The conventional wisdom when it comes to marinated beef is to use a tough cut such as flank steak and soak it for a long time in an acidic marinade to tenderize it and infuse it with flavor. The flip side of that principle is that when you have a cut that’s already tender – such as sirloin – marinade isn’t necessary and can actually be downright destructive. But there’s the rub. No, I mean really: the rub. Slather beef sirloin with a thick mixture of pureed jalapeño, chili spices and freshly squeezed lime juice, and the flavors will seep deep into the meat in the space of just a few hours, without breaking down the already buttery-tender texture of the beef.
I used a sirloin roast (aka a “spoon roast”) for this post. The roast started off weighing a little over 2 pounds but once I’d trimmed off the thick cap of fat and connective tissue from the top it was closer to 1½ pounds and about 3 inches thick. If you feel like splurging you could use a tenderloin roast instead – similar in size and thickness, it will marinate and cook in about the same time as the spoon roast. Or you could go with a sirloin steak or – harder to find but worth seeking out – hanger steak. Thinner cuts need a shorter time with the rub and will cook more quickly, too.
After searing the marinated beef in a very hot pan until it’s deeply charred on all sides, you’ll transfer it to the oven to finish roasting to your desired doneness. Using an instant-read thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the meat is essential for achieving the result you want. I like my beef medium-rare, and I knew the temperature would continue to rise as it rested, so I pulled this roast out of the oven when the internal temperature reached 120 degrees.
Serve this marinated beef with a side of Restaurant-Style Salsa (or your favorite store-bought salsa), rice or beans, and a cool and crunchy salad for fresh contrast. If you like, set out bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole with a pile of warm tortillas, and let everyone load up the beef and any or all of the sides and condiments into build-your-own-beef-burritos.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Tougher cuts of meat are fine if you leave them languishing in marinade for long periods, but you can’t do that with sirloin. Refer to the recipe for instructions on marinating times, and don’t start any further ahead than the time indicated for your cut of meat.
- Cold leftovers make great sandwiches. For hot leftovers, reheat the meat carefully, either wrapped in foil in a low (300-degree) oven, or on 50% power in the microwave, just until warm. Reheating the beef will cook it further, so beef that started off medium-rare will be medium after reheating. Leftovers will keep for several days.
To see this beef dish as part of a Tex-Mex-themed menu, read my post for Saturday April 17, 2021.
Jalapeño-Lime Marinated Beef Sirloin
If you're using a sirloin roast that has a cap of fat on top, start with at least 2 pounds so that once the fat is removed you still have at least 1½ pounds. Untie the roast, trim off the fat and any visible connective tissue, then retie with kitchen string to keep the roast together in a compact shape.
Ingredients
- 1½ to 2 pounds trimmed and tied beef sirloin roast (“spoon” roast), or tenderloin roast, sirloin steak or hanger steak
- ½ cup coarsely chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- ½ a medium jalapeño pepper with seeds and ribs, chopped
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as expeller-pressed canola oil, plus additional for searing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about ½ a juicy lime)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon Morton’s)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Combine the onion and all remaining ingredients (using 2 tablespoons of the oil) in a food processor and process the mixture to form a loose paste. Slather the rub all over the beef, covering all sides thickly. Transfer the beef to a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours per inch of thickness – not longer.
- Step 2 Heat the oven to 400 degrees on the Roast setting. Once the oven is hot, heat a large cast iron skillet (or other heavy oven-proof skillet) over medium-high heat.
- Step 3 Use paper towels to wipe off as much of the rub as you can. Pour a little more of the neutral oil over the meat and use your hands to slather it around, coating all sides of the meat with a thin but even coating.
- Step 4 Place the meat in the hot pan. Brown the meat on all sides (for a roast), or both sides (for a steak), about 2 minutes per side or until the meat develops a deep brown crust.
- Step 5 Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast the meat to your desired doneness level, turning the meat over about halfway through and periodically checking the temperature in the center of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the meat from the oven when it’s 5 to 10 degrees below your final desired temperature. (See the chart in the post for doneness levels and temperatures.) To reach medium rare, a thick cut should roast for approximately 5 minutes per pound. Thinner steaks will cook more quickly.
- Step 6 Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Tent it with foil, and let the meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.
