Tip #7: Pre-Sliced Blade-Tenderized New York Strip Steaks
Just like pre-cut ribeyes, individual pre-sliced New York Strip steaks on styrofoam trays carry heavy labor markups and serious cooking limitations. You pay extra for warehouse butchering while surrendering control over steak thickness.
More critically, the mechanical tenderization process damages the firm, meaty texture that makes a classic strip steak so satisfying to bite into.
When mechanical needles pierce the beef, they tear muscle fibers and cause internal juices to drain out rapidly during cooking.
You pay elevated per-pound prices for a cut that dries out faster on the grill and requires a mandatory 145°F internal temperature to guarantee food safety. That requirement completely destroys the juicy, pink center of a proper medium-rare strip steak.
