Let’s talk about tips. Beef tips, to be exact. Nowadays, when people think of beef tips, they think of sirloin tip. But that wasn’t always the case. Beef tips refer to the extra bits of meat that were left after butchers trimmed their steaks and roasts for sale presentation. So if you bought beef tips back in the day, you could get anything from chuck to loin to rib.
This recipe is for a traditional, old school beef tips and gravy.
Today, I’m using some round steaks, similar to the picture above. To make the tips, slice the steak into strips, then slice the strips into pieces. You may want them large, you may want them small, but pick a size and stick with it. Generously season with salt and pepper.
Once seasoned, brown in a bit of olive or vegetable oil. A tip about browning: If what you are cooking is going to cook for a long time, you don’t need to brown in batches. Just throw all the meat in. What will happen is that the meat will release a lot of liquid, and it will seem like it’s boiling in the juices. This is why for quick preparations, cooking in batches is recommended. However, in this case, we’re taking it further. After the liquids boil away, only fat will remain and the meat will then brown up nicely. Plus you get some nice fond. This is the method I use for my Genovese sauce.
Once your meat is browned, it’s traditional to add a bit of tomato paste, along with minced garlic and some butter. I added tomato paste, anchovy paste, whole garlic cloves, and the butter.
Once the butter is melted, add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes to get the raw taste out, being careful not to burn the garlic. Then add cold fresh water. Not any broth, stock, wine, or anything like that, just water. The reason is because of the “secret” ingredient which makes this really old school:
That’s right, a good soup base. Stir in a couple teaspoons (or a big tablespoon depending on how much you’re cooking). Bring it up to a nice simmer, cover, and cook for about an hour and 10-15 minutes. After that time, remove the lid and see where you’re at with tenderness. Leave uncovered at that good simmer, and continue cooking. The gravy will reduce, and frequent stirring will emulsify all the fat into the gravy, like mounting a sauce with butter.
The result will be a thick, unctuous gravy and tender beef, which you can serve over mashed potatoes, rice, tots, fries (add some cheese curds for some killer poutine), polenta, or even pasta. And let me tell you: I’ve made a LOT of gravies in my lifetime, but this was the best damn gravy I’ve ever had.
Recipe inspiration:
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Tonight, as I prep for a family trip, I don’t want to have too many leftovers so I’m meal prepping with hot dogs and a simple seafood salad. Coming up in the future—I have some passata that I want to use to make a nice thick Bolognese, and I also have some flanken style short ribs. Watch for upcoming diaries.
What’s for dinner at your place?