Traditional Beef Tips

🕒 Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook: 1 hour 30 min
🍽 Serves: 4
★★★★★
2 Reviews

If you're craving comfort food with a touch of sophistication, these Traditional Beef Tips will hit the spot. With tender beef simmered in a rich broth of red wine and herbs, it's a dish that brings warmth to your table. Perfect for a cozy dinner or impressing guests!

Traditional Beef Tips

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Ingredients for Traditional Beef Tips

Ingredients for Traditional Beef Tips

Beef sirloin is the star here, chosen for its tenderness and flavor. Cutting it into 1-inch cubes ensures even cooking and a delightful bite. Olive oil helps sear the beef, adding a subtle richness. Onion and garlic bring foundational aromatic flavors that deepen the dish. Beef broth and red wine create a luxurious sauce, while Worcestershire sauce adds a umami punch. Seasonings like salt, black pepper, and dried thyme balance and enhance the flavors. Finally, all-purpose flour thickens the sauce, ensuring every bite is deliciously coated.

Why This Traditional Beef Tips Works

At the start, the beef cubes hit hot oil and brown on the outside. That browning sticks to the pan and to the meat and gives a deeper taste than just boiling the beef. The quick browning also tightens the outside of the cubes so they don’t dry out later while they simmer.

After the beef comes out, the onions and garlic go into the same pan. As they cook, they soften and pick up the browned bits left behind. When the flour is sprinkled over them, it coats the soft onions and garlic. Once the broth and wine are poured in, that flour swells and turns the liquid into a smooth, slightly thick sauce instead of a thin soup.

When the beef goes back into the pan and everything simmers on low, the slow heat starts to break down the tougher parts of the sirloin. Over an hour or so, the meat loosens up and becomes tender, while the sauce slowly thickens and clings to each piece, so the beef tips come out soft and coated instead of dry or watery.

Traditional Beef Tips Tips & Tricks

  • For a deeper flavor, marinate the beef in red wine for a few hours before cooking.
  • Use a heavy-bottomed skillet to ensure even heat distribution and prevent burning.
  • If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
  • Adjust the seasoning before serving, especially if your broth is low-sodium.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the beef brown only lightly or crowding the pan so it steams leaves the cubes gray and wet on the outside. Then the sauce doesn’t grab onto the meat as well, and the final dish tastes flat and the texture of the beef stays a bit rubbery instead of having a nice seared edge.

Using high heat once the liquid is added can cause the broth and wine to boil hard instead of simmer. The liquid then reduces too fast, the flour thickens too quickly, and the beef turns tough on the outside while the inside hasn’t had time to soften.

Skipping the step of sprinkling flour over the onions and garlic and instead stirring it straight into the liquid often leads to a lumpy sauce. Dry flour clumps float around and never fully smooth out, so the gravy ends up with pasty bits and doesn’t coat the beef evenly.

Adding all the broth and wine at once without scraping the bottom of the pan leaves the browned bits stuck. Those bits can burn as it cooks longer, giving the sauce a slightly bitter, harsh edge and a darker, uneven color.

Equipment Used:

Large skillet, Knife, Cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  1. 2 lbs beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
  2. 2 tbsp olive oil
  3. 1 large onion, diced
  4. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 2 cups beef broth
  6. 1 cup red wine
  7. 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  8. 1 tsp salt
  9. 1/2 tsp black pepper
  10. 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  11. 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Step-by-step Instructions

  1. 1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
  2. 2. Remove beef from skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add onions and garlic, cooking until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
  3. 3. Sprinkle flour over onions and garlic, stirring to coat.
  4. 4. Gradually add beef broth and red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  5. 5. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme.
  6. 6. Return beef to the skillet, bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 to 1.5 hours or until beef is tender.
  7. 7. Serve hot over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of beef?
Yes, chuck roast or stew meat can work too, but may require longer cooking for tenderness.
Is there a substitute for red wine?
You can use additional beef broth with a splash of balsamic vinegar for depth of flavor.
How do I store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove.

Serving Ideas for Traditional Beef Tips

Pair these beef tips with creamy mashed potatoes or buttery egg noodles to soak up the rich sauce. A side of steamed green beans or a fresh green salad adds a perfect contrast to the hearty dish. A glass of the same red wine used in cooking ties the meal together beautifully.

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This recipe is for informational purposes only. Always follow proper food safety practices, cook foods to safe internal temperatures, and store leftovers appropriately. Results may vary.