5 Steak Cuts That Feed a Crowd (Ribeye Can't)
A ribeye or NY strip is a great steak for one, a bad plan when six show up. These five bigger cuts feed a crowd off one piece of meat, often for less per pound, and taste just as good once you know how to cook them.
In this guide
The short answer
Tri-tip, picanha, prime rib, porterhouse, and chuck steak all feed more people off one cut than a ribeye or NY strip can. Bigger cut, same doneness: pull at 125–135°F (52–57°C) for rare to medium-rare, per The MeatStick® doneness guide, then rest before you slice.
Quick Tip: Bigger cut, same cook, just more room for the outside and inside to finish at different rates. That's exactly where a leave-in thermometer earns its keep.
Big cuts at a glance
Finished-doneness targets from The MeatStick doneness guide. Pull about 5°F early and rest, carryover heat finishes the job.
| Cut | From | Size | Best method | Medium-rare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-tip | Bottom sirloin | 1.5–2.5 lb | Reverse sear or smoke | 130–135°F / 54–57°C |
| Picanha | Rump / sirloin cap | 2–3 lb | Skewer-grill or reverse sear | 130–135°F / 54–57°C |
| Prime rib | Rib primal (roast) | 4–10+ lb | Low roast, hot sear finish | 130–135°F / 54–57°C |
| Porterhouse | Short loin | 1.5–2.5 lb | Grill or pan-sear | 130–135°F / 54–57°C |
| Chuck steak | Chuck (shoulder) | 1–1.5 lb | Grill after a marinade | 130–135°F / 54–57°C |
Tri-tip
Bottom sirloin, once ground into burger before California pitmasters put it whole on the grill. Leaner than ribeye, but reverse-seared or smoked low and slow, it's just as tender, and one cut feeds four.
How: reverse sear or smoke at 225–250°F (107–121°C). Target: 130–135°F (54–57°C). Pull at 125–130°F, rest 10 minutes, then slice against the grain, it changes direction mid-cut.
Photo: @spiffergirl, Grilled Tri-tip with MeatStick V Duo
Picanha (coulotte)
Top of the rump, also sold as coulotte or rump cap, crowned with a fat cap that bastes the meat as it cooks. Brazilian churrascarias build entire menus around it, and at 2–3 lb it out-sizes a ribeye.
How: leave the fat on, season with coarse salt, slice into thick steaks, bend into a "C," and skewer over direct heat until the fat crisps, then finish over indirect heat. Target: 130–135°F (54–57°C).
Full method and pairings: our complete picanha guide.
Photo: @boltthrowerbbq, Rotisserie picanha with MeatStick V Prime
Prime rib
A multi-rib roast from the same primal as ribeye, several ribeyes still on the bone, built to feed a table instead of one plate.
How: roast low at 250–275°F (121–135°C) until within 10°F of target, then hot-sear to finish. Target: 130–135°F (54–57°C). That 10°F carryover matters even more on a roast this size.
Quick Tip: A cut this large rewards two-point monitoring: one Stick at the deepest center, a second closer to the ends.
Porterhouse
Cut from the short loin, a strip steak and a tenderloin sharing one T-shaped bone, essentially two steaks in one, which is why it outsizes either cut alone.
How: grill or pan-sear over high heat; the tenderloin side cooks faster, so angle it away from the hottest spot. Target: 130–135°F (54–57°C), watching the tenderloin closely.
More on strip vs. tenderloin: our steak cuts guide.
Chuck steak
Chuck comes from the shoulder and mostly wants slow braising, but chuck steak and chuck fillet have enough marbling to grill, at a fraction of ribeye's price per pound.
How: marinate a well-marbled piece a few hours, then grill over direct heat like any steak. Less naturally tender, so keep it medium-rare to medium. Target: 130–135°F (54–57°C).
Which parts grill vs. braise: our chuck primer.
Mistakes to avoid
- Judging by time. A 3-lb picanha or a multi-rib prime rib takes far longer than a 10-oz ribeye.
- Skipping the rest. Bigger cuts carry over more; rest 10–15 minutes, not the usual 5.
- Cutting in to check. You lose juice and still only see one spot, not the true center.
- Slicing with the grain. Tri-tip's grain changes direction mid-cut; cut it wrong and it turns chewy.
Never guess on a big cut
The bigger the cut, the bigger the gap between "looks done" and "actually done" in the center. A leave-in thermometer solves that the same way on a 3-lb tri-tip as a 10-lb prime rib: insert before the cook, set your target, and walk away.
Cooking for a crowd doesn't mean guessing bigger
The MeatStick V Prime is a truly wireless, leave-in Stick with multiple internal sensors, so it finds the true center of a thick cut, plus its own ambient sensor for the oven or grill.
For a full prime rib roast, where the center and the ends finish minutes apart, The MeatStick V Forge tracks ambient and internal temperature together on longer, low-and-slow cooks.
Trusted by 150,000+ registered customers and 1.7M+ cooks logged.
Frequently asked questions
What steak cut is bigger than a ribeye?
Prime rib and porterhouse are physically larger. A whole tri-tip or picanha (1.5–3 lb) out-feeds a single ribeye portion too.
What is picanha called in the US?
Usually coulotte or rump cap, from the top of the rump (sirloin cap).
What's the difference between picanha and tri-tip?
Picanha is from the top of the rump and keeps its fat cap; tri-tip is from the bottom sirloin, leaner, and usually reverse-seared or smoked.
What temperature should tri-tip be cooked to?
130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium-rare. Pull at 125–130°F and rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
What temperature is prime rib medium-rare?
130–135°F (54–57°C), same as any steak. Pull about 10°F early on a roast this size.
Is porterhouse the same as T-bone?
Close cousins; both share the T-shaped bone, but porterhouse is cut further back and carries more tenderloin.
Can you grill chuck steak like a regular steak?
Yes, if it's a well-marbled chuck steak or chuck fillet, not a roast-cut chuck meant for braising.
How long does a prime rib roast take?
Depends on size and oven temp, not a fixed number, a 5–7 lb roast at 250°F (121°C) commonly runs 3-4+ hours. Go by internal temperature, not the clock.
Should I trim picanha's fat cap?
No, it bastes the meat as it renders and is part of what makes picanha picanha.
Do bigger cuts need a different target temperature?
No, 130–135°F for medium-rare stays the same. Only timing and carryover change.
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