some tips for you

Here's the thing: I still don't really like beef.*

*Imagine the chagrin of my stepdad, who is a beef cattle farmer...

I'll happily eat ground beef (which, ironically, my stepdad doesn't like), but other cuts turn me off something powerful. Depending on the cut, it's either too chewy, too stringy, or too fatty for me. That said, I don't have a lot of experience cooking various pieces of cow, so some research was required when I got sirloin tips (among other items to receive blog treatment later) in my Butcher Box.

In the end, I decided to play it safe and use the recipe that came in the box--Steak Tip Fajitas. We do love some spice in our meals. We actually still have some bell peppers on our plants (hooray!), and I combined a couple with some onions to make the veggie component that all fajitas must have. I threw in some roasted red peppers for color.

This is a meal that seriously goes from start to finish in about 15 minutes (okay, a bit more if you like your veggies softer), and I like that. I like it a lot. Even better, by simply changing up the type of cheese and choice of bread, you can have cheesesteaks just as easily!

Tip-Top Steak Tip Fajitas (or Cheesesteaks!)
(printable recipe)
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
• 1 bell pepper, coarsely sliced
• 1 onion, coarsely sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
• 16 ounces sirloin beef tips
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Tortillas and Mexican blend cheese or hoagies and provolone or mozzarella cheese, for serving

Directions:
Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil; when it shimmers, add the sliced bell pepper and onion.
Cook for 10-15 minutes, until softened but not limp.
Stir in the roasted red peppers, cumin, and chile powder and mix to combine; remove from pan to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the other tablespoon of oil to the sirloin tips along with salt and pepper; toss to combine.
Add the tips to the pan over medium-high heat and cook to at least 125 degrees F, turning often.
When the desired temperature is reached, remove the tips to a cutting board and let them cool for about 10 minutes.
Slice the tips into smaller strips, then return them to the pan with the veggies to heat everything through.
Serve with cheese to top and tortillas or hoagies to stuff.