Next Time You Make Ribeye Steak, Don't Neglect Those Juices

No matter what your favorite type of steak is, you have to agree that ribeye is one of the most prized cuts. The rich, hearty meat is hard not to love, especially with such an exquisitely tender texture. When you plate the juicy steak, though, make it even better by adding the leftover juices right on top.

Like practically every meat, ribeye steaks release juices when cooked. Searing it to perfection may be your main focus, but it's important not to discard the liquids after cooking. Part of that reddish liquid that seeps out of the steak is called myoglobin, a compound that gives beef its distinctive color and contributes to its savory taste. The juices are also made up of fat, caramelized pieces from the meat, and whatever you used to season the beef — in other words, tossing it out is a mistake to avoid when cooking ribeye steak.

Spooning the juices on top of your plated steak is the easiest way to make use of it, but you can also turn the leftover liquid into luscious gravy. Heat the juices in a pan with butter, then deglaze the mixture with some broth. Whisk in some flour, followed by more broth, and let the gravy thicken and cool before drizzling it atop the steak.

Apart from simply adding it to your finished steak, the ultra-savory liquids can be used to spruce up much more than the meat they came from. The juices from last night's steak can easily be turned into gravy to top off fluffy cream cheese cheddar biscuits in the morning. Any remaining gravy also works for other dinner dishes. You can drown mashed potatoes in the sauce, or drizzle it atop roasted vegetables.

The gravy works as a great soup thickener, and the juices in general can be added to the broth for soup or stew. Amp up the umami quality in beef Irish stew with a dash of pan drippings, or give chili a more robust flavor with gravy made from ribeye.

Ribeye's beefy flavor makes the juices the perfect ingredient to elevate other proteins, as well. Turning the leftover liquid into a pan sauce allows you to use it for far more than just steak. Add the juice to a pan, along with minced garlic, onions, or shallots. Deglaze the pan with wine or broth, then stir in some butter. Some white wine-infused steak sauce gives sous vide salmon a richer taste, while using red wine brings the right amount of depth to roasted pork tenderloin.