This is a traveling cut, having gained fame as both the New York strip steak and the Kansas City strip steak. It’s also called the boneless loin, and by the French, contre-filet. What’s behind the name is a short loin minus its filet and bone. (It’s possible to find bone-in strip steaks, but both consumers and restaurateurs prefer the boneless version.)
The strip is the second most popular steak house cut, second to tenderloin, in part because it is of a convenient shape and size to cook under a broiler or on a grill, has a great texture—grainy and somewhat chewy—and is very juicy. This steak should be cut 1 to 1½ inches thick.
Broiling is my cooking method of choice. In my conventional gas oven, I broil an inch-thick strip 2 inches from the heat. The steak browns quickly, although I can’t match the fabulous crust the supercharged broilers of a steak house produce. To encourage browning, I always preheat the broiler and coat the steak with oil. While broiling such relatively thin steaks, I usually turn them only once because opening the broiler lowers the temperature and slows the cooking process. I don’t baste either, for the same reason—and because it’s a nuisance.
Conventional wisdom calls for the use of a broiling pan so the fat drains under the metal shield and is protected from the flame, but I find flare-ups are rare when I cook a closely trimmed supermarket steak. So I cover the broiler pan with aluminum foil, which I carefully bundle up and discard after the steak is cooked, thus avoiding the need to clean the broiler pan.
For me, the Best Ever preparation of strip steak comes from my memories of restaurants in Little Italy in Manhattan, where a broiled strip would be served with a more than generous amount of tomato-based sauce. Try my version of Strip Steak with Italian Tomato Sauce. There’s a recipe, too, for strip steak with onions and pimientos from the Palm steak houses. Sometimes the top loin is left intact to be roasted in my Strip Roast with Horseradish Cream Sauce.
The role of Italian-Americans in creating the steak house tradition in this country cannot be overstated. And it was inevitable that they would find ways to combine their tomato sauces from the Old Country with rich and tender American beef. This recipe is my variation on one of the most popular of these combinations, steak pizzaiola. To create an Italian ambiance, set the table with a red-and-white checked tablecloth, serve the steak with a side of spaghetti topped with the pizzaiola sauce, and pour Chianti from a ceramic pitcher.
2 strip steaks (about 12 ounces each), cut 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil 1 strip bacon, diced
¼ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small rib celery, chopped
¼ cup grated carrot
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped, or ¼ teaspoon dried basil
1 can (14½ ounces) plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Pat the steaks dry and lightly coat with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Set aside to come to room temperature.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil with the bacon, onion, garlic, celery, and carrot over low heat in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the steaks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon begins to crisp and the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the basil, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes to reduce the sauce and blend the flavors. Taste and correct seasoning as desired. (The sauce may be made ahead.)
4. Preheat the broiler.
5. Broil the steaks until just browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a simmer, if necessary. Transfer the steaks to the pan with the sauce. Spoon some sauce over the meat, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes at a bare simmer.
6. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Let rest briefly, then cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Spread ¼ cup of the sauce on each of 4 warm plates. Arrange the steak on top of the sauce, spoon additional sauce over the steak, and serve. Pass any remaining sauce at the table.
SERVES 4
Thanks to the tapas boom, Americans are becoming more familiar with Spanish food, and enjoying it in informal settings. Spanish wines, spirits, and cheese are found more readily in markets, too. This recipe makes use of the superb Spanish blue cheese cabrales, sharp and salty yet creamy as well, and the fruity smoothness of fine Spanish brandy. They contrast beautifully with the corn-fed sweetness of a tender strip steak. To expand on the Spanish theme, make a Spanish first-course salad, perhaps shrimp and tomatoes, and a flan for dessert. Pour a red wine such as Torres Coronas or Gran Coronas. Leftover cheese spread can be used on canapés, in omelets, or combined with rice as a filling for stuffed vegetables.
4 ounces blue cheese, preferably Spanish cabrales, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1½ tablespoons brandy, preferably Spanish, such as Carlos I
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons beef broth or water
1 strip steak (about 12 ounces), cut 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1. Combine the cheese, butter, shallots, garlic, brandy, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse 4 or 5 times to mix the ingredients, then process until the mixture is homogeneous, about 30 seconds. You should have about ¾ cup cheese spread. (The cheese spread may be made ahead and refrigerated until needed.)
