Speckle Park Cook Book Glossary

Sirloin

Top sirloin

Top sirloin is a lean, beefy and affordable steak from the sirloin primal. It has a firmer bite than the loin steaks, but a robust flavour that many people prefer, and it sits at an easy price point for weeknight cooking.

It is sold as thick steaks, as a roast, or cubed for kebabs. Compared with a ribeye it has little marbling, so it benefits from not being cooked past medium. Choose pieces that are at least 2.5 cm (1 in) thick, with a bright red colour and a thin edge of fat.

It is also called the sirloin steak or, more specifically, the top sirloin butt when it comes as a whole roast.

Techniques

Cook top sirloin quickly over high heat. Grill the steaks for four minutes per side, or cut the meat into cubes and thread them onto skewers with onions and peppers; the cubes are especially good after a short marinade with oil, acid and herbs.

It also suits a stir-fry. Slice the steak thinly across the fibres, which matters for tenderness, and cook in a very hot wok for under two minutes. The same thin slices work in pho, where hot broth cooks them at the table.

For a plain steak dinner, pan-fry it in a hot skillet with a little oil and butter. Pull it at 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare, rest it for five minutes and slice against the grain.

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