Beautiful Beefy Steak Tips

Now that I’m using Butcher Box as our primary protein source, I’ve had a chance to work with different cuts of meat that I wouldn’t normally buy.   Although it pushes me out of my comfort zone it’s really great because it forces me to try new recipes and expand my cooking repertoire. 

My most recent experiment was with the grass-fed beef sirloin tips.  I knew they were tougher cuts of meat so I decided to marinate them for a few hours and tenderize them a bit.  With the weather being cold (well, cold for San Diego standards) I decided on a comfy, almost stew like recipe, to warm up the evening. 

There are a lot of parts to this meal so you can choose what to make and not make.  I do think the steak and mushrooms should be a pair, but if you’re time constrained you can always substitute a pasta, rice, or even crusty bread instead of the sometime time intensive polenta.  However, if you have the time, the polenta takes this dish over the top.  Maybe think about keeping this one for the weekend, especially since the longer you marinate it the better. 

Beef marinade:

1 lb of steak tips

½ cup of Soy sauce

2-3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil

3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

3 Garlic cloves

1-2 teaspoons of coconut sugar

½ to 1 teaspoons of red chili flakes (can be omitted if not a fan of spicy food)

1 tablespoon of Dry Mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place steak tips in a resealable zip lock bag with all the marinade ingredients.  Let marinate for 1 to 4 hours.  Heat skillet over medium high heat and add steak tips (shake them a bit so they aren’t completely soaked in marinade).  Let the tips sit in the pan until they build a nice crust on the bottom about 3-6 minutes depending on size of tips.  Flip and continue to cook on the other side another 3 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.  This pan will be used to cook the mushrooms.

Mushrooms:

1 lb of sliced mushrooms (I used a combination of oyster and baby bella) 

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

If the pan is dry add a bit of olive oil to the skillet and add the sliced mushrooms, add salt and pepper and sauté until cooked through.  Add the steak and juices on the plate back into the pan and heat through. 

Polenta:

1 cup of Polenta

4 cups of water

2 tablespoons of butter

Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off heat and stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts.   I suggest making the polenta first if you’re going to cook it since it takes the most time.

Wine to pair?

Even I will pair a Cabernet Sauvignon with this meal.  The steak and bold flavors of the marinade will stand up to a bigger Cabernet.  However if you’re Cab Sav weary, like I am at times, a hearty Syrah will do the job as well.  Remember, it’s really all about what you like, so I’m the last one to say, “you can’t pair this with that” or “you must have a red with beef” or “how could you even consider a white!”  I think you pair based on your palate and if you’re drinking a glass of wine with your meal than my job is done!  Cheers…to red, or white, or better yet….cheers to wine!