New York strip steak is a tender cut with a marvelous fatty edge and deep, beefy flavor. For perfect results, sear it in a cast-iron skillet and finish it in the oven. You'll get a gorgeous crusty exterior and a juicy interior, just like in a steakhouse.
Every time I order a New York strip at a good steakhouse, I'm in awe. It always comes out perfect, with a thick, delicious crust and juicy meat. The secret is to cook it in two stages. First, sear the steak in a hot cast-iron skillet. Then finish cooking it in the oven. That's how they do it in restaurants, and that's how you should do it at home.
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
- New York steak: Either USDA choice or (better yet) USDA prime. It should be about 1 inch thick.
- To season: Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Butter: To finish the steak. Steakhouses almost always top your hot steak with butter and allow it to melt into the steak. This greatly enhances its flavor.
Variations
Steaks are typically minimally seasoned with just salt and pepper. You want the meat to shine through, especially when using high-quality beef.
Having said that, if you feel like adding a pinch of additional spices (such as garlic powder and smoked paprika), you could. Just keep in mind that they'll char in the hot cast iron skillet, so you'll likely end up with blackened steak. So, if you add spices, sear the steak for just 1 minute per side and increase the time it spends in the oven.
Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:
Preheat your oven to 500°F. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot, 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of the steak with kosher salt and black pepper.
Place the steak in the hot skillet. Cook, without moving, for 2 minutes on each side, creating a nice crust. Then, cook the fat strip for 30 more seconds.
Using oven mitts, transfer the skillet to the hot oven. Roast the steak to medium rare, 3-4 minutes. For medium, roast for 4-5 minutes. Place the steak on a plate and loosely cover it with foil. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then top it with butter and serve.
Recipe Tips
Cooking a Thin Steak
If your steak is thin (about ½-inch thick), you can simply pan-fry it, cooking it for 2 minutes per side in a hot cast-iron skillet. That's what I do when I make steak and eggs for breakfast. Even if your steaks are thicker but you like them rare, you could simply pan-fry them for 3-4 minutes per side plus 1 minute on the fat strip.
Skip the Oil
If you use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, there's no need to add oil. When it's well-seasoned, it's completely nonstick. For any other skillet, add any fat that can withstand high-heat cooking, such as avocado oil or ghee.
Trimming the Steak
How trimmed you want your steaks is up to you. I love the fat cap on these steaks and always try to choose ones that are not overly trimmed. In the photo below, one of the steaks has a thicker fat cap than the other, although both look good. I find it sad when I see a steak with a super thin, over-trimmed fat cap!
Dealing with Connective Tissue
NY strip steak sometimes has a ribbon of tough and chewy connective tissue that runs between the meat and the fat cap. It's best to choose cuts that don't have it, but this is not always possible. The steaks I made today had this ribbon, but thankfully, it was thin and manageable, as shown in the photo below:
Recipe FAQs
Not necessarily. A cold center allows you to sear the steak well, creating a beautiful crust while keeping it medium rare, as shown in the image below. If you bring a steak to room temperature before cooking, it often ends up medium, which is a bit too done for my personal taste.
I don't recommend cooking from frozen. It's best to thaw the steak in the fridge overnight before cooking it.
A cast-iron pan is best for this recipe (and also for ribeye steak) because it gets super hot and stays super hot. It's the best way to make sure you get that wonderful crust on your steak.
Serving Suggestions
I never serve starches with a good steak. I feel that the meat should be the star of the show. So, I serve it with a small salad such as tomato salad, arugula salad, or cucumber tomato salad.
Other good sides for steak include mashed cauliflower, roasted carrots, caramelized shallots, and sauteed kale.
Storing Leftovers
Steak is best when served freshly cooked, but leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
However, instead of reheating them and risking overcooked meat, I like to slice the leftovers and add them cold to a steak salad or use them in a lettuce sandwich (slice them thinly if you use them in a sandwich and remove the fat).
You can also freeze the completely cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Card
Easy New York Strip Steak
Video
Ingredients
- 1 New York strip steak - 8 ounces, 1-inch thick
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- ½ tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot, 5-7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blot the steak dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Place the steak in the hot skillet. Cook, without moving, for 2 minutes on each side. This will create a nice crust. Cook the fat strip for 30 more seconds.
- Using oven mitts, transfer the skillet to the hot oven. Roast the steak for 3-4 minutes for medium rare (135°F) or 4-5 minutes for medium (145°F). Check with an instant-read thermometer to make sure the steak is done to your liking. If not, keep it in the oven until it is. See the notes below about timing.
- Place the steak on a plate. Loosely cover it with foil. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then top it with butter and serve.
Notes
- If you have a smoke alarm near your kitchen, open your kitchen windows and run your range hood fan on high.
- There's no need to bring the steak to room temperature. A cold center lets you sear the steak well, creating a beautiful crust while keeping it medium-rare. However, I don't recommend cooking from frozen. It's best to thaw the steak in the fridge overnight before cooking it.
- The cook times suggested here are a guideline. Many variables can affect how long you'll need to cook the steak, including your stove (electric stoves get hotter than gas ones, for example), the skillet you use, your steak's initial temperature, and its thickness. There's no escaping the need to adjust recipes to what happens in your own kitchen.
- The CDC recommends cooking steaks to 145°F with a rest time of three minutes.
- If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, carbon steel and stainless steel skillets are good options, though not as good as cast-iron. If you don't have those, use what you have, but adjust your expectations - you will only get a good sear on the steak with the right tool. Don't use a nonstick pan - you can't get those hot enough to sear a steak.
- If you're not using a pre-seasoned cast-iron skillet, add a tablespoon of avocado oil or clarified butter. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering - for about 3 minutes - before adding the steak.
- To finish the steak in the oven, if the skillet isn't oven-proof, carefully transfer the steak to a rimmed baking sheet that can handle a temperature of 500°F (or preheat the oven to 450°F). Place the baking sheet in the oven to preheat so that when you put the steak on it, it's not cold.
- If you like steaks and cook them often, I highly recommend getting a pre-seasoned cast-iron skillet like this for $20. It's great for many recipes, not just steaks.
- Steak is best when served freshly cooked, but you can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Instead of reheating them and risking overcooked meat, I slice the leftovers and add them cold to a salad. However, if you wish, you can reheat the leftovers, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
Nutrition per Serving
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Denise says
Perfect recipe! Thank you
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Denise! Glad you liked it.
Michelle Hilliard says
The steak came out perfect! Me and my nephew really enjoyed it! I will use the method again. I’ve subscribed! Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Michelle! I'm so glad this was a success. Thank you very much for becoming a subscriber! I hope you'll enjoy my newsletters.