Personally, I am a big foodie and I love all kinds of food including pizza, tacos, spaghetti, chicken in all forms, and so on. However, a good steak has a special place on my list of foods, and today I am going to talk about high-quality steaks.
One of the most popular cuts of steak is definitely New York Strip and Sirloin steak. Both NY Strip Steak and Sirloin Steak are flavorful, juicy, and tender and they are quite affordable as well.
No wonder why so many people tend to enjoy them.
However, although very similar, not so many people know the differences between New York Strip vs Sirloin.
So, if you are wondering which type of steak is better for you, many things will be clearer after reading this interesting and instructive article.
Let’s take a look.
New York Strip Vs Sirloin: Get To Know Them
Before I head to the main point of this article, i.e. the main differences between New York Strip vs Sirloin, It is important that you learn more about both of these wonderful and delicious steaks. Let’s see what these cuts of meat have to offer.
New York Strip Steak
I will begin with the popular New York Steak. First, you have to know that this is the cut of beef, i.e. the NY Strip Steak comes from beef meat. It is a cut taken from the top sirloin behind the ribs.
This area of the cow is also known as the short loin and it has some marbling. That is why NY Strip Steak is a tender cut that is quite flavorful when cooked the right way.
This cut of beef belongs to the group of cuts known as sirloins, also called shell steaks.
They have a few other names as well, so you can sometimes see the names like “strip loin” or “club steak” at the butcher shop or at your local grocery store or supermarket where they are mostly sold boneless.
If you find the same cut of beef with bone-in, it is not called a NY Strip Steak anymore but rather Kansas City Steak also known as Kansas City Strip steak.
If you are a fan of steaks, you have probably eaten Ribeye steak or Porterhouse steak. I am saying this because they are also strip loin steaks and they are quite similar to our NY Strip Steak.
However, a NY Strip Steak is a little bit leaner, but it is still quite flavorful and tender.
Porterhouse Steak is actually the same type of steak with the attached bone and a portion of the tenderloin. It is also known as a t-bone steak.
All in all, we can conclude that the NY Strip Steak is an amazing cut of beef that is actually a boneless center loin cut with a great beef flavor and a really fine texture.
Sirloin Steak
Sirloin steak, as the name suggests, is the cut of beef from the sirloin area that finds its place between the last rib bone and the hips. Unlike NY Strip Steak, there are actually two types of sirloin steaks.
One cut comes from the section known as the top sirloin and the other one comes from the bottom sirloin.
The whole area is known as a “sirloin subprimal”.
However, if you want more tender meat, you will choose top sirloin steak which, of course, comes from the top sirloin subprimal area.
The bottom area, from which the bottom sirloin comes, is a tougher area, so the bottom steak is not so tender. Because of that, people prefer the top sirloin, but they also have to pay a bigger price for it.
However, if your intention is to buy bottom sirloin, you have to know that it is sold as the Tri-Tip, Sirloin Bavette/Flap, and Petite Sirloin/Ball Tip.
All in all, a sirloin cut is not the best cut of beef meat out there and there are some better cuts like Filet Mignon and Porterhouse, but it is a decent one for sure – especially considering its affordable price.
See Also: 7 Biggest Differences Between Sirloin Vs Filet + The Final Verdict
New York Strip Vs Sirloin: Steaking Them Apart
Differentiating New York strip and sirloin is similar to finding the differences between a salad fork and a dinner fork. They are practically the same thing, almost the same in appearance, and come from the same material, but their final purpose is different.
So let’s see what that exactly means.
1. Texture
I will start with the texture. The textures of these two cuts are quite similar since both cuts have fairly tender textures and that makes them so desirable.
However, there are differences in their levels of tenderness.
Well, since NY Strip comes from the area of the cow that is more soft and tender, consequently, it also has a quite tender texture.
On the other hand, Sirloin comes from the area known as the sirloin subprimal and there are top and bottom sirloins based on the part of the sirloin subprimal.
This area is a little bit tougher than the previous one where the NY strip comes from, so the texture of the meat is less tender as well.
The sirloin has a little less tender texture than the NY Strip and that is the main difference between these two cuts when it comes to texture.
If you really want to eat more tender meat, but you don’t have a choice but to choose sirloin, it is better to choose top sirloin because it has more tender meat than bottom sirloin.
2. Flavor
When it comes to the flavor profile, there is no doubt that the NY Strip steak is quite flavorful. However, the question is whether it is more flavorful than sirloin.
Well, yes it is. It is more flavorful than sirloin and it has a stronger beef flavor. This is mainly due to the fat cap on the back of the cut.
Namely, when you cook a NY Strip steak, that cap of fat provides it with more flavor.
But, what about sirloin? Is this type of steak flavorful? Well, it can not be said that it isn’t flavorful, but it is a really lean cut that doesn’t have that much fat content that can give it flavor fullness like it is the case with NY Strip steak.
