Tea Rubbed Sirloin