is used for a standing rib roast.
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