Perfect New York Strip Steak

New York strip steak is amazing. It's nice and tender and it has a marvelous fatty edge and a beefy flavor.

So how to cook it? Sear it in a hot cast-iron skillet, then finish it in the oven. You'll get a deep brown crusty exterior and a juicy interior, just like in a steakhouse.

Two New York strip steaks served on a cast-iron skillet.

Every time I order a steak at a good steakhouse, I'm in awe. It always comes out perfect - a thick delicious crust on the outside, super juicy medium-rare meat on the inside.

How do they do it? The secret is to cook the steak in two stages. First, sear it in a super-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 to achieve perfect results.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Instructions
Expert tips
Trimming the steak
Dealing with connective tissue
Frequently asked questions
Variations
Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
Related recipes
Foodie Newsletter
Recipe Card
Comments

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients for this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

New York strip steak: Either USDA choice or (better yet) USDA prime. It should be about 1 inch thick. If you'd rather cook a ribeye steak, check out this recipe for ribeye steak.
To season: Kosher salt and black pepper.
Butter: To finish the steak. Steakhouses almost always top your hot steak with some butter and allow it to melt into the steak. It greatly enhances its flavor.

The ingredients needed to cook a New York Steak.

Instructions

Cooking steakhouse-quality New York strip steak at home is not difficult. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees 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, 2 minutes on each side. This will create 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 4-5 minutes.
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.

A six-photo collage showing the steps for cooking a New York strip steak.

Expert tips

If your steak is thin (about ½-inch thick), you can simply pan-fry it. Cook it for 2 minutes per side in a hot cast-iron skillet. Even if your steaks are thicker but you like them on the rare side, you could simply pan-fry them for 3-4 minutes per side plus 1 minute on the fat strip.
If you use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, there's no need to add oil to the pan. 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 purely up to you and a personal choice. I love the fat cap on these steaks and always try to choose ones that are not too trimmed.

You can see in the photo here how one of the steaks has a thicker fat cap than the other, although both look good. Personally, I find it quite sad when I see a steak with a super thin, over-trimmed fat cap.

Level of trimming of the fat cap in New York steaks.

Dealing with connective tissue

New York strip steaks sometimes have a ribbon of tough and chewy connective tissue which 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 do have this ribbon, but thankfully, it's quite thin and manageable:

Frequently asked questions

Where does the New York strip come from?

This steak comes from the top part of the short loin. This area of the animal doesn't get worked, which is why this cut is so tender. Its meat is relatively lean with just a little marbling, but it does have a delightful fatty strip on one of its edges.

Should I remove the steak from the fridge ahead of time?

No, that's unnecessary. I like my steaks medium-rare. A cold center allows me to sear the steak really well, creating a beautiful crust, and still keep it medium-rare.

I have found that when I bring a steak to room temperature prior to cooking it, it often ends up medium-done, which is not bad, but a bit too done for my personal taste.

Can I use a frozen steak?

I don't recommend cooking from frozen. It's best to thaw the steak in the fridge overnight before cooking it.

Which skillet is best for cooking steaks?

A cast-iron pan is best for this recipe because it gets super hot and stays super hot. It's the best way to ensure you get that wonderful crust on your steak.

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 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.

If you do add spices, you might want to sear the steak for just 1 minute per side and increase the time it spends in the oven.

Serving suggestions

With a good cut such as a New York strip, the meat should be the star of the show. I never serve starches with a good steak. Instead, I serve it with a small salad such as this simple tomato salad, this arugula salad, or cucumber tomato salad.

Other good sides include roasted carrots, caramelized shallots, and sauteed kale.

Storing leftovers

Steak is best when served freshly cooked. But you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.

Rather than reheat them and risk overcooked meat, I like to slice the leftovers and add them to a steak salad or use them in a lettuce sandwich (slice them very thinly if you use them in a sandwich and remove the fat).

But you can also reheat the leftovers gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.

Two New York steaks served on a cast-iron skillet and topped with butter.

I send out a weekly newsletter with a recipe and tips. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe today! You can unsubscribe at any time.

Recipe Card

4.99 from 109 votes

Save this Recipe Pin Recipe Print Recipe

To cook a New York strip steak, sear it on both sides in a hot skillet, then transfer it to the oven to finish cooking. That's how steakhouses do it!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Rest time5

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: steak

Calories: 488kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

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, 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. 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 to medium rare, 3-4 minutes. For medium, roast for 4-5 minutes.
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.

Tried this recipe? Please help others by .

Video

Notes

Steak Temperature

There's no need to bring the steak to room temperature before cooking it. A cold center allows you to 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 CDC recommends cooking meat thoroughly.

What Skillet to Use

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 to the skillet to help prevent sticking. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering - for about 3 minutes - before adding the steak.

To finish it in the oven, if the skillet isn't oven-proof, you'll need to 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 excellent for many recipes, not just steaks.

Storing Leftovers

Steak is best when served freshly cooked, but you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Instead of reheating them and risking overcooked meat, I like to slice the leftovers and add them to a salad. But you can also reheat the leftovers gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.

Subscribe! I send out a weekly newsletter with a recipe and tips. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe today! You can unsubscribe at any time.

Nutrition per Serving

Perfect New York Strip Steak

Ingredients

Instructions

Expert tips

Trimming the steak

Dealing with connective tissue

Frequently asked questions

Variations

Serving suggestions

Storing leftovers

Recipe Card