New York Strip Steaks with Homemade Herbed Cream Cheese and Dash™ Grilled Tomato Salad
We know how hard it can be to plan an entire meal. Sure, you may have picked out a showstopper of a main course, but what about the sides? Get ready to impress with this New York Strip Steak, featuring herbed cream cheese, plus a fantastic side dish of grilled tomato salad! Dash™ Original Seasoning adds robust flavor to the tomato salad, and tastes great on your steak, too!
What Kind of Tomatoes Work Best for this Salad?
For a salad that calls for large, juicy tomato slices, these varieties are some of the best:
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Beefsteak – The classic choice for big, meaty slices. Mild and sweet, with lots of juice.
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Brandywine – An heirloom favorite with rich, old-fashioned tomato flavor and a slightly softer texture.
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Cherokee Purple – Deep, dusky color and complex, slightly smoky-sweet taste.
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Mortgage Lifter – Very large fruits, mildly sweet, and low in acidity.
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Big Boy – A hybrid variety that’s sweet, firm, and dependable for uniform slices.
If you’re going for a show-stopping salad—like a Caprese or tomato platter—heirloom types such as Brandywine or Cherokee Purple bring extra color and flavor variety.
How to Select a New York Strip Steak
When choosing a New York strip steak, you want to think about flavor, tenderness, and cooking performance. Here’s what to look for step-by-step:
1. Thickness
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Aim for at least 1 to 1½ inches thick. Thicker steaks cook more evenly and are easier to get a nice crust without overcooking the inside.
2. Marbling
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Look for fine white streaks of fat running through the meat. This intramuscular fat melts as it cooks, adding juiciness and flavor.
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Avoid steaks with large, uneven chunks of fat only on the surface — that’s not the same as marbling.
3. Color
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Choose a steak with a bright, cherry-red color.
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Dull or brownish-red meat may be older (though darker meat can also mean it’s vacuum-packed and aged — check the packaging date to be sure).
4. Fat Cap
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A New York strip usually has a strip of fat along one side.
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A good one will have a fat cap that’s firm, white, and not overly thick (about ¼ inch or less is ideal).
5. Grade
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USDA Prime = highest marbling and tenderness (most expensive).
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USDA Choice = still great for grilling, more affordable.
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USDA Select = leaner, less tender — usually not worth it for strip steak unless price is the priority.
6. Dry-Aged vs. Wet-Aged
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Dry-aged has a deeper, nutty flavor and more tenderness (and a higher price tag).
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Wet-aged is more common and still flavorful, but a bit milder.
7. Packaging & Smell
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If buying pre-packaged, the wrapping should be tight with no excess liquid pooling.
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If buying from a butcher, it should smell clean — not sour or metallic.
Pro tip: If you want a steakhouse-style sear, buy two steaks and look for ones with uniform thickness so they cook evenly side-by-side.
New York Strip Steaks with Homemade Herbed Cream Cheese and Dash Grilled Tomato Salad
Ingredients
For the Herbed Cream Cheese
- 8 oz Cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Butter, softened
- 2 tsp Member’s Mark™ Parsley
- 1 tsp Member’s Mark™ Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Member’s Mark™ Basil
- 1/2 tsp Member’s Mark™ Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Mighty Salt™
For the Steaks
- 4 New York strip steaks, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tbsp Member’s Mark™ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 tbsp Weber® Savory Steakhouse Seasoning
For the Dash™ Grilled Tomato Salad(serves 2)
- 1 Red onion, sliced in 1⁄2 inch circles
- 1 lb Large ripe tomatoes of your choosing, different colors, cut in half
- 3 tbsp Member’s Mark™ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 tbsp Dash™ Original Blend
- 3 tbsp Low sodium parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp Member’s Mark™ Basil
Instructions
For the Steak and Cream Cheese
- Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
- Combine cream cheese, butter, Member’s Mark™ Parsley, Member’s Mark™ Garlic Powder, Member’s Mark™ Basil, Member’s Mark™ Ground Black Pepper, and Mighty Salt™ in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Chill until ready to serve.
- Lightly coat the steaks with oil and generously sprinkle Weber® Savory SteakhouseSeasoning on both sides of the steaks. Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Grill the steaks over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 16 to 18 minutes for medium rare, turning once or twice.
- Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with homemade herbed cream cheese.
For the Dash™ Grilled Tomato Salad
- Brush the onion slices and the tomatoes with olive oil.
- Grill on both sides over medium heat until marked and lightly cooked.
- Sprinkle with Dash™ Original Blend.
- To serve, transfer to small plates.
- Sprinkle with parmesan and Member’s Mark™ Basil.
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