Umami Dearest - Beer & Miso Sirloin Tips

No wire-y hanger steaks, ever!

With apologies to Joan Crawford (sorry, couldn't resist using that line),  I've been on an umami kick recently.  For those who don't know the term, umami is considered the fifth taste people sense on their tongue (along with sweet, salty, bitter and sour).  Often, this is best described as "savoriness".  Usually, it is the presence of chemical compounds known as glutimates that lends foods this savory quality.

Ingredients such as mushrooms, tomato paste and parmesean cheese are naturally high in glutimates.  Fermented sauces such as Vietnamese Noc Cham and soy sauce are full of them as well.  Ever wonder why monosodium glutimate (C₅H₈NNaO₄₎ is added to processed food or Chinese take out?  Think about it.  That's right, its pure flavor enhancement (provided it is added in moderate doses).

Sirloin tips are one of the better cuts of meat when it comes to balancing beefy flavor, ease of grilling and cost.  So when the local Stop & Shop had the family packs of sirloin tips on sale ($3.99 a pound) and the meat was extremely well marbled (even more flavorful), it was a perfect choice for my next tailgate faire.

I've been reading a lot of recipes lately that feature boosting umami flavor.  It really is amazing the difference adding a tablespoon of soy sauce to a crock pot braise or sautéing tomato paste in a stew will make.  So when I got an email from Weber as one of the recipes of the week, "miso marinated flatiron steaks with shiitake mushrooms", I knew I had to check it out.  Sure enough, it was not only delicious, but it was also very easily adapt for using with steak tips.

Sirloin Tips with Beer & Miso Marinade
Adapted from Weber's 'On the Grill' by Jamie Purviance

2 pounds beef sirloin tips, trimmed of extraneous fat and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup miso paste
1/4 cup beer, preferable a light lager or ale
2 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 scallions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of ground black pepper
1 tsp soy sauce

Dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water and add along with all the other ingredients (other then the meat) into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Place the meat in a ziploc bag and add the marinade.  Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal.  Refrigerate for 2 hours (overnight at most).

To grill, drain the marinade from the beef and arrange the cubes on a medium hot grill for 4 minutes.  Turn over and grill for another 3-4 minutes for medium.  Let rest for five minutes under a piece of foil (to let the juices distribute) and serve.

Notes:
In order to get the most tender meat, I like to buy the whole strips of sirloin flap meat and cut it myself into cubes, slicing the meat against the grain.

The original recipe calls for light beer.  As you might guess, that's not exactly a staple of my beer fridge. But I did have a few cans of Yuengling lager lying around.  It really makes no sense to use an expensive beer in this recipe (the flavor nuances are diminished by the hight heat of grilling), but the Yuengling has a nice sweetness that adds to the marinade.  Also, I added the scallions to add another layer of flavor and the soy sauce for another flavor boost.  This marinade is not spicy, but really brings out the beefy flavor of the tips.