Dear Customers,
My favorite month of the year is already going to be half over this week! If only there were a way to slow it down. I propose that January, February and March each get cut down to two weeks each and that the leftover six weeks get tacked onto June!
Cooking outdoors is not just popular this time of year, it’s a necessity. It’s too hot in the kitchen and even if it wasn’t, who wants to spend any more time indoors than is absolutely necessary when it’s this gorgeous outside? This week is our monthly Meat Bonanza and I looked through the items to find something that would lend itself well to outdoor grilling. It occurred to me that Sirloin Tips are a cut of beef that is extremely attractive looking but can be difficult to cook – particularly on a grill.
Sirloin tips come from various muscles in the sirloin and round. They are generally very lean and as customers, we’re tempted to buy them because there’s little if any waste (spelled “fat”). The trouble is that lean cuts of meat such as these can be dry and/or chewy if not done correctly. Just slapping one on the grill over direct heat can lead to problems. They need to be cooked slowly over indirect heat to make them as tender as possible:
| 2 to 3 lb. sirloin tip roast | 1 tbs Kosher salt | 2 tsp dried thyme |
| 2 tsp garlic powder | 1 tsp coarsely ground pepper | 1 small onion, chopped |
| 2 tbs olive oil, divided | 1 750ml bottle dry red wine | 6 sprigs fresh thyme |
| 1 garlic clove, crushed | ½ tsp whole peppercorns | 3 whole cloves |
- Sprinkle roast with salt, thyme, garlic powder and ground pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onion in 1 tablespoon oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine, thyme, garlic, peppercorns and cloves. Simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup. Cool; strain, discard solids, and refrigerate.
- Remove roast from the refrigerator 1 hour before grilling. Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan. Add wood chips according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Pat roast dry with paper towels. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; place over drip pan. Grill, covered, over medium-low indirect heat, brushing with mop sauce every 20 minutes, until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.
OPTIONAL: in a small bowl mix together 6 tbs softened butter, 2 tbs prepared horseradish and 3 tbs fresh thyme leaves. Serve on top of the roast!