Cowboy Ribeye Steak Recipe

This cowboy ribeye steak recipe brings together a deeply seared, bone-in ribeye with a bold herb-anchovy compound butter for a rich, restaurant-style steak dinner at home. Featured on Bring on the Karbs, this recipe from hosts Erika and Josh Karbelnik combines beef, garlic, thyme, butter, Worcestershire, lemon, anchovy, and warm spices for a dramatic, flavour-packed dish made for serious steak lovers.

The Inspiration

Inspired by classic steakhouse cooking and the playful, carb-loving energy of Bring on the Karbs, this cowboy ribeye celebrates the kind of big, satisfying food that turns dinner into an event. A cowboy ribeye is already a showstopper thanks to its generous marbling, dramatic bone, and rich beefy flavour, but Erika and Josh Karbelnik take it further with a compound butter that borrows from French bistro traditions, steakhouse sauces, and umami-rich pantry ingredients. Anchovy, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, shallot, lemon juice, curry powder, paprika, tarragon, and parsley work together to create a butter that is savoury, bright, herbal, and luxurious.

All recipes featured in this episode of Bring on the Karbs were improvised by Josh and Erika Karbelnik, so this version is an approximation of what unfolded during the episode. That spirit of experimentation is part of the fun: the recipe gives you a strong foundation, but the real magic comes from cooking with confidence, tasting as you go, and embracing the theatrical pleasure of basting a thick steak in foaming butter, garlic, and thyme.

Ingredients

For the Steak

• 1 cowboy ribeye
• Canola oil for seasoning
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• Whole head of garlic

For the Butter

• 200 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 5 anchovy filets, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 tsp tarragon, finely chopped
• 3 tsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 5 tsp kosher salt

Method

To Make the Butter

• Mix all ingredients with room temperature butter. Use immediately or wrap and place in the fridge.

For the Steak

• Season the steak with canola oil and salt.
• Sear in a cast iron pan or on a flat grill top, until all sides are golden brown.
• Place in an oven for about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 125F.
• Remove and let rest for 15 minutes.
• To finish your steak, place back into a hot cast iron pan, add in cold butter, thyme and garlic and baste.
• Slice steak and serve with compound butter on top.

Serving Suggestions

This cowboy ribeye steak recipe is ideal for a celebratory dinner, a date-night meal, a weekend feast, or any occasion where you want the main course to feel bold and memorable. Because the steak is rich, buttery, and intensely savoury, it pairs beautifully with sides that bring contrast and balance. Serve it with crisp roasted potatoes, golden fries, creamy mashed potatoes, charred broccolini, grilled asparagus, or a bright green salad with a lemony vinaigrette.

This recipe is also a great choice for entertaining because the cowboy ribeye has an impressive look before it even hits the plate. Bring the whole steak to the table after resting and basting, then slice it in front of your guests for a dramatic presentation. Spoon extra compound butter over the sliced meat just before serving so it melts into the steak and creates a glossy, aromatic finish. Since this dish is rich and indulgent, keep the rest of the meal simple and let the steak be the star.

Final Thoughts

This cowboy ribeye steak recipe is a celebration of bold steakhouse flavour, rich compound butter, and the improvisational cooking spirit of Bring on the Karbs. With Erika and Josh Karbelnik as the hosts behind the dish, the recipe captures the fun of cooking big, dramatic food while still giving home cooks a clear method for building a crisp crust, juicy interior, and deeply savoury finish. The combination of garlic, thyme, anchovy, lemon, Worcestershire, curry powder, paprika, tarragon, and parsley gives the butter remarkable depth, turning a classic ribeye into something even more memorable.

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