Picanha Vs Ribeye Steak [Which is Better?]

Choosing the best cut of meat is almost as important as choosing the car you will drive for the next five years of your life. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of thinking there is no difference between the cuts, with picanha cut and ribeye cut often confused for which is the best. 

Picanha is a slow-roasted piece that generally offers the same type of tenderness for each cut that cooks best when cooked on a charcoal grill. Ribeye steak is a much more diverse cut that should be cooked at high temperatures for short periods and will taste different with each type of ribeye cut. 

picanha vs ribeye steak

However, there is more to these two cuts of meat than their basic preparations and how they will taste after being adequately prepared. 

Many chefs and backyard grill masters have learned which meats fit their cooking styles the best, allowing them to make something almost impossible comfortably. 

Is Picanha A Good Steak?

Picanha is a piece of steak known to be one of the most flavorful pieces you can prepare, requiring that you keep a constant temperature and the right mix of spices. 

Further, high-end restaurants usually use the cut as the strong flavor produces the perfect main course. 

Picanha is a good steak to start learning when you have already become accustomed to some trickier cooking foods. 

Many chefs and cooks choose never to start making picanha because of the long preparation times required to get it as close to perfect as possible. 

Overall, picanha is a good steak if you are looking for a new challenge and have enough free time to learn how to cook it properly. When starting, it is recommended to cook picanha on a pan where the temperature can be controlled and the meat adequately monitored. 

Is Ribeye A Good Steak?

Despite what many people would have you believe, ribeye is one of the best steaks for beginners to experts to cook. There are several different cuts on the market, and you can usually try new things, allowing for a margin of error that few other types of steak have. 

Many people still learning to cook steaks prefer ribeye specifically because the meat can be thrown on a grill and cooked to perfection within minutes. 

Further, you can often find ribeye in many different thicknesses or marinades, making it easier to cook. 

Overall, ribeye is a great steak if you are still unsure about your cooking skills or even if you are unsure about what you will be cooking. We always recommend that people start their steak grilling and cooking journey with this steak as it is the most forgiving of any of the famous steak types. 

What Are The Average Costs Of Picanha Vs. Ribeye Steak?

The overall cost is one of the biggest reasons people should be wary of cooking any steak. Even in the most affordable places, chicken breasts are more affordable than even the thinnest cuts of steak. 

When it comes to picanha and ribeye steak, you will quickly find yourself with the challenge of choosing something affordable enough to practice on. 

First, we’ll take a quick look at both pieces of steak and how the prices changes depending on the cut and size of the steak you are getting. 

Picanha Steak

Easily the more expensive steak of the two, picanha steak, is priced on average at $8 per pound on the low end. However, as you increase the quality of the steaks, you will find the price drastically increasing, with a good picanha steak that has marbled throughout increasing the price drastically. 

We have seen several picanha steaks selling for $80 per pound, which can make even experimenting with a well-practiced recipe a problem. So often, the price of picanha steak has made it a steak that few people get to practice their recipes throughout their lives. 

Ribeye Steak

Ribeye steak is known as the everyman steak because there are more cuts to these steaks than actual steak types. 

This has meant that the price can be as low as $5 per pound of ribeye up to $50 per pound. The price depends on the type of ribeye you are buying the meat. 

Because of this vast difference in pricing, ribeye steak has become the go-to steak for those learning how to grill steaks. 

Apart from the largest and thickest cuts of ribeye, you can rest assured that the meat will be forgiving, allowing you to overcook the steak without affecting the taste too much. 

Which Is The Best Steak, Picanha or Ribeye?

Now that we know the overall price differences between the two types of steaks, we can look at which is better. 

Several things affect the taste of picanha steak versus ribeye steak, so you must be aware before choosing your steak. 

We’ll take a quick look at the differences and merits of using both steaks and how they will affect the taste you can get from them. People have often assumed that steak will always taste the same regardless of how you spice the steak throughout the process. 

Merits Of Picanha Steak

Picanha steak has some of the best merits of any steak on the market. First, naturally, the meat is marbled with fat throughout. This gives the meat a rich flavor that can be pulled out with a slow cooking process that allows it to fall apart as you eat it. 

Because the meat has such a rich natural marbling, it usually has many more vitamins and proteins. 

Many cooks prefer to make picanha steak when they need to make something that is small but still has all of the taste appeals of larger steaks. 

Merits Of Ribeye Steak

A ribeye steak is found almost everywhere, with many butchers having unique ribeye cuts that you need to choose from. In addition, some countries like Japan and the US often have more overall ribeye cuts than any other meat type. 

With the famous Wagyu beef from Japan traditionally being a cut of sirloin or ribeye, you can cook ribeye in almost every way you can imagine. Further, ribeye can also be bland meat, allowing marinades and the smoking process to enrich the meat with rich flavors. 

The Process Of Cooking Each Steak

When cooking picanha steak, you need to consider a slower cooking process that will cook the meat evenly, with only searing the meat at the end of the process. Ribeye steak can be cooked over high heat on a pan or a grill, giving a similar taste to other slow-cooked meats. 

When cooking either steak, you will need to check the internal temperature, with neither meat doing well overcooked. Many people, just learning, accidentally cook these steaks well done, causing them to be rugged and almost leather-like.

Final Word

Whether you are making something to eat with the entire family or getting ready to enjoy an evening grilling with some friends, both of these steaks can work. 

Just remember that you will need to work a lot harder with picanha steak than you will have to with ribeye steak. 

Whatever you do, please don’t try and cook the steaks in the microwave! 

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