Santa Clause is still comin’ to town, but your aunt might be stayin’ home. This year, holiday celebrations might be smaller, more intimate gatherings as we take COVID-19 precautions. But we can still savor the season and create a memorable experience with New York Strip steak and a few simple ingredients. Pick one of these easy ideas, and you’ll have holiday-worthy flavor and presentation all wrapped up, and topped with a pretty bow.
Holiday Worthy New York Strip Ideas
Have some FUN-gi.
OK, seriously: You’ve stuck with us through the worst pun ever. So we better make this mushroom sauce worth it. We promise, it is. Chop up an eight-ounce container of cremini (aka, baby bella) mushrooms and a shallot. Sauté them in some olive oil with fresh thyme. Then, when they’re soft and oh-so-flavorful, pour in a cup of red wine: something dry that you won’t mind sipping while the holiday music plays and your steaks cook. After the wine has reduced by half – the stuff you’re cooking, not what you’re sipping! – swirl in a few tablespoons of butter. Then pour it over your steaks for a rich, new tradition at the dining table.
Get salty, but stay on the nice list.
Make the holidays sparkle with Himalayan pink, chunky sea, or another gourmet salt. Sure, it costs more than the typical table salt, but if you’re grilling up a New York Strip for your loved ones, it’s absolutely worth it. Instead of being cooked off at high temperatures, high-quality salts absorb the flavor profile of the steak and can help lock it up: the juices, we mean. So pat both sides of your steak with salt. Then hit the heat for a very merry meal.
Feel funky.
Add some sharpness to your holiday table with bleu or gorgonzola cheese. Toss it on right before your steak is done – on the grill or under the broiler – and let it melt a bit for a warm, gooey result that will guarantee your entrance in the clean plate club. Or mix bleu cheese up with butter, garlic, and some herbs (we like rosemary!) for the ultimate rich, savory topper that might make it tough for any kind of chimney entrance or exit.
Warm up with a little kick.
A little heat might be just what you need this time of year – especially if you’re in a winter wonderland. And sometimes, you gotta get a little joyful with pepper. Patting both sides of your New York Strip with rough-crushed peppercorns creates a depth of flavor you just can’t get from sprinkling a little on at the dinner table. Toss on some color too. While you’ll definitely find black peppercorns at your local store, you might find green, pink, white, or a blend too.
- Green peppercorns are actually unripe black peppercorns, and they have a fresher flavor.
- Pink peppercorns aren’t true peppercorns: They’re the ripe berries of the Brazilian pepper tree, and they have a light taste.
- White peppercorns are just regular black peppercorns with the skin removed, and they have an earthier flavor.
It’s because I’m green, isn’t it.
Green doesn’t have to mean the grinch, add some jolly green flair to your meal with chimichurri – a staple in South America and a trending topper at steak hotspots in the U.S. This blend of uncooked ingredients adds a simple but powerful burst of flavor. While ingredients vary by region, it usually includes parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and shallot. It’s an easy way to add flavor to your steak without a lot of effort. And really, we don’t want the holidays to feel like work, do we?
Blend up some festive butter.
You know what looks good in the soft candlelight of a small, cozy dinner? Some flavored butter atop a delicious steak. It’s one of the easiest ways to add rich, creamy flavor to your New York Strip. Just pull a stick of butter out of the fridge. Let it soften so it’s easy to blend. Then mix in garlic, fresh herbs, salt, or pepper. Better yet, add them all. Our favorite herbs for a steak butter are parsley, oregano, thyme, and rosemary, but this is your chance to get creative. If you don’t have a potted herb growing in the kitchen, bust out that piggy bank and splurge for fresh herbs at the store. They pack a lot more flavor than dried herbs, so they’re worth the holiday splurge.
Find your jingle bell jam.
OK, we seriously love steak. But if we had to pick a second favorite, you know it’s gonna be bacon. That smell. That crunch. That flavor. Honestly, it’s kinda hard to focus when we start daydreaming about bacon. But with this topper, bacon jam, you gotta keep your eyes on the prize. Here’s what you do: Chop up and sauté up a package of bacon. Then, set it aside for a bit to drain. (Hands off! Future you is going to be really mad if current you starts snacking.)
Now sauté a yellow onion in the same skillet using a tablespoon of the rendered fat. Once the onions are soft, toss ALL the bacon back in. Then add ½ c. water, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, and a bit of thyme, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook for another 13 minutes so it’s all caramelized and looks like jam. Then add in 2 t. of balsamic vinegar and 2 t. of olive oil. You might as well wrap up the leftovers and put them under the tree, because your guests will be asking for more.
Dive on in.
Embrace this dark and cozy time of year and go old-school steakhouse with a simple and comforting surf and turf. While your steaks are cooking, grab a skillet – or some skewers if you’re grilling – and cook up some shrimp. Just coat those bad boys with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and you’re set. Then top those New York Strips with your shrimp and a bit of garlic butter for a hearty meal that will be sure to bring your guests together. As we mentioned above, you can make this flavorful goodie with pretty much any herb. But thyme, parsley, and garlic are kind of a shrimp’s BFFs.
Here’s to the holidays.
Cheers to the season, #beefitarians! However you celebrate this year, we hope your holidays are cozy. And even more important, we hope they’re delicious. If you can resist slicing into that New York Strip for a moment, snap a picture and tag #beefitarians on Instagram. We’d love to see what you dish up.
Want to know about other cuts worthy of the holidays? Check out our beef cuts info and some amazing recipes.
