How to Cook the Perfect Strip Steak

Every Sunday my husband and I will grill a NY Strip Steak for the two of us — it’s our end of the week treat we both look so forward to! I know grilling can be intimidating, especially for women, but cooking up the perfect steak is WAY easier than you think. I’m breaking down the process step-by-step below to give you confidence at the helm of the grill. Don’t worry if you have to use the stove; I’ve provided steps for cooking in a sauté pan as well. Both methods will create a crispy crust and juicy, tender centers!

Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of cooking a perfect steak:

Prepping:

The prep is *the* most important ingredient to cooking a steak well — one with a charred, seasoned crust and juicy, tender meat inside. Don’t skip these steps!

Choosing the Cut: Opt for NY/KC Strip Steak for its balanced marbling, ensuring juicy flavor without feeling too greasy. This is our go-to for a reason!

Pre-cooking Prep: Take the steak out of the refrigerator ONE HOUR (or truly, at least 30 minutes) before you are going to cook it and let it come to room temperature. I can’t stress this simple step enough! It’s like a warm-up for your steak that will help it perform even better on the grill. You really can’t take it out too early — up to 4 hours early is perfectly fine.

Seasoning: We love to try new steak seasonings but I promise you, all you really need is kosher salt and pepper. Season the steak well on both sides and press the salt and pepper into the steak to help permeate.

Cooking:

For the grill: If you’re using a NY Strip that’s about 1 1/2″ thick, plan to grill for about 8 minutes per side over flames. The key is to cook until the steak is about 135-140 degrees internally, because it will continue to cook once removed from the grill. Take off, tent with foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

On the stove top: If you don’t have access to a grill, I guarantee you can still get a perfectly-cooked steak inside using your stove top:

1. Turn your overhead fan on.
2. Use a deep-sided sauté pan if you have one available. This will help contain oil splatters.
3. Heat a high-heat oil like avocado over medium high heat. The pan and oil should be hot enough that you can’t hold your hand over top!
4. Place your steak in the pan – it should sizzle – and don’t touch! Let it cook for 2 minutes, then carefully flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Turn down the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, tent with foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Whether you’re cooking on the grill or the stove top, expect juicy, tender steaks every time! The prep is *the* most important, so make sure the steak sits out for AT LEAST 30 minutes before cooking… but the longer, the better!

xoxo