Steak tips are widely consumed food item in New England, served at many local pubs, bars and American-style restaurants. A signature dish of Massachusetts, they are typically grilled or seared before being paired with creamy mashed potatoes and a side of salad or greens.
It turned out to be a regional specialty, and I discovered this during my research. There were countless accounts of New England expats who had a hard time finding steak tips at grocery stores in other parts of the country. To remedy this, I’ve developed a special recipe with tips on how to get the right kind of steak so everyone can recreate this mouthwatering dish wherever they are.
The recipe is inspired by the Newbridge Cafe, a favourite community restaurant in Chelsea, MA renowned for its steak tips. The delicious flavor of the steak tips is due to a savory Coca-Cola, ketchup, vinegar, and spices marinade, which also tenderizes the meat while doubling as an irresistible sauce.
For the best steak tips, you need the right cut of beef. I consulted Sean, a local butcher at Savenor’s Cambridge, MA, who recommended bavette steak or flap steak, also known as sirloin tips. The name ‘flap’ comes from the entire loin, and bavette steak is the center cut of the sirloin flap. Sometimes the meat could also come from the tenderloin or flank.
If you’re missing any ingredients for the steak marinade, don’t worry as you can easily substitute sherry vinegar for red wine vinegar (half the amount), use the same amount of soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce, or swap garlic powder with 1 tablespoon of freshly grated garlic.
When cooking your steak tips, I strongly advise that you use a meat thermometer to achieve the right temperature. While other cuts of meat are often served rare, steak tips taste best when they’re medium-rare to medium.
You can serve the steak tips with some potatoes and greens for a complete meal. In terms of storage, you can refrigerate the leftover steak and sauce in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days. The steak tips can be reheated in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes until warm. If you loved the recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and review!
