Delmonico Steak: What It Is & How to Cook It (2026)

The delmonico steak is one of the most misunderstood cuts at the butcher counter — the name can refer to several different muscles depending on who's selling it, and that confusion is worth clearing up before you spend money on one.

TL;DR: A delmonico steak in 2026 is most commonly a thick-cut ribeye or boneless chuck eye, named after the 19th-century New York restaurant that made it famous. It's a high-fat, well-marbled cut best cooked hot and fast — cast iron or grill, 2–3 minutes per side, finished to 130–135°F for medium-rare. If your butcher labels it "delmonico," ask which muscle it's from before you commit to a cooking method.

Why the name causes so much confusion

Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City started serving this cut in the 1800s, and the name stuck — but it was never tied to a single USDA muscle group. Depending on the region and the butcher, "delmonico steak" can mean a ribeye, a boneless chuck eye (cut from the same seam, one rib further forward), a top sirloin, or even a strip loin. In Canada, most butchers use it to mean a thick boneless ribeye or a chuck eye steak. The two cook quite differently, so this matters.

The ribeye version is well-marbled throughout, with a large fat cap and the signature spinalis (cap) muscle. The chuck eye version has good marbling but a slightly coarser grain and firmer texture — it's the budget-friendly cousin sitting right beside the ribeye on the carcass. Both are worth cooking. Neither is worth overcooking.

What you'll need

A delmonico steak, 1 to 1.5 inches thick (thinner cuts will overcook before you get a proper crust)
Cast iron skillet or a hot charcoal or gas grill
Neutral high-smoke-point oil (avocado or refined sunflower)
Coarse salt and black pepper — applied at least 45 minutes before cooking, or the night before
Instant-read thermometer
Butter, garlic, and fresh thyme for basting (optional but worth it)
10–12 minutes total active cook time, plus a 5-minute rest

If your steak is frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight — at least 12 hours for a 1.5-inch cut. Pull it from the fridge 30–40 minutes before cooking so the centre isn't cold when it hits the pan.

The steps

Step 1: Salt early and let it work

Season both sides and all edges with coarse salt — about ¾ tsp per side for a 12 oz steak. Do this at least 45 minutes ahead, ideally the night before. The salt draws out surface moisture, then re-absorbs it, seasoning the meat from the inside and drying the exterior so you get a real crust. Skipping this step is the single most common reason home-cooked steaks taste flat. Add black pepper right before the steak hits the pan — earlier and the pepper can scorch.

Step 2: Get your pan or grill genuinely hot

For cast iron: preheat over high heat for 3–4 minutes until the pan is smoking lightly. Add 1 tbsp of avocado oil and let it shimmer for 30 seconds before the steak goes in. For a grill: aim for a surface temperature of 450–500°F on one zone; keep the other zone cool for a potential rest if the steak needs it. A pan or grate that isn't fully up to temperature will steam the steak rather than sear it.

Step 3: Sear without moving it

Lay the steak away from you and don't touch it for 2.5–3 minutes. You're listening for a consistent loud sizzle — if it quiets down, the surface has cooled and the crust won't form properly. After 2.5–3 minutes, lift a corner to check: you want a deep brown crust, not grey. Flip once. Sear the second side for the same time.

Common mistake: Pressing down on the steak to speed things up. This squeezes out the juices that would otherwise baste the meat from underneath. Don't touch it.

Step 4: Baste on the second side

After flipping, add 2 tbsp of butter, 2 crushed garlic cloves, and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme to the pan. Tilt the pan slightly and use a spoon to continuously pour the foaming butter over the steak for the last 60–90 seconds of cooking. This adds flavour and helps even browning on a cut with an uneven surface. On a grill, skip the butter and simply let the second side sear undisturbed.

Step 5: Check the temperature, not the clock

Target internal temperatures:

Rare: 120–125°F
Medium-rare: 130–135°F (recommended for a marbled delmonico)
Medium: 140–145°F
Medium-well and above: the fat has rendered past the point where it adds flavour — not recommended for this cut

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, away from any visible fat seams. Pull the steak 3–5°F below your target — carryover cooking will bring it up the rest of the way during the rest.

Step 6: Rest before you cut

Rest the steak on a wire rack or a warm plate (not a cold surface) for at least 5 minutes. A 12 oz steak needs 5 minutes; a 16 oz steak needs 7. Cutting early loses 20–30% of the internal juices to the board. The meat fibres need time to relax and reabsorb the liquid. Cover loosely with foil if your kitchen is cold.

