What is the difference between a Ribeye and a NY Strip Steak? Juicy tenderness versus bold flavor. Discover the ultimate steak battle!
When you walk into a grocery store with the word “steak” on your shopping list, how do you decide which steak to choose? Let’s decide between two very common cuts of steak: New York Strip vs. ribeye.
New York strip vs. ribeye
Ribeye and NY Strip are known for their tender texture and delicious flavor, so what could be different? The two cuts of steak differ for three main reasons:
- Nutritional Content
- Sensitivity
- flavor profile
Let’s break down these key differences that can help you choose which cut of meat to buy.
New York Strip vs. Ribeye: Nutrition
Calories in 4 oz servings of two steaks
- 4 oz New York Strip: 263 kcal, 23 g protein, 0 g carbs, 17 g fat
- 4 oz Ribeye Steak: 204 kcal, 20 g protein, 0 g carbs, 28 g fat
Nutritional information is from the USDA database.
similarities
Both types of steaks offer high-quality nutrients to our body. While they differ most in fat content, they share many similarities. These steaks are high in vitamin B12 and iron too! These are two nutrients that are most easily found in meat.
B12 vitamin
B12 is a vitamin that helps our brain, blood, and nerve cells stay healthy! It is important in our growth and development, as well as being a large part of the creation of DNA.
B12 is so important because as we age, it keeps our brains healthy and thriving. It ensures that we do not have cognitive decline and that we continue to have the energy we need to do the things we love!
Iron
Now that we know about vitamin B12, let’s move on to our other important nutrient, iron. Iron is important in all foods found, but the best source of iron is meat products. If you eat the same amount of iron, but one comes from spinach and the other from a New York Strip, your body will absorb more iron from the steak!
That seems very strange, but it is because there are two types of iron: heme iron and non-heme iron. Non-heme iron comes from plants. Heme iron comes from meat and is more available to our bodies. This basically means we get more out of it!
Iron is essential for our body because it transfers oxygen throughout the body. Helps with many important bodily functions. Iron is important for the health of our heart and brain, so the fact that we can absorb it more easily is very important.
To give you an idea of how much iron is in beef…it has 4 times more iron than is found in chicken and other types of meat!
New York Strip Nutrition (4 oz serving)
We talked about some of the important micronutrients, so now let’s talk about the macronutrients! You may hear the word “macros” a lot, especially if you work in the fitness industry. The three macronutrients are protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
While counting macros isn’t important for everyone, there may be some benefits for people trying to gain or lose weight, gain muscle, or for certain health conditions. Counting macros is different from counting calories because instead of counting calories, you’re trying to reach a certain amount (usually in grams) of each macronutrient each day.
For someone on Keto, it can ensure they don’t go overboard on their carbs for the day.
So let’s discuss macros! The New York Strip has 0 grams of carbs per 4 oz serving! The fat in a New York strip steak is about 17g and the protein is 23g. These all add up to 263 calories per 4 oz serving!
These values may vary from each New York Strip.
Ribeye Nutrition (4 oz serving)
Steaks vary slightly between 4oz servings for macros. The average ribeye steak has around 28 grams of fat per 4 oz serving, 20 grams of protein, and less than a gram of carbs. Together, these macros add up to 204 calories per 4 oz. serving.
So this shows us that Ribeye is higher in fat and in turn higher in calories!
Strip New York vs. Ribeye: Which is more Tender?
The nutritional content of steaks actually affects their texture! The ribeye has more marbling throughout which is white flecks of fat found in the muscle of the steak!
Due to the higher fat content, Ribeye will have a much more tender texture after cooking! This is more favorable for most people because it makes it easier to cut and chew!
Strip New York vs. Ribeye: flavor profile
The same reason that Ribeye is more tender is the same reason that it is richer in flavor. The fat in our food contains flavor compounds that come out when it is cooked! Fat also helps keep our food moist so we don’t end up with a dry steak.
Do they taste the same?
The New York ribeye and strip steak lie along the spine of the cow, but one lies lower than the other. While it might not seem like that could make a difference, it does affect the overall flavor.
The part of the cow where the ribeye is located is fattier and allows for the ribeye to be the tender, juicy steak we love!
How did they get their names?
New York strip steak
You may also hear the New York strip called the Delmonico’s steak. That is because of the origin of its name. Delmonico’s is a restaurant that originated in the 19th century.
Delmonico’s offered a steak and named it after itself “Delmonico’s Steak”. It was actually a very important dish on their menu that became extremely popular! Due to the restaurant’s location, New York, the name of the steak morphed into the name we know today, the New York strip steak!
rib eye steak
Now, how about the ribeye, or is it the ribeye, or is it the ribeye? Honestly, I had no idea either. You can see it with a variety of spellings.
It is a compound word, which means it has two words put into one. The two words are “rib” and “eye.” It is named for two things: where it comes from and the shape of the muscle in that area.
It’s found on the primary rib, which is rib 6 through 12. So there’s a very simple explanation of where the first word comes from.
However, how do we get the word “eye”? That’s because a muscle is cut to get to the ribs. This muscle looks like an eye! So now we can put them together to get ribs and eyes!
The spelling gets confused very often, and I think it’s easy to see why. It’s confusing because you put two words in one and because it’s different depending on where you are!
In American English, it’s usually spelled “ribeye,” and in British English, it’s usually spelled “rib-eye.” Thus, there are several “correct” spellings of the word.
Regardless of the spelling, this is what Ribeye Steaks gives us.
How to Prepare Steak Cuts?
You can prepare the ribeye and the popular New York strip steak in many ways! You can cook on the stovetop, bake in the oven, roast, grill, smoke, sous vide, and many more! I have experimented with many different cooking methods for my steaks, and I am here to tell you that I have found the best ways to cook steaks!
Below are some of my favorite steak recipes for both steaks. Try both so you can settle the debate of which is better, New York Strip vs. ribeye.
New York Tenderloin Recipes
ribeye recipes
How to choose the right steak
Now that you know the facts. So how do you choose?
Some questions you can ask yourself when deciding are:
- Which one do I like more?
- How am I preparing my steak and which steak is best suited for this cooking method?
- What meal best fits my budget?
- Will I enjoy one more than the other?
- If I’m buying for other people, which one do they prefer?
- How do these steaks fit into my diet?
frequent questions
The ribeye is usually more expensive than the NY Strip Steak.
It all depends on the taste of each person.
They are visible parts of fat that are typically found in red meat. It got its name from the appearance it takes on lean cuts of meat.
Ribeye is the more tender of the two steaks.
Ribeye comes from between 6-12 ribs.
Loin steaks are cut from the short loin of the cow. This is behind the ribs, but before the thigh of the cow.
Surprisingly, they are the same cut of steak! There is some debate as to whether they both have a bone in their steak. Regardless of whether it comes from the same part of the cow!
