What Is Boneless Top Loin Steak?

A Guide to Buying and Cooking Boneless Top Loin Steak

Boneless Top Loin

The Spruce / Lindsay Kreighbaum 

The boneless top loin steak might just be the most famous steak—but not by this name. We see it more commonly labeled as a strip steak or New York strip, and it's one of the most popular steaks in restaurants and grocery stores. As the name implies, the top loin steak comes from the top portion of the short loin primal cut, which runs from the cow's last rib to the top of the leg bone. Though not as tender as cuts from the tenderloin, the top loin steak can be a great combination of the flavor of a rib-eye steak and the tenderness of a filet mignon. This is a versatile cut of meat but is best when cooked quickly over high heat.

What Is Boneless Top Loin Steak? 

The top loin steak is similar to the sirloin steak but with the bone and tenderloin removed. It is from a part of the cow where the muscle does very little work, so the meat is nice and tender. Generally, this cut will be less expensive than the superior sirloin steak, but you should do a cost per pound comparison to avoid being overcharged; if the price per pound is the same or close to that of the sirloin, you are better off going with the sirloin steak.

How to Cook Boneless Top Loin Steak

Because of the balance of tenderness and flavor, this steak can be cooked virtually any way you want—as long as it is hot and fast. Great grilled, this steak is also perfect in a very hot cast iron pan. Either way, remove the steak from the fridge about 30 minutes beforehand; salt well but season lightly since a good version of this steak needs very little help when it comes to flavor. Preheat the grill or skillet to very high heat, add the steak and cook a few minutes a side (4 to 6 minutes total for medium rare).

What Does Boneless Top Loin Steak Taste Like?

A boneless top loin steak has a nice, beefy flavor and a pleasant texture. It is important to note, however, that depending on the top loin's grade, source, and amount of marbling, a top loin steak can either be wonderful or very mediocre. The New York strip can be an "in-between steak," so look for a high number of fine lines of fat inside the meat portion (white flecks through the meat of the steak itself); it is the fat that gives the steak a better flavor.

Boneless Top Loin Steak Recipes

If you've brought home a nicely marbled piece of meat, there's not much you need to do to it when it comes to preparation and cooking—some light seasoning, a quick turn on the grill, and maybe a little flavorful topping to finish it off.

Where to Buy Boneless Top Loin Steak

It should not be hard to find a boneless top loin steak at your supermarket or butcher, but this cut of meat may be labeled under a variety of names. In addition to New York strip or strip steak, top loin can also be called ambassador steak, boneless club steak, hotel-style steak, Kansas City steak, strip loin steak, veiny steak, and Chateaubriand (by some American butchers).

How to Store Boneless Top Loin Steak

If you are not going to cook your top loin steak right away, you can store it in the refrigerator where it will stay fresh for three to five days. For longer storage, remove the meat from the store packaging and wrap well in plastic wrap, making sure there is no air between the meat and the wrapping. The steak will last in the freezer for up to a year.

Boneless Top Loin
The Spruce / Hugo Lin