4 Tips for Cooking Sirloin Steak

Barbecue season is here again! For many grill aficionados, with the warm weather comes the perfect opportunity to dust off their favourite steak recipes in preparation for the year’s first big cookout.

Sirloin has always been a favoured steak for barbecuing due to the strip of fat running along its side and the tenderness of the meat. Considered one of the most popular of the prime cuts, sirloin steak is delicious even with minimal seasoning, and it is often served with rich sauces that pair well with its strong flavour.

But precisely because it is such high-quality meat, getting the most out of sirloin steaks takes some degree of care. Here are four tips that will help you cook your sirloin steaks to perfection this summer.  

1. Let the Steaks Sit First

Hitting the perfect cook point is all about the heat, and one way to make sure your steaks get a perfect charred exterior while staying juicy and red on the inside is to let them get close to room temperature before you put them on the grill.

If you have your high quality top sirloin delivered to you frozen, letting the steaks defrost in the refrigerator overnight and sit on the counter for a couple of hours before cooking means they will cook through quickly without becoming too tough.

2. Dry the Steaks and Brush With Butter Before Grilling

There’s nothing quite like a steak that is brown and charred on the outside and soft and tender inside, and a common problem many amateur cooks face is getting that well-grilled exterior without overcooking the meat.

This external browning is caused by something known as the Maillard reaction, in which sugars and amino acids react in a special way once they reach a particular temperature. Our taste buds love the Maillard reaction, and drying the steak and brushing it with fat, oil, or butter is a great way to speed the process up. 

3. Use a Meat Thermometer

At the heart of it, cooking comes down to temperatures, and if your meat isn’t hot enough — or it stays too hot for too long — your steaks just won’t taste good. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure that your sirloin reaches the right internal temperature (130°F for a rare or medium rare steak) but doesn’t overcook. 

4. Let the Steaks Sit for at Least Ten Minutes

A sirloin steak will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the grill, so it is a good idea to let it sit for at least ten minutes before serving. This will ensure a consistent texture, and will also optimize the taste (eating food at a high temperature has been shown to stifle flavour receptors, so serving a piping hot steak fresh from the grill means you won’t enjoy the full range of tastes). 

There is a good reason why sirloin steak is one of the most desirable cuts of steak in the world, but even the best steak can be ruined through bad cooking. This summer, make sure you get the most of your sirloin steaks through careful preparation and cooking. You’ll certainly be able to taste the difference!