So, when cooking sirloin, you often need to add some type of fat that will give it the needed flavor. But, more about that in the “cooking methods” that are explained below.
3. Marbling
I mentioned a few facts about the fat content of both NY Strip and sirloin in the previous paragraph. And you were able to find out that NY Strip has a fat cap running along its back giving it an extra dose of flavor when cooked the right way.
However, although it doesn’t have that specific cap of fat on the back, the sirloin fat content isn’t multiplied by zero. Sirloin also has some amount of fat, but that fat is concentrated inside the meat itself.
All in all, both the NY strip and the sirloin have some marbling, but the fat of the NY strip is concentrated on its back and, the sirloin fat is concentrated inside the meat.
If you ask me, it is much better to use the cut with fat outside the meat, i.e. the NY Strip Steak because you don’t have to use any additional fat to give the needed flavor. The fat on the back will do the trick.
4. Cooking Methods
And, here is the part that, I am sure, you all have been waiting for. The main point of knowing the differences between these two cuts is to know how to properly use them in the cooking process.
So, I have to say that both of these steaks are known for their versatility, but one of them is more suitable for one cooking process and the other one is more suitable for some other cooking methods.
NY Strip steak is suitable for the quick cooking process, for example, you can quick-sear it.
You can cook it in a cast iron skillet, but you just have to make sure that it is cooked from medium rare to medium. You can stir-fry it and a pan-fried NY Strip steak is a yummy option too.
The main reason for this is the marbling on its back that protects it from drying out on higher heat and makes sure that its natural flavors come forward.
Sirloin, on the other hand, isn’t that lucky to possess the fat on its back. Because of that, it doesn’t like high heat, so it is more suitable for slow cooking methods like slow roasting or braising.
When cooking it, you should not cook sirloin past medium doneness because it can easily dry out.
Also, it is not a bad idea to add some herbs and seasonings to your sirloin steak when cooking it in order to compensate for the lack of flavor.
You can use garlic, butter, and various other seasonings of your preference.
I usually use it to make one of my favorite dishes from Asian cuisine, panang curry or red curry.
5. Is A New York Strip Steak More Expensive Than A Sirloin?
And, finally, there is a difference between the prices of New York City Steak vs Sirloin.
Although people like to eat quality meat, they don’t want to buy too expensive cuts. Because of that, many people who are searching for cuts from the sirloin area tend to ask the question “Is a NY Strip steak more expensive than a sirloin?”.
And the answer is “Yes, a NY Strip steak is more expensive than a sirloin”. If you want to eat a tender and juicy cut of NY Strip, you will have to pull around $15 per pound out of your pocket.
On the other hand, sirloin steak is a little bit cheaper, costing around $8-$12 per pound. Usually, a top sirloin steak costs more than a bottom sirloin steak.
FAQs
What Cut Is A New York Strip?
New York Strip is a cut of meat that comes from the top part of the short loin behind the rib section of the cow. More precisely, it comes from the so-called longissimus muscle, which is considered a soft muscle of the cow because it does not suffer great stress.
Consequently, the cuts that come from that muscle are quite tender and they are also very juicy when cooked the right way.
Is A New York Strip Steak Better Than A Sirloin Steak?
Both the NY Strip and the sirloin are great cuts of meat if you know how to prepare and cook them properly. However, a NY Strip steak is considered better because it is more tender and it is also more flavorful due to the marbling on its back.
It is also fairly lean, so it has all the characteristics of a great steak that can be suitable for everybody’s taste.
How Can You Use the NY Strip And Sirloin Steak?
Both the New York Strip and sirloin can be used in various ways.
The NY Strip is very tender and flavorful so it can be consumed on its own. Aside from that, it can also be used for roll meat recipes, as well as for tacos and salads.
Sirloin, on the other hand, is a more versatile cut. It can be used in various dishes such as Asian stir-fries, and beef braciole, as well as a classic Texas breakfast of eggs and fried steak.
Top sirloin steak is more tender than bottom sirloin, so it can be used as an appetizer, and it can also be marinated for long periods of time. It is more suitable for salads, sandwiches, and tacos, as well as stir-fries.
New York Strip Vs Sirloin Summary
There are various delicious types of steaks out there including brisket, ribeye steak, filet mignon skirt steak, as well as its substitutes, and many others. However, one of the most popular steaks is the New York Strip steak and sirloin steak.
Although they are very similar and come from a similar area of the cow, there are some differences between a New York Strip vs sirloin.
To sum things up, the NY Strip is more tender than sirloin because it is cut from the softer area of the beef. It is leaner than sirloin, but it has marbling along its back, contrary to sirloin whose fat is concentrated inside the meat.
Because of the fat on its back, we can safely say that the NY Strip is also more flavorful than sirloin. When it comes to cooking, the NY Strip is more suitable for quick cooking methods and the sirloin is better if cooked slowly.
And finally, if you want to buy one of these steaks, you will have to pay around $15 for a NY Strip and around $8-$12 for a sirloin steak.
