Grilled Teriyaki Steak Tips

GRILLED TERIYAKI STEAK TIPS

SERVES 4 TO 6 • TO PREP 15 MINUTES • STORE 1 TO 24 HOURS • TO FINISH 35 MINUTES

Marinating is an easy way to transform steak that’s headed for the grill, lending bold flavor, keeping the meat moist, and seasoning it throughout. Traditionally marinades contain an acidic ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar, which is thought to tenderize the meat, but we’ve found that more often than not acids wreak havoc on the texture of the meat, turning it spongy and discolored. Instead, a high concentration of salt in a marinade is the real key to getting flavorful, tender meat because it acts like a brine as well as a flavor booster. With this in mind, we turned to a teriyaki marinade with a base of salty soy sauce to give our grilled steak tips great flavor. Along with the soy sauce, we added a good amount of oil to help coat the meat and bloom the spices. A little sugar brought our marinade into balance and encouraged a really great char on the grill. A small amount of reserved marinade poured over the finished steak tips refreshed their flavor, and a couple of teaspoons of mirin, a sweet rice wine, added a hint of brightness. Sirloin steak tips, also known as flap meat, are sold as whole steaks, cubes, and strips. To ensure uniform pieces that cook evenly, we prefer to purchase whole steak tips and cut them ourselves. For tender, juicy steak, be sure to let the finished steak tips rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into them. Click here for information on setting up a single-level fire. We prefer this steak cooked to medium, but if you prefer it more or less done, click here to see our guidelines. See the sidebar that follows the recipe down bellow

½ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup water
2scallions, chopped
2garlic cloves, minced
2tablespoons grated fresh ginger
⅛teaspoon red pepper flakes
2teaspoons mirin
2pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed

TO PREP
1. Process oil, soy sauce, sugar, water, scallions, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in food processor until smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer ¼ cup marinade to small bowl, stir in mirin, and cover.

2. Pat beef dry with paper towels, prick all over with fork, then cut into 2½-inch pieces. Add beef and remaining marinade to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, press out air, and seal; toss to coat.

TO STORE
3. Refrigerate beef and reserved marinade separately for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, flipping bag occasionally to ensure beef marinates evenly.

TO FINISH AND SERVE
4. Remove reserved marinade from refrigerator and bring to room temperature while cooking beef.

5. Pat beef dry with paper towels. Place beef over hot, single-level fire. Grill (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until beef is well browned on all sides and charred at edges and registers 130 to 135 degrees (for medium), 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Transfer beef to serving platter. Stir reserved marinade to recombine, then drizzle over beef. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.

MAKE A DOUBLE-DUTY MARINADE

To streamline our teriyaki steak tips, we make a bold marinade to flavor the meat overnight and reserve some to make a sauce for the second day. A food processor makes quick work of the marinade, and pricking the steak tips all over with a fork helps them to soak up the flavor. Adding some mirin to the reserved marinade makes a bright, balanced sauce for serving.