Espresso-Chile Rubs sirloin right way

I’m always a bit befuddled by selecting steak to cook at home. T- bones are too big. Ribeyes are too fatty. Filet mignon is too expensive. Skirt steak and flank steak are too tough. Flatiron is too, um, beefy.

But I recently discovered the petite sirloin. It appears to be my Goldilocks steak — lean, tender, flavorful, easily portioned and budget-friendly.

I found the steaks in 12 ounce (two steaks) packages at Target for about $8, although I’ve seen the cut for sale in regular grocery stores too.

I seasoned the steaks on both sides with a bit of my Espresso-Chile Rub and let them come to room temperature. Then I cooked them in a hot cast-iron skillet for about 3 minutes on each side, turned off the heat and covered the skillet with a lid while the steaks rested for 2 minutes.

The results were just past my goal of medium, but meat was still tender and juicy. Next time I think I’ll skip the lid during the resting period.

According to the Beef Check Off (aka the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” people), the petite sirloin comes from the ball tip, which is the lower section of the bottom sirloin. I’ve always associated bottom sirloin with tougher cuts, but these little steaks were far from tough and had an excellent flavor. The Beef Check Off recommends marinating and grilling petite sirloin, which I may try in the future, if I can plan ahead for marinating.

Although nutritionists would say that a 6-ounce steak is a bit much, my husband and I found these to be perfectly portioned for our appetites. According to the nutrition data on the package, an unseasoned 6-ounce (before cooking) portion contains approximately 260 calories, 12 g fat, 36 g protein, no carbohydrates, 100 mg cholesterol and 100 mg sodium.

We paired the steaks with steamed squash, asparagus (cooked alongside the steaks in the iron skillet) and mashed potatoes.

Espresso-Chile Rub

1 tablespoon espresso

powder

5 ½ teaspoons ground chile

powder such as ancho

5 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Makes a generous 1/ cup. 3

Democrat-Gazette file photo/STATON BEIDENTHAL Espresso-Chile Rub