Grilled Steak Tips
Grilled steak tips are a classic New England dish. Easy to prepare and loaded with flavor, it’s time to share this recipe with the rest of the country. It’s a simple, two step process to pull these off so there’s no reason you shouldn’t be making these. Let’s get into it!
What are steak tips?
As mentioned, steak tips are primarily a New England thing. We typically use sirloin tips and just about any butcher in the New England area will know what you’re talking about. If you’re from a different part of the country, these might be tough to find. If that’s the case, you can use a sirloin or any other type of meat that’s not meant to be cooked low and slow (ex: brisket, short ribs, chuck, etc).
The key is in the marinade.
These steak tips are LOADED with flavor and we can thank this simple marinade for it. You’re going to need:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Orange juice
- Apple cider vinegar
- Open Fire BBQ Rub or Open Fire Spicy BBQ Rub (depending on if you want them to have a kick)
- Salt
Mix all of these ingredients in a bowl and add the steak tips (which should be cut into ~3 inch pieces). Make sure the marinade is completely mixed with the steak tips and allow the steak tips to be mostly submerged. Then, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-3 days (more time = more flavor). This combination of ingredients will infuse the steak tips with tons of flavor.
Grill them hot and fast.
Fast forward 1-3 days and it’s time to grill. Remove the steak tips and marinade from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you are going to cook them so that they begin to come to room temperature. Preheat your grill so that it’s nice and hot, around 500ºF. Add the steak tips and cook for 3 minutes, flip, and cook for another 3 minutes. At this point, you should start checking the internal temperatures of the steak tips. I like my steak tips medium-rare and will pull them off the grill at 125ºF (there will be some carry over cooking once they are removed). Some of the bigger pieces may need more time but they should be done/almost done at this point. Cook until the doneness of your liking.
Will there be flare-ups?
There will definitely be some flare-ups. Due to the olive oil in the marinade, the second you put the steak tips on the grill and the oil drips onto the hot coals or flame, there’s going to be a flare-up. If this happens (it will), don’t worry – just close the lid for a little and the flare-ups will die down. I know it can be a little intimidating when flare-ups happen (especially if you are not expecting them) so please be aware that they will happen and just close the lid if they’re getting out of hand.
That’s all there is to it.
Once the steak tips are off the grill, let them rest for 5-10 minutes before digging in. These will be juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. I prefer to eat these as is, but they are very popular over a salad, in a wrap, or in a sandwich. Try it out and let me know what you think. I think you will quickly begin to wonder why these steak tips are only a New England thing and not a United States thing.
Grilled Steak Tips
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Steak tips or sirloin tips cut into ~3 inch pieces
- 1 Onion minced
- 5-6 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup Olive oil
- 4 tbsp Orange juice
- 3 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp Open Fire BBQ Rub or Open Fire Spicy BBQ Rub use spicy if you want some heat
- 2 tsp Salt optional but recommended
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Open Fire BBQ Rub or Open Fire Spicy BBQ Rub, and salt. Add the steak tips, mix well, and submerge all of the steak as much as possible. Cover and refrigerate for 1-3 days (more time = more flavor).
- On the day you are going to cook, remove the steak tips from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you are going to put them on the grill. This is to help them start to come to room temperature before grilling.
- Preheat your grill to 500ºF.
- Add the steak tips to the grill and cook for 3 minutes per side. Be careful when putting the steak tips on as there will be some flare-ups. If necessary, add the steak tips in batches and close the grill lid for 5-10 seconds if the flare-ups are intimidating – they will die down quickly.
- After the steak tips have cooked for 3 minutes on second side, start checking the internal temperature and cook until the doneness of your liking.
- Remove the steak tips from the grill and rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
