Main course
New York strip steak
A New York strip is cooked by rendering its edge of fat first and then searing the faces in a hot cast-iron pan or over direct fire: a 2.5 cm / 1 in steak takes 6–8 minutes in the pan, pulled at 50–51 °C / 122–124 °F for medium-rare.
At a glance
- Cut
- Striploin, fat cap on
- 2.5 cm / 1 in, pan
- 6–8 min in total
- 2.5 cm / 1 in, grill
- 6–10 min in total
- Pull (medium-rare)
- 50–51 °C / 122–124 °F
- After 5 min rest
- 52–56 °C / 126–133 °F
What it is
The New York strip is a boneless steak from the striploin, the part of the longissimus muscle that runs along the short loin, from the last rib to the hip. It is a single muscle with an even, fairly tight grain, moderate marbling and a band of external fat, the fat cap, along one edge. Leaner and firmer than the ribeye, it is usually cooked rare to medium-rare.
In the United States it is the New York strip, strip steak or top loin steak (IMPS 1180), and the Kansas City strip on the bone. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand it is sold as sirloin. In Argentina it is the bife de chorizo, in Spain the lomo bajo or entrecot, in Mexico the New York, in France the contre-filet.
Being one muscle of even thickness, it cooks predictably: the time depends almost entirely on thickness. Only the fat cap needs separate attention, since left pale it stays chewy.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Strip steaks | 2 × 300–350 g / 11–12 oz | about 3 cm / 1¼ in thick, fat cap on |
| Coarse salt | about 1 % of the weight: 6–7 g / ¼ oz | 40 min ahead or just before cooking |
| Black pepper | to taste | freshly ground, at the end |
| Neutral oil | 1 tbsp / 15 ml | high smoke point |
| Butter | 30 g / 1 oz | optional, for basting |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | crushed in their skin |
| Thyme or rosemary | 2–3 sprigs | optional |
Your steak: time and temperature
Set the thickness, the doneness and the method: the minutes, the temperature to pull it at and the rest change with them. The same numbers as the tables of Steakpedia.
Estimates to plan with, not a guarantee: every piece, butcher and grill is different. Nothing you type leaves this page. The full calculator, with a timer and a start-time planner →
Method
- Dry the steaks and salt them on all sides. Salted 40 minutes ahead, uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator, the surface dries and browns faster.
- Heat a 25–30 cm / 10–12 in cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5–10 minutes, until oil smokes faintly (about 230–260 °C / 445–500 °F at the surface). Add the oil.
- Stand both steaks on their fat edge, held together with tongs, for 1–2 minutes, until the fat is golden and some has melted into the pan.
- Lay them flat; the table's times count from here. Turn when they release, after 45–60 seconds, then every 30–60 seconds so the inside cooks evenly.
- When the centre, read from the side with an instant-read thermometer, is 8–10 °C / 15–18 °F below the pull temperature, lower to medium, add butter, garlic and herbs, and spoon the foaming butter over the steaks for 1–2 minutes.
- Pull at the temperature for the thickness: 50–51 °C / 122–124 °F for 2.5 cm / 1 in, 49–50 °C / 120–122 °F for 3.5–4 cm / 1¼–1½ in.
- Rest on a rack for about 5 minutes; carryover brings the centre to 52–56 °C / 126–133 °F. Add pepper.
- Slice across the grain, about 1 cm / ⅜ in thick, and pour the resting juices over.
Times by thickness
Totals for a steak straight from the refrigerator, turned often, for medium-rare (52–56 °C / 126–133 °F after a 5-minute rest); the fat edge adds 1–2 minutes. Thicker steaks are pulled lower because they carry more heat inward while resting. A 3 cm / 1¼ in steak falls between rows two and three. The thermometer decides (steak temperatures).
| Thickness | Pan (total) | Grill, direct (total) | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 cm / ½–¾ in | 3–5 min | 3–5 min | 52–53 °C 126–127 °F |
| 2.5 cm / 1 in | 6–8 min | 6–10 min | 50–51 °C 122–124 °F |
| 3.5–4 cm / 1¼–1½ in | 9–12 min | 10–14 min, finished indirect | 49–50 °C 120–122 °F |
| 5 cm / 2 in | Reverse sear | 14–18 min, finished indirect | 48–49 °C 118–120 °F |
On the grill
Over charcoal, wood or gas the strip goes over high, direct heat, about 230–290 °C / 450–550 °F at the grate, with a cooler zone on the other side (grilling over fire). The fat edge goes down first, over the hottest part, for 1–2 minutes; if the dripping fat flares, the steak moves to the cooler side.
Up to 2.5 cm / 1 in the steak cooks entirely over direct heat. From about 4 cm / 1½ in it is seared directly and finished over the indirect zone with the lid closed, so the crust does not burn before the centre is done. In a pan, a 5 cm / 2 in strip is better as a reverse sear. Times by doneness: grilling time.
Serving
American steakhouses serve the strip whole or sliced, with potatoes, creamed spinach or salad and a sauce on the side, such as the peppercorn sauce of steak au poivre or béarnaise. In Argentina the bife de chorizo comes with chimichurri or salsa criolla. Sliced, one 300–350 g / 11–12 oz steak serves two. Common mistakes: a pale fat cap, a pan not hot enough, a crowded pan.
Frequently asked questions
How long to cook a New York strip on each side?
Turned often, the time is counted in total: 6–8 minutes for a 2.5 cm / 1 in strip in a hot pan, 6–10 minutes over direct fire. Turned once, about 3–4 minutes a side in the pan.
What temperature should a New York strip be?
For medium-rare, 52–56 °C / 126–133 °F after resting, so it is pulled at 50–51 °C / 122–124 °F for 2.5 cm / 1 in. The USDA safe minimum for whole cuts is 63 °C / 145 °F with a 3-minute rest.
Is New York strip the same as sirloin?
Not in the United States, where sirloin is a separate, leaner cut from the hip. In the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, sirloin is the name of this same striploin steak.
Should you cook the fat cap first?
Yes, when it is thick: 1–2 minutes on its edge renders and browns the fat, which otherwise stays pale and chewy, and the melted fat helps sear the faces.
Sources
5
- North American Meat Institute. The Meat Buyer's Guide, 8th ed. Washington, DC, 2014.
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (UK). Beef Meat Purchasing Guide. Kenilworth, 2016. ahdb.org.uk
- Meat & Livestock Australia. Australian Beef — cuts and cooking methods. www.australianbeef.com.au/know-your-meat/beef-cuts
- McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. 2023. www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart
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