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Spoon ¼ cup of the cheese spread into a small saucepan. Add the broth and place the saucepan on a turned-off burner or near the stove. Refrigerate all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese spread and save for another use.
4. Rub the steak lightly with oil. Broil the steak until seared and nicely crusted on top, 5 minutes. Turn the steak and broil about 3 minutes more for medium-rare or 4 minutes more for medium. Spread the reserved 1 tablespoon of cheese spread over the top of the steak. Cook until the cheese melts and begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Transfer the steak to a cutting board.
5. Whisk the cheese spread and beef broth together over medium-high heat until smooth and bubbling.
6. Cut the steak into ½-inch-thick slices and divide between 2 warm plates. Spoon the sauce over the steak and serve at once.
SERVES 2
The Palm, the historic Manhattan steak house, sells its prime steaks by mail order in Palm Pak selections (page 232). I once ordered a Palm Pak of strip steaks, and when they arrived, bought an uncooked fresh steak from the restaurant. The frozen and fresh strips were very similar in shape and marbling. When cooked, the fresh steak was a little juicier, but the taste was identical. Investigation over, I went on to prepare and enjoy one of the Palm’s most popular recipes, leaked to me by the Chicago Palm’s genial general manager, John Blandino. Named for a favorite customer, this rich dish calls for a really rich wine such as Piero Antinori’s Tignanello. (Incidentally, if you read the recipe and think, “This could serve a dozen people,” you’re right.)
¼ cup vegetable oil, preferably corn
3 medium onions (about 1½ pounds), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 jar (12 ounces) imported whole pimientos, cut open, seeded, and flattened or cut into large sections
3 strip steaks (about 1 pound each), cut 1½ inches thick, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 slices of white bread, crusts removed, toasted, and cut in half on the diagonal
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted and warm
⅓ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Put the oil and onion slices in a large skillet and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the onions are soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Spread the pimientos over the onions in a single layer. Cover to keep warm. Set aside.
3. Broil the steaks until nicely browned on one side, 3 minutes. Turn, season the browned side with salt and pepper and cook the second side for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn, season, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more for medium-rare or 5 to 6 minutes more for medium. Transfer to a cutting board.
4. Place 2 toast triangles on each of 6 plates. Spoon onions and pimientos over the toast. Carve the steaks into ½-inch-thick slices and place them over the vegetables and toast. Season with salt and pepper, spoon melted butter over the steak slices, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve.
SERVES 6
THE CASE FOR FAT
Fat lubricates meat fibers, making them easier to pull apart, while the flavor compounds that fat carries help stimulate the flow of saliva. Juiciness, food scientists say, comes in two stages: first an initial impression of moistness on biting into the meat, then the actual moisture that is released as you chew. Cut away excess exterior fat, though. It’s not needed for internal flavor; it may cause flare-ups in the broiler or on the grill, and it looks very unappetizing if it reaches the table still attached to the steak. Slash the fat layer around a steak every three-quarter inch because fat shrinks faster than meat and will cause the steak to curl or warp, cook unevenly, and look ugly.
The original Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich doesn’t travel well, according to friends from Philadelphia who devote considerable effort trying to convince people from elsewhere that their city is the gastronomic capital of America. They’re making headway with me, so I won’t replicate the Philly cheese steak (page 31), but offer instead this spicy Chicago creation as casual party fare. Serve it with coleslaw and beer.
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon McCormick’s Barbecue Spice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon minced jalapeño
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into julienne strips
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into julienne strips
4 strip steaks (about 12 ounces each), cut 1 inch thick
8 submarine sandwich rolls, split and much of the interior pulled out
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1. Combine the mayonnaise, barbecue spice, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, jalapeño, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside. (Sauce may be prepared ahead. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.)
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and both bell peppers and sauté until soft and starting to color, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and season vegetables with salt. Set aside.
4. Pat the steaks dry, then coat them with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Broil the steaks until seared and well crusted on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn, season with salt, and cook the second side for 4 minutes more for medium-rare or 5 minutes more for medium. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Do not turn off the broiler.
