New York Strip vs. Flank Steak

New York Strip vs. Flank Steak? Which one should you choose? Well, it depends on personal preference. Both cuts of steak are quite different in taste and texture. New York strip steak is a more tender cut of beef and more expensive. In contrast, flank steak is chewier and has a rich beefy flavor. However, both the NY strip and flank steaks are easy to cook.

Choosing a good steak cut for grilling or a lean steak cut for dinner with fewer saturated fats can be overwhelming since most home cooks are not that well familiar with different cuts of steak.

In this article, you’ll learn about each steak cut in more detail. At the end of the article, you’ll find a list of the main differences between them.

What is a Flank Steak

What Part of the Cow Does Flank Steak Come From – Flank steak is a cut from the cow’s lower chest or, more precisely, beef’s abdominal muscles. It’s a long and narrow muscle that is about an inch thick.

How Does it Taste Like – Flank steak has a rich beefy flavor. It lacks marbling, so it’s not as good tasting as the New York strip steak. However, since the meat is chewy, it does need tenderizing to make it less tough. Additional seasoning, like citrus juice, adds an extra layer of flavor to the flank steak.

The Texture of the Steak – Flank steaks are pretty chewy, unlike New York strip steaks. Because it comes from the cow’s belly muscle, it gets quite a lot of exercise. The more worked the muscle is, the tougher muscle fibers become.

How To Cook Flank Steak – The best cooking methods are grilling, braising, pan-frying, and stir fry. Since it’s a tough cut of meat, it’s best to tenderize steak before cooking it.

How Much Does it Cost – Flank steak is an inexpensive steak cut. It comes at around $9 per pound. It’s way cheaper compared to the New York strip.

Where Can You Buy Flank Steak – You can buy flank steak in grocery stores and at butcher counters.

Also Known – Flank steak is known as bavette, jiffy steak, and London broil.

What is a New York Strip Steak

What Part of the Cow Does New York Strip Steak Come From – New York strip steak comes from the short loin behind the rib section. The muscle running through the steak is called the longissimus muscle. It’s a relatively lean muscle because it’s not well worked, unlike the flank cut.

How Does it Taste Like – New York strip has a rich beefy flavor. It has some intermuscular fat and marbling running throughout the steak, adding great flavor to the meat.

The texture of the Steak – NY strip has a fine grain texture which makes it a pretty chewy piece of meat. Although it’s not as tender as ribeye steak or tenderloin steak, it’s quite a bit more tender than the flank steak.

How To Cook NY Strip Steak – The best cooking methods for NY strips are grilling, pan-frying, and broiling. Alternatively, you can try reverse searing the steak and sous vide. Keep in mind the steak is most tender and juicy when cooked medium-rare or medium. Check the steak’s internal temperature every few minutes. Anything more than medium and the meat can become dry and chewy.

How Much Does it cost – New York strip steak is an expensive cut coming at around $13,5/lb to $15,5/lb.

Where Can You Buy Ny Strip Steak – You can buy NY strip steak at a grocery store, local butcher shop, and specialized online store.

Also Known As – theNew York strip is known as ambassador steak, Kansas City steak, country club steak, hotel cut steak, contrefilet, and top loin steak. In Australia and New Zealand, it’s known as porterhouse steak or sirloin.

Flank Steak vs. NY Strip Steak: Main Differences

Here are the main differences between NY Strip and flank steaks:

Flavor and Texture

New York strip steak is a more flavorful cut than flank steak because it contains more marbling and connective tissue. At the same time, the strip steak is more tender because the muscle fibers in the meat are less worked. However, flank steak has an excellent flavor, but it lacks tenderness; therefore, it’s best to tenderize the steak before cooking.

Marbling

NY strip has more marbling compared to flank steak. It makes the strip steak a more flavorful and tender cut.

Cut Type

NY strip comes from the longissimus muscle, while the flank steak comes from the abdominal muscles.

Related articles:

• Porterhouse vs. ribeye;
• Ribeye vs. t-bone;
• Ribeye vs. tenderloin;
• Ribeye vs. New York strip;
• New York strip vs. filet mignon;
• Skirt steak vs. flank steak;
• Skirt steak vs. hanger steak;
• Flat iron vs. flank steak;
• Flat iron steak vs. skirt steak;
• Flat iron steak vs. sirloin;
• Flat iron steak vs. ribeye.

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