Meat
Cap
Beef ribeye cap is the spinalis dorsi—the richly marbled outer muscle of the ribeye, often called the best bite on the animal. When separated, it can be rolled into a roast or sliced into cap steaks that cook quickly and stay juicy from abundant intramuscular fat. Grill or pan-sear cap steaks hot; roast the rolled cap gently. Do not overcook—the fat does the work, but the muscle is still best medium-rare to medium. Salt ahead for better crust.
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History
American butchers began marketing spinalis as a standalone ribeye cap cut.
Steak enthusiasts drove demand for cap steaks and rolled cap roasts.
Premium steakhouses listed ribeye cap as a separate menu item.