Ahh, New York Strip…probably my 2nd favorite cut of meat next to the T-Bone. One question I see a lot is, “why do they call it a New York Strip Steak?” Basically, a New York Strip Steak is a strip steak, and depending upon the reagion it is mostly served, that’s how it gets its name. You may have seen a Kansas City Strip Steak…it’s the same strip of meat.

If you want to know how to cook a new york strip steak to perfection, then look no further! If you’re doing it on a grill, I actually went back to a charcoal from a gas grill. Yes, they take a bit more, but for me, the taste is much better, and there seems to be less flare-ups with the charcoal over the gas. This leads to a slower cook, but you can control your “level of doneness” a little better.  As for your New York Strip Steak, if you can afford to, get a USDA Prime cut. It will cost a bit more, but as they say, “you get what you pay for”. I’ll explain how to grill a New York Strip Steak, how to cook a New York Strip Steak on the stove and oven, and how to broil a New York Strip Steak.

Ok, here we go…

• About an hour before it’s ready to cook, take it out of the fridge to get it up to room temperature. Beef will actually cook more evenly if it is at room temperature.

• If you’re cooking this on a grill, pre-heat it about 15-20 minutes, getting it nice and hot. If you’re using a charcoal grill, make sure you have an area in the grill with not much coals underneath…I’ll explain later. With a gas grill, have a couple of burners on close to full and a couple of them about half way.

• If you’re cooking on a stove, start off by preheating your oven to about 350 degress. Next, take your pan (I recommend using a cast iron pan) and preheat that for about 15 minutes.
• If you’re broiling it, preheat oven to 375 degrees. When broiling, keep door slightly ajar to let a little heat escape.
• Next, rub some vegetable oil or even olive oil, if you prefer, on the beef. This will prevent any sticking to the grill or pan. It will also help your spices stick to the meat a little better.

• This step can be approached a variety of different ways according to your taste:

You can season the steak with just a little salt and pepper with possibly a splash of worcestershire sauce on each side, or…
You can get a little more creative, and check out some of the spices I get from a local shop in town called Galena Garlic Company. This place has tons of different spices to satisfy ever taste out there. Some of my favorites to use for steak is Papa Lazslo’s Steak Seasoning,  Grill Master, Galena Garlic Blend, or Galena Garlic Hot Blend. Let these spices soak in for the hour it is out.

• OK, when the grill is ready, put steak on and let cook about 4 minutes on one side, flip it, then 4 minutes on the other side. Make sure not to flip it more than once. Move it to the spot of the grill with no coals underneath, and let sit about another 3 minutes. All ready to eat!
• For the stove, basically follow same directions, and when done one each side, put in oven for about 3 minutes.
• For broiling, again follow same directions above, and use vented broiler pan to cook steaks.  Allow to cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

If you are unsure if it is done to your liking, just remember 140-145 degrees is medium rare for a steak, 160 is medium, and 170 is well done.