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NY strip

A NY strip is a steak from the strip loin, just behind the rib in the middle of the steer's back. It is mostly the longissimus, the same muscle as the eye of a ribeye. It is a step below filet mignon in tenderness and cooks best with dry heat: grilling, pan-searing or broiling.

By Gene · Updated November 12, 2026

Illustration of a raw NY strip steak with a band of fat along one edge

Where does the NY strip come from?

The NY strip is cut from the strip loin, just behind the rib in the middle of the back. The ribeye comes from the rib section right in front of it. A strip steak is mostly the longissimus, the same muscle that forms the eye of a ribeye. The ribeye adds the spinalis, its cap, which the strip does not have.

What else is a NY strip called?

You will also see it sold as New York strip, Kansas City strip or top loin steak. The name changes from store to store, but the cut is the same.

How tender is a NY strip?

It is a step below filet mignon. A ranking of beef muscles by shear force, the force it takes to cut through a cooked sample, puts the tenderloin in its most tender group and the strip below it. Slice it across the grain so each bite has short fibers.

How should you cook a NY strip?

Use dry heat: grilling, pan-searing or broiling. Steaks thinner than about 1 to 1½ inches cook through in about the time it takes to sear, so a hot pan or grill is enough. Thicker steaks do better with a reverse sear or a two-zone fire. Try your exact steak in the planner below.

Plan your ny strip

Raw salted steak on a wire rack. Step 1: Ready to cook

Step 1 of 5

Ready to cook

Salt the steak at least 40 to 45 minutes ahead, or up to overnight uncovered in the fridge, then pat it dry. A wet surface steams before it browns.

Pull at
120 to 125°F
Final center
130°F
Rest
5 to 10 min
Cut
1½″
Doneness

Red center that has turned opaque and started to firm up.

Method

About 8 to 14 minutes in the pan for a 1½″ steak (America's Test Kitchen, Serious Eats).

Stoves and grills vary, so cook to temperature: insert an instant-read thermometer from the side into the center of the thickest part.

Common questions

Is a NY strip the same as a ribeye?

No. Both are mostly the longissimus muscle, but the ribeye is cut from the rib and the strip from the strip loin just behind it. The ribeye also carries the spinalis, the cap, which the strip does not.

What else is a NY strip called?

Strip steak is also sold as New York strip, Kansas City strip or top loin steak.

Is a NY strip more tender than filet mignon?

No. Filet mignon is more tender. A ranking of beef muscles puts the tenderloin's muscle in its tender group and leaves the strip's out, and America's Test Kitchen rates the strip a step below the tenderloin.

Keep reading

Sources

Every fact on this page is checked against at least two independent sources. How we check facts.

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