A bone-in striploin steak cut traditionally with the side bone left on. The city's stockyards-era contribution to American steak culture, drier and beefier than its New York cousin.

The Kansas City strip steak was born at the Golden Ox steakhouse in the West Bottoms in 1949, when the Live Stock Exchange held the second-largest cattle market in the country. The cut keeps the bone for flavour but trims more closely than the porterhouse. Plaza III and other Plaza steakhouses standardised the cut through the 1960s; the name persists today on every metro steakhouse menu.

Where to eat Kansas City strip steak in Kansas City

4 editor picks for Kansas City strip steak in Kansas City, ranked by editorial score. All Kansas City signature dishes · Kansas City strip steak across every city.

  • Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor

    Order Pan-fried chicken with mashed potatoes, pan gravy and the legendary cinnamon rolls.

    Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor is the Kansas City pan-fried chicken anchor, set inside a restored 1840s log-cabin homestead that became the second Stroud's in 1983.

    DetailsDirections

  • The Capital Grille

    Order Dry-aged porterhouse for two with lobster mac and cheese, and a bottle from the cellar.

    The Capital Grille on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza dry-ages its beef in-house for 18 to 24 days and hand-cuts to order, with a 3,500-bottle wine cellar.

    DetailsDirections

  • Anton's Taproom

    Order The dry-aged ribeye with bone marrow, plus the charcuterie board to start.

    Anton's Taproom in the Kansas City Crossroads is a butcher shop plus steakhouse with grass-fed beef from regional farms and a long natural-wine list.

    DetailsDirections

  • Golden Ox

    Order The Kansas City strip, with the shrimp cocktail starter and old-school sides.

    Golden Ox in Kansas City's West Bottoms opened in 1949 inside the Live Stock Exchange as the birthplace of the KC strip steak, reopened in 2018.

    DetailsReserveDirections

Make it at home

Serves 250 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • Two 16-oz bone-in strip steaks, 1.5 inches thick
  • Kosher salt, coarse black pepper
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 4 sprigs thyme

Method

  1. Salt the steaks generously 40 minutes before cooking; let them sit at room temperature.
  2. Pat dry and season with pepper. Heat oil in a heavy cast-iron pan over medium-high until smoking.
  3. Sear each steak 3 to 4 minutes per side, including the fat cap. Add the butter, garlic and thyme; baste for one minute.
  4. Transfer to a 400F (200C) oven for 4 to 6 minutes to reach 130F (54C) internal for medium-rare.
  5. Rest the steaks loosely tented for 8 to 10 minutes. Cut against the grain to serve.

Editor tip. The bone-in cut runs hotter at the bone; pull at 128F if you like medium-rare, carry over takes you to 134F. Compound butter optional but classic in Kansas City rooms.