friend of mine going to give me sirloin (tip) steaks to cook for them. anyone have a no fail recipe that will do them justice??? reputation at (steak) stake here
Maybe @Trevor M can step in with some actual experience with the cut.
Not my favorite cut of meat to be sure and I won't personally buy them anymore, but hey, we all have our own preferences right, mine just happen to be a little on the expensive side right now, (rib eye, strip loin, or t-bone which no we don't have any right now, but we do have baby back ribs, and pork chops) However that said, over the years when I picked up a leaner piece of meat, (be that a roast or steaks) I found that as you would with a filet mignon (medallions) wrapping it in bacon helps keep it tender as the bacon acts as a barrier to help keep the juices in.
But for tip steaks, when I have bought them, (rare) I found that marinating it was a better option than wrapping it in bacon. I found this marinade online and tweaked it a bit to my own tastes. I've used this marinade on other things as well.
Vinegar (the original recipe calls for balsamic, I didn't have so I used red wine vinegar)
Soy sauce (recipe recommends using low salt soy if you have it)
a couple drops of liquid smoke (hickory)
Honey (I substituted maple syrup for the honey)
Olive oil (I didn't have it so I used vegetable oil)
Garlic (fresh minced if you have it, garlic powder will do as well if you don’t)
Ground black pepper
Red Wine (optional)
Dijon Mustard (optional)
Rosemary (optional)
Marinate before cooking (at least 4 hours, overnight is better)
Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.
Cooking in a frying pan? Make sure the pan is smoking a little
before putting a teaspoon of oil in and then the steak. 2-3 minutes per side, best cooked Rare to Medium Rare.
Rest the steak before serving for at least 5 minutes (remember, even thought you've taken it off the heat, it does continue to cook for those first few minutes after removing it from that heat source which is why in restaurants, often times that steak you ordered medium rare comes out almost medium. Often times it's because your order sits in the kitchen ready to go for a few minutes before the waitress can get it from the kitchen to you, especially if it's busy.)
Thinly slice against the grain.
I also found that for a nice added touch, sautee some mushrooms and onions (or shallots) in a frying pan, make yourself a beef gravy from scratch or using a canned powdered beef stock or a beef bullion cube (although I guess if you were pressed for time or just wanted it quick and simple, just buy some beef gravy in a can and just heat it up) add a shot of red wine to it after you thicken it, then add the sauteed mushrooms and onion and then season it to your tastes, and once you've sliced and plated the steak, ladle some of the gravy over top.