Step 7: Slice against the grain

If you're serving the steak whole, identify the direction of the muscle fibres and slice across them at a slight angle. This is more relevant for a chuck eye delmonico (coarser grain) than for a ribeye version, but it always makes a difference in tenderness. Serve immediately — this cut does not hold well once sliced.

Troubleshooting

The crust is grey, not brown. The pan wasn't hot enough, or the steak was wet when it went in. Pat the surface completely dry with paper towel right before cooking, even after salting.

The centre is still cold after the outside is done. The steak went into the pan cold. Pull it from the fridge 30–40 minutes before cooking, every time. A cold centre means you'll overcook the outside trying to bring the middle up to temperature.

The butter is burning black, not foaming. The pan is too hot for the basting phase. Reduce heat to medium-high when you add the butter, not high. You want it to foam and stay golden.

The steak is tough even though it's medium-rare. You likely have a chuck eye delmonico, not a ribeye version — it has more connective structure. Slice it thinner, more aggressively against the grain, and the texture improves significantly.

The steak is overcooked at 3 minutes per side. Your steak is thinner than 1 inch. At 3/4 inch, drop the sear time to 1.5–2 minutes per side and pull at 125°F.

The fat cap is chewy and unrendered. Score the fat cap with a knife (shallow cuts, not through to the meat) before cooking, then sear the fat edge directly on the pan for 60–90 seconds at the start. This renders the fat and means it won't contract and curl the steak during the main sear.

Tools and resources

10–12 inch cast iron skillet (preferred over stainless for even heat retention)
Instant-read thermometer — the single most important tool for steak cookery in 2026
Wire rack for resting
Tongs (not a fork — piercing releases juice)
For sourcing the cut itself: Northern Raised carries a ribeye steak and a dry-aged AAA prime ribeye steak — both are the ribeye-style cut most commonly sold as a delmonico in Ontario, pasture-raised with no hormones or antibiotics, vacuum-sealed and flash-frozen for delivery across the province
If you want to compare cuts before deciding, the best steak cuts for the barbecue in Canada guide covers how each muscle behaves on the grill

What to do next

Once you're confident with the basic sear, the next step is the reverse sear method — low oven first (250°F for 25–30 minutes), then a 90-second blast in a ripping hot cast iron pan. It gives you more control over internal temperature and a thicker, more even crust. The how to reverse sear a grass-fed ribeye steak guide covers the full process.

FAQ

What is a delmonico steak? A delmonico steak is a thick-cut, well-marbled steak — most commonly a boneless ribeye or a chuck eye — named after Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City, which served it in the 1800s. The name is not tied to a single muscle, so the specific cut varies by butcher.

Is a delmonico steak the same as a ribeye? Often, yes — in most Canadian butcher shops in 2026, delmonico steak is a boneless ribeye. However, it can also refer to a chuck eye steak, which comes from one rib further forward and is leaner with a slightly firmer texture.

What is the best way to cook a delmonico steak? High heat, short cook time. Cast iron or grill at 450–500°F, 2.5–3 minutes per side for a 1 to 1.5-inch steak, pulled at 130–135°F internal for medium-rare. Rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

How thick should a delmonico steak be? At least 1 inch. Thinner than that and you cannot build a proper crust before the interior overcooks. The classic cut is 1 to 1.5 inches, which gives you 2–3 minutes per side at high heat.

What temperature do you cook a delmonico steak to? 130–135°F internal for medium-rare, which is the standard recommendation for a marbled cut like this. At 140°F and above, the fat renders past the point where it adds flavour and juiciness.

Can you cook a delmonico steak from frozen? Not directly — thaw it in the fridge for at least 12 hours first. Cooking from frozen means the exterior overcooks before the centre reaches temperature. The only exception is the reverse sear method, which handles semi-frozen steaks better than a straight pan sear.

Is a delmonico steak good for the grill? Yes. It's one of the better cuts for direct high heat because the marbling self-bastes the meat during the cook. Sear directly over the hot zone for 2.5–3 minutes per side, then move to the cooler zone if it needs another minute or two to reach temperature.

Why is my delmonico steak tough? Most likely it's a chuck eye version (coarser grain) that wasn't sliced thin enough against the grain, or the steak was cooked past medium. Slice against the grain in thin pieces and stop at 135°F internal.

One last thing

Delmonico's Restaurant charged the equivalent of roughly $35 CAD in today's money for their signature cut in the 1830s — at the time, it was considered an extravagance reserved for business dinners. In 2026, a well-sourced pasture-raised ribeye cooked properly at home beats most restaurant versions for a fraction of the price. The main thing standing between most people and a great result isn't the cut — it's pulling it from the fridge too late and not having a thermometer.