Buying and lighting calculator · Beef
How much bone-in ribeye do I buy and when do I light?
Bone-in ribeye is the beef rib cut thick, with the bone left whole and a good vein of fat; the tomahawk is the same with the long bone left untrimmed. In Spain it is sold in pieces of 0.6 to 1.5 kg, and they should be 4 or 5 cm thick so you can cook them slowly. We count 320 g per person with bone: the bone weighs a little over a quarter and the fire takes another 14 % in juice and fat, which leaves close to 200 g of meat served. In the kamado the reverse sear works best: first about 160 °C indirect until the centre reads 49-52 °C, then a short rest while you raise the heat, and finally a minute per side at full blast. That gives an even doneness edge to edge.
How to ask for it
For 4 people: Ask for bone-in ribeye 4-5 cm thick, bone left whole, to add up to 1.5 kg; a 1.2-1.5 kg tomahawk counts as one big piece for two or three.
Bone plus cooking loss takes almost 40 %: 320 g with bone leaves about 200 g of meat on the plate. pull at 49-52 °C; after searing, 54-57 °C in the centre.
How we calculate it
We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.
To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.
Frequently asked questions
How much bone-in ribeye per person?
Count about 320 g per person with bone for a 200 g serving of meat on the plate. The bone weighs a little over a quarter and cooking takes roughly another 14 %. If guests eat a lot or there are few starters, go up to 400 g; a 1 kg bone-in ribeye then serves two or three.
How long does a bone-in ribeye take in the kamado?
A piece 4 to 5 cm thick needs about 60 minutes at 160 °C indirect to reach 49-52 °C in the centre, plus a short rest and a sear of a minute per side. Count 75-90 minutes from putting it on to carving; the probe decides, not the clock.
What is the difference between a chuletón and a tomahawk?
It is the same cut of beef rib. The tomahawk keeps the long bone untrimmed and usually weighs 1.2 to 1.5 kg, so it serves two or three; the chuletón has a short bone and is sold in pieces of 0.6 to 1 kg. The portion per person and the cooking are the same.
Other Beef cuts
Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".