5. Reheat the vegetables while cutting the steaks crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Spread the barbecue mayonnaise on both sides of each roll. Add the steak slices, top with the vegetables, and sprinkle cheese over all. Place under the broiler, two at a time, until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.
SERVES 8
I have memories—more from the movies than real life, I confess—of a time when maître d’s and captains at hotel dining rooms and supper clubs prepared their specialties at the customers’ tables. A classic from that era is Steak Diane. I took it back into my kitchen, made some changes to rein in the overwhelming presence of Worcestershire, and reemerged with Steak Diane’s more flavorful cousin, which I call Steak Diana. Be sure all the ingredients are measured and close at hand before beginning or the meat will overcook. Serve it with a lush Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Napa Valley. Cuvaison and Silverado are personal favorites.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 strip steaks (about 6 ounces each), cut ½ inch thick
2 tablespoons Cognac
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 small cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dry red wine, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon
½ cup beef broth
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon tomato paste
⅓ cup heavy (or whipping) cream
2. Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter stops bubbling. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the steaks (cook only two at a time if four overcrowds the skillet) and sauté until brown, 2 minutes. Turn and cook 1 minute more for medium-rare or 1½ minutes more for medium.
3. Heat the Cognac in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it boils, remove it from the heat. Carefully light the Cognac with a long kitchen match. In a single smooth motion pour the burning Cognac over the steaks (make sure your hair is tied back and your sleeves are rolled up before you do this). It will flare up momentarily. Gently shake the skillet over the heat until the flames die. Transfer the meat to a warm platter, season with salt and pepper, and place the platter in the oven.
4. Pour off all but ½ tablespoon of the butter and oil from the skillet. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat until softened, about 45 seconds. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze it. Add the broth, Worcestershire, mustard, tomato paste, and the juices that have collected on the meat platter.
5. Turn the heat to high. Whisking to blend the ingredients, boil the sauce to reduce it by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and continue to boil until silken sauce is formed, 2 minutes more.
6. Turn the steaks in the sauce to coat well, transfer to warm plates, and spoon the remaining sauce over. Serve at once.
SERVES 4
This is the centerpiece of a steak dinner to serve to special guests. Instead of being cut into steaks, the top loin is roasted intact, carved, and served with a creamy sauce enlivened with freshly grated horseradish root. A good accompaniment to this dish is More Than Mashed Potatoes (page 207). The wine with this dish should have character. A peppery Châteauneuf-du-Pape will fit the bill.
1 boneless top loin strip roast (about 4 pounds)
Vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¾ cup freshly grated horseradish (see Note)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1½ cups heavy (or whipping) cream
½ cup dry white wine
White pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Rub the strip roast with oil, then sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place the roast, fat side up, on a rack, in a roasting pan. Roast the meat for about 1 hour for medium-rare. Check the inner meat temperature with an instant-read thermometer after 50 minutes. When the meat registers 120° to 130°F in the center, remove it from the oven to rest. (Large roasts, such as this, continue to cook out of the oven and increase in temperature by at least 10°F.) Let the roast rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for at least 5 minutes before carving.
3. While the meat is roasting, prepare the sauce. Combine the horseradish, shallots, mustard, garlic, cream and white wine in a medium - size sauce pan over medium - high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to mix, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is somewhat thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add any juices from the cooked roast that have collected on the cutting board.
4. Carve the roast into ¼-inch-thick slices. Spoon some warm horseradish cream sauce onto each serving plate. Lay 2 slices of the roast beef over the sauce for each serving. Pass any extra sauce separately.
SERVES 8
Note: You can substitute bottled horseradish for fresh. Place it in a strainer and rinse it under water. Press out the excess moisture. The resulting sauce may have a somewhat sharp taste to it due to the vinegar used in processing horseradish.
I reserve steak and eggs for a weekend morning, a time when the pull of the market or the Sunday paper means I don’t want to be in the kitchen much longer than it takes to brew and pour the coffee. Therefore I’ve honed my technique so that with some preparation, I spend no more than five minutes at the stove. Playing short-order cook really wakes me up. I add a few minutes if toast and grits or fried green tomatoes are on the menu. And if wine is in order, I willingly break the red-with-meat commandment and pour Champagne.
1 strip steak (about 12 ounces), cut 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced chives or scallions
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt, to taste
1. While the steak is still cold, slice it horizontally in half to create 2 thin steaks. Trim off all the exterior fat and gristle you can and pat the steak dry. Pound it lightly, in recognition of the hour. Mix 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire, the lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl. Paint this mixture onto both sides of each steak. Set aside.
2. Break the eggs into another bowl, add the chives, milk, and remaining ½ teaspoon Worcestershire and beat lightly. Set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a smaller skillet over low heat. Add the steaks to the larger pan. Cook until one side is browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the steaks and season lightly with salt. Cook 2 minutes more for medium-rare and 3 minutes more for medium.
4. As soon as the steak is turned and salted, turn up the heat under the smaller pan to medium, add the egg mixture, and once the eggs start to set, stir vigorously to scramble them. When scrambled to your liking, remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper and divide between 2 warm plates. Place a steak on each plate, take a deep breath, and serve.
SERVES 2
Here’s an example of how a relatively small amount of leftover steak can be recycled to make several people happy. The amounts given here should satisfy three healthy appetites as a main course or provide a first course for six. The salad is especially nice in summer when there’s a chance fresh garden beets, beans, and corn will be at hand. On a hot day, consider chilling the salad plates and the greens.
6 to 8 ounces cooked strip steak or filet steak
1 small red onion, cut into thin rings
⅔ to ¾ cup (1 ear) cooked corn kernels
4 ounces cooked green beans, cut on the diagonal into strips
2 medium cooked beets, cut into ½-inch cubes
6 cups mesclun (mixed baby greens) or other mixed greens
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra virgin
6 cherry or cocktail tomatoes, halved
1. Cut the steak into 2 × ½-inch strips and set aside.
2. Combine the onion, corn, green beans, beets, and greens in a large salad bowl. Combine the mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Using a whisk or a fork, slowly stir in the lemon juice, then the olive oil. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing to the salad bowl. Toss until the greens and vegetables are well coated.
3. Divide the salad among 3 large or 6 small plates. Arrange the meat slices on top, drizzle the remaining dressing over the meat and garnish the salad with cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.
SERVES 3 AS A MAIN COURSE OR 6 AS A FIRST COURSE
I open the refrigerator and my eyes light up. There, temporarily forgotten, is the famous doggie bag, containing steak brought home from a restaurant meal. I can simply gnaw the meat off the bone or, the better option, recycle it into a salad, a sandwich, or hash. Try one of these recipes with the contents of your next doggie bag (see Index for page numbers): Cold Filet with Monique King’s Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette, Short-Order Steak and Eggs, and Superior Steak Hash, or try this casual and unusual lunch time treat on family or friends. Those not mechanically inclined may want to chop the meat and whisk the sauce by hand. The sauce was taught to me by executive chef Azmin Ghahreman of the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. He uses it with seared tuna.
6 ounces cooked strip steak or sirloin steak, trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons beer
1 teaspoon spicy seasoning, such as Paul Prudhomme’s Cajun Magic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 slices white bread
1 ripe tomato, cut into 4 slices
1. Cut the steak into ½-inch pieces, place in a food processor, and pulse briefly until meat has been reduced to a coarse grind, about 15 pulses. You should have 1 to 1¼ cups. Transfer the meat to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Pour the beer and seasoning mix into the blender. Pulse once, then wait 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and mustard. Combine the olive and vegetable oils in a liquid measuring cup. With the motor running, pour the oils into the blender in a slow, steady stream. Pour the sauce back into the measuring cup. You should have about ½ cup. Taste and, if desired, add more seasoning mix. (Sauce may be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated until needed.)
3. Pour ¼ cup of the sauce into the bowl with the meat and stir to mix. Divide and spread the meat mixture onto 4 slices of bread and place a tomato slice on top. Spread 1 tablespoon of the sauce on each of the remaining bread slices and cover each sandwich. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.
SERVES 4