New York Strip Steak

The strip is the same muscle as a ribeye, further back along the spine. Behind the last rib it sheds the fatty cap and the seams that come with it, leaving one clean muscle with a tighter grain. That is the trade: less richness than a ribeye, a more even chew, a more direct beef flavor.

Buy it if

You'd rather have a firm, even bite and clean beef flavor than a ribeye's richness and loose texture.

Where it comes from: the longissimus dorsi in the short loin, behind the last rib. It is the same muscle that becomes a ribeye a few inches forward — except the ribeye carries the spinalis cap and the seams between that cap and the eye, and the strip doesn't. What you get instead is one uniform muscle, edge to edge.

Why it eats differently from a ribeye: fewer muscles and less intramuscular fat make for a finer grain and a firmer, more even chew. A ribeye is richer and looser — some bites are cap, some are eye. A strip is the same bite the whole way across, and the flavor reads cleaner because there is less rendered fat sitting on top of it. Neither is better; they fail in different directions. A strip disappoints by being austere, a ribeye by being greasy.

The fat cap: a band of fat runs along one long edge, with a thin line of connective tissue underneath it. That cap will not render in the time the faces of the steak need, so give it its own sear — stand the steak on that edge in a hot pan for a minute or two before you lay it flat.

Where it turns up under other names: on a T-bone the strip is the large side of the bone and the tenderloin the small one. A porterhouse is the same steak cut further back, where the tenderloin has thickened. That difference is specified rather than marketed: USDA specifications call for at least 1.25 inches of tenderloin at its widest point for a porterhouse, against half an inch for a T-bone.

Where it comes from on the animal

Species	beef
Primal	Loin
Subprimal	striploin (longissimus, short loin)

What else it’s called

ny strip strip steak striploin strip loin new york steak kansas city strip kc strip manhattan cut shell steak contre-filet

How to cook New York Strip Steak

Best methods	Grill Pan sear Reverse sear Broil
Cook to	Medium-rare, 130–135°F. Sear the fat edge on its own first — it won't render in the time the faces need.

New York Strip Steak vs Ribeye

The same muscle at two points along the spine. The ribeye keeps the fatty cap; the strip trades it for an even bite.

	New York Strip Steak	Ribeye
Primal	Loin	Rib
Spinalis cap	None — it ends at the last rib	Wrapped around the eye, and the best part of the steak
Fat	Moderate	Rich
Marbling	Moderate	Highest
When it disappoints	It can read austere	It can read greasy
Best method	Grill or Pan-sear	Grill, Pan-sear or Reverse-sear

Full New York Strip Steak vs Ribeye comparison →

If New York Strip Steak is sold out

Upgrade

Ribeye

The same muscle a few inches forward, carrying the fatty spinalis cap. Richer and looser-grained, and it trades the strip's firm, even chew for marbling.

Cooks like

Bison New York Strip

Bison strip cooks like a leaner beef strip steak.

Common questions

Is a Kansas City strip different from a New York strip?

Usually just the bone — Kansas City strip tends to mean bone-in and New York strip boneless, though the usage is not consistent between regions or between butchers. It is the same muscle either way.

How thick should I buy it?

An inch and a quarter to an inch and a half. Under an inch you cannot build a hard crust before the middle runs past medium-rare. Much over that and the outside overcooks waiting for the center, unless you reverse-sear it.

What is the chewy line along the edge of mine?

The band of connective tissue that sits under the fat cap. It is elastin rather than collagen, so unlike the connective tissue in a brisket it never converts to gelatin — no amount of cooking will soften it. Trim it before cooking or cut it away on the plate.