Texas May Rename the New York Strip

Food|Seeing Political Red Meat, Texas May Rename the New York Strip Steak

Nobody knows exactly how long ago a marbled and tender boneless short-loin steak came to be known across the United States as a New York strip. Everybody agrees, though, that the nomenclature wasn’t the least bit controversial until last Friday, when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas proposed a new name: the Texas strip.

Noting that Texas leads the nation in heads of cattle, Mr. Patrick announced in a post on X that he was working with the State Senate on a resolution that would officially rebrand the cut.

Mr. Patrick was clear in his post that he hoped the Texas-centric name would give a boost to his state’s cattle ranchers. At the same time, the way he framed the issue carried more than a whiff of red-meat politics.

Meatpackers and steakhouses in New York seem disinclined to follow Texas’s lead.

“Oh my God, its so ridiculous,” said Harry Sinanaj, president of Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse on East 44th Street. “Even if they change it, I’m going to leave it as the New York strip.”

The term’s exact origins are obscure, but it is often tied to Delmonico’s, which was founded in 1827 and claims to be “the first fine dining restaurant in America.” The cut known as a Delmonico steak may have once referred to a strip steak, although on the current menu it’s used to mean a rib-eye. In any case, the cut caught on around the city.