New York Strip Vs Sirloin: What’s The Difference?

Steaks are one of the most popular dishes in the United States.

Cooking them perfectly is an art and this means that many of us reserve our steak eating for when we have the opportunity to visit a steakhouse.

A typical steakhouse menu offers several different cuts of steak and it can be tricky to know what each cut is and what is best.

New York Strip and sirloin are two cuts of beef that are often confused. They are both known for their exceptional flavor, tenderness, and versatility.

However, despite their shared reputation for excellence, each cut possesses distinct characteristics that set them apart.

In this article, we will delve into the flavorful world of steak to explore the key differences between New York Strip and Sirloin.

Whether you are looking for the perfect cut to grill at home or want to pick the best option next time you’re at the steakhouse, this article will answer your questions.

Difference Between New York Strip And Sirloin

The main difference between New York Strip and sirloin is where the cut of meat comes from. They’re both beef steaks but come from different parts of the cow.

New York Strip comes from the short loin of the cow.

This part of the animal consists of muscle that has faced minimal stress and has a generous amount of marbling. This makes it a very tender cut of meat.

On the other hand, sirloin comes from the mid-back of the cow. Specifically, it is from between the fore rib, rump, and flank.

Unlike New York Strip, the muscles in this part of the cow are used consistently and this means the meat is lean and has low marbling. Sirloin is a very tender cut of meat that has a very beefy taste.

Other Names For New York Strip

Although New York Strip is the most common name for this cut of meat, it is known by other names as well. You may also see it named Kansas City steak, Strip loin, top loin, and sirloin.

As New York Strip can sometimes be called sirloin, this is where some of the confusion arises.

The steak comes from the short loin of the cow so it is a sirloin steak when sirloin is being used as an umbrella term for any meat from that area of the cow.

However, New York Strip only comes from this single specific part of the cow when other sirloins can be taken from other parts.

Basically, all New York Strip steaks are sirloins, but not all sirloins are New York Strips! 

History Of New York Strip

The name “New York Strip” comes from the popularity of the steak in the New York area.

Many steakhouses and restaurants in New York have offered short loin steaks since the early 1800s and the cut became closely associated with the city.

The origin of the New York Strip has been historically credited to one specific restaurant in New York called Delmonico.

When they first offered the dish, it was known as the Delmonico Steak, but due to the restaurant’s location and the cut being adopted by other restaurants in the area, the name eventually became New York Strip.

History Of Sirloin

The word “sirloin” originally came from the French term surlonge, which means “above the loin.” This word can be further broken down into the words sur “above” and longe “loin.”

This French term was also adopted by Middle English and turned into surloine, which eventually became “sirloin.”

Interestingly, there are many urban myths about where the name came from and why it is used.

The most amusing of these features a King of England knighting a loin of beef and it then being known as Sir Loin.

This story is unlikely to be true as the dates don’t work out, but it may be why the spelling changed from “sur” to “sir.”

Best Way To Cook New York Strip

Although New York Strip can be cooked in the oven, it is at its best when cooked on a grill or in a pan.

To get the best from your New York Strip, we recommend salting your New York Strip with Kosher salt and leaving it an hour to season.

Break this hour down into 30 minutes in the fridge and then 30 minutes to acclimatize back to room temperature.

It depends on the size of the steak, but New York Strip doesn’t need too long on the grill.

If you want your steak to be rare, we recommend around three minutes on each side. For a well-done steak, you will need around seven minutes.

To cook your steaks perfectly, use a meat temperature probe.

You want to remove the steaks just before it hits the optimum temperature as the temperature will continue to rise when they’re off the grill.

With New York Strip, we recommend wrapping the steaks in foil and allowing the steaks to rest for around five minutes before serving.

Best Way To Cook Sirloin

Sirloin is a very versatile steak and it can be cooked in many different ways. You can fry, grill, BBQ, boil, and even slow-cook sirloin if you wish.

In our opinion, sirloin is best cooked in a pan and oven. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a pan that is over medium-high temperature.

When the pan heats up enough to begin to smoke, place your steak into the pan and let it cook on each side for around two to three minutes.

While you’re cooking the second side of the steak, add some butter, thyme, and two cloves of garlic to the pan.

Turn the steak for a third time and let the steak baste in the juices for around one minute.

To finish the steak, place it in the oven for three minutes. Once the three minutes have elapsed, allow the steak to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

New York Strip Vs Sirloin Comparison Table

Nutritional Content Breakdown: Which One Is Healthier?

Let’s take a look at the nutritional content of both New York Strip and sirloin.

The nutritional values are based on a serving size of 3 ounces (85 grams.) Remember, each steak is a little different so you may see little differences in each serving.

Sirloin steak is a relatively lean cut of steak whereas New York Strip is marbled and this is reflected in their nutritional differences.

New York Strip is higher in calories and fat because of this, so if you are on a diet and want a steak that is lower in calories, you should choose sirloin over New York Strip.

They have the same amount of cholesterol and like all red meats, this cholesterol content is quite high. Anyone that is trying to lower their cholesterol should consider avoiding steaks completely.

New York Strip and sirloin have similar amounts of protein and both have zero fiber and sugar. They’re both relatively high in sodium but New York Strip has more sodium per serving than sirloin does.

As for vitamins and minerals, the two cuts of steak have several similarities and differences. They have equal amounts of Vitamin B6 and B12 and very similar levels of iron and zinc.

Red meat is a great source of iron and B vitamins, so if you need more of these in your diet, both New York Strip and sirloin will be a good choice.

Sirloin steak has over twice as much calcium as New York Strip though, so if you need more calcium, opt for sirloin.

Conclusion

In this article, we took an in-depth look at New York Strip steak and sirloin. We explained how the two types of steak differ in their cuts and how this affects how lean and marbled they are.

The difference in marbling also results in different ways to cook the steaks and we gave our recommendations for the best cooking methods for each.