New York Strip may be called different things, depending on where you are having your steak discussion. You might see it labeled Kansas City Strip, Omaha Strip, Club Steak, and Top Loin Steak.

Strip steaks are boneless center loin steaks with a pleasantly chewy texture and a lot of beefy flavor. All you need to grill them up perfectly is some salt (I like kosher or sea salt) and some freshly ground black pepper. This cut of beef usually comes between 1 and 1 1/2 inches thick, and if you can buy the steaks freshly sliced at a butcher counter, that’s the optimal way to go.

For a delicious grilled dinner in summer, serve your New York strip steaks with Steakhouse Tomato Salad, Grilled Vegetable Kabobs, and Grilled Corn.

How to Buy NY Strip Steaks

If you have a choice and can discuss it with the butcher (and in a perfect world, you should buy it from a butcher — in the ultimate world, you will develop a relationship with that butcher, who might give you the best cuts, and some good steak cooking tips!), try to get a strip steak from the rib end of the tenderloin.

Buy the best grade of beef you can afford. USDA Prime is the top of the range, with only about 2% of the beef in this country earning that label. Prime beef has nice fat marbling throughout, giving beef steaks their incredible flavor, not to mention tenderness. USDA Choice comes after that. Within Choice there are different levels, so once again, it will come back to the conversations you have with your butcher as to what is best behind the meat counter that day. The grade Select is below Choice, and will be leaner still.

A freshly cut steak should be a pretty bright red color and have no dark spots. It will turn a more brownish red as it ages, which doesn’t mean it’s bad, just that it was not cut as recently, and the exposure to oxygen causes the darkening of color. Steer clear of any streaks with an odor that is slightly sour or anything but fresh.

The Perfect Thickness for Grilled New York Strip Steaks

You can grill a steak of any thickness successfully, but there is a sweet spot of thickness. Here are tips for grilling steaks of varying thicknesses:

• I think a 1 1/2-inch thick steak is the perfect thickness for grilling and the most forgiving. You will have the best chance of getting the interior cooked to whatever rosy pink level of doneness you are after (see chart below) and a beautifully caramelized exterior. You can turn 1 1/2-inch thick steaks once during cooking or three times for cross-hatch marks (see more on that below!).
• If you are cooking thinner steaks on the grill, 1-inch or thinner, only flip them once. This allows the outside to sear up before the steaks overcook. Keep the heat fairly high so the outside has a chance to sear before the inside gets too well done.
• If you have steaks that are thicker than 1 1/2 inches, don’t let the grill heat get too high, or the outside of the meat might get too charred before the inside is cooked to your liking. You can also flip these steaks a total of three times as you cook them, turning the steak a quarter turn with every flip. This will result in those tempting cross-hatched grill marks.

How Long to Grill NY Strip Steaks

You want to grill the steaks over direct heat and, ideally, use an instant-read thermometer to check the temp. These times and internal temperatures take into account the resting time: the temperature of the meat will continue to climb by several degrees once the steak is removed from the heat to a cutting board.

Thickness	Doneness	Time
1/2 inch thick	Rare (125 F)	1-2 minutes per side
1/2 inch thick	Medium Rare (130 F)	2-3 minutes per side
1/2 inch thick	Medium (135 F)	3-4 minutes per side
1 inch thick	Rare (125 F)	3-4 minutes per side
1 inch thick	Medium Rare (130 F)	4-6 minutes per side
1 inch thick	Medium (135 F)	6-8 minutes per side
1 1/2 inches thick	Rare (125 F)	5-6 minutes per side
1 1/2 inches thick	Medium Rare (130 F)	6-8 minutes per side
1 1/2 inches thick	Medium (135 F)	8-9 minutes per side

How to Get Perfect Crosshatch Grill Marks

First, make sure you have cleaned the grill well. Place the steaks on the grill on the diagonal, at about a 45-degree angle. Grill for about 4 minutes. Rotate the steaks a quarter turn (90 degrees) so the angle of the steaks on the grill is about 45 degrees in the other direction. You are looking to create a diamond pattern with grill marks.

Flip the steaks and grill them steaks the same way, at a 45-degree angle to the grill bars. After a few minutes turn the steaks another quarter turn (90 degrees) so that the grill marks form the same diamond crosshatch pattern on the other side.

Testing Steaks for Doneness Using the Touch Method

There are plenty of versions of this “is it done?” test available, and I like the way William Rice describes it in The Steak Lover’s Cookbook. Rice says:

It will take some practice to turn the following ritual into a practical skill, but soon the touch-system will be your number-one guide to judging doneness.

William Rice

For Rare

Let one hand hang limp. With the index finger of the other hand push gently into the soft triangle of flesh between the thumb and index finger of the hanging hand. It will offer very little resistance, give way easily, and feel soft and spongy. That is the feel of a rare steak.

For Medium-Rare

Extend the hand in front of you and spread the finger. Press the same spot with the index finger of the other hand. The flesh will be firmer but not hard, springy, and slightly resistant. This is the feel of medium-rare steak.

For Medium

Make a fist and press the spot. It will feel firm and snap back quickly, offering only a minimum of give, as does meat cooked to medium.

He concludes with, “No need for further comparison. Cook your steak any more, and it will be a lost cause.”

How Long Will Strip Steak Last

You can keep an uncooked strip steak wrapped in its original packaging in the fridge for 4 or 5 days if you’ve purchased it from a place with high turnover and fresh meat (which, of course, you should always do!).

If you plan to freeze the steaks, remove them from their packaging the day you buy them, then wrap them well in plastic wrap and slide the wrapped steaks into freezer-proof zipper top bags. Press out any excess air, then seal and freeze for up to 9 months. Make sure to label the package with the name and date.

Leftover cooked steak can be eaten within 4 days, as long as it was cooked when it was quite fresh.

Steak Portions

You should plan on about 5 to 6 ounces of strip steak per person. More if you know you have big eaters or hungry steak lovers!

A strip steak often weighs about 10 ounces or so, and one steak will feed 2 people. You can serve half of a steak on a plate or slice the steaks and plate them attractively on a serving platter or individual plates. Once the steak is nicely sliced and plated on a serving platter or individual plates, that will look like a very ample portion.

What to Serve With New York Strip Steak

Besides pairing the steaks with the perfect sides, you can also think about topping them with a flavored or compound butter, as pictured above and below!

Summer Corn, Tomato, and Bacon Salad

Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad

How to Grill Potatoes

More Grilled Steak Recipes

• Soy-Ginger Flank Steak
• Marinated Petit Filets
• Pepper-Mustard Strip Steaks
• Strip Steak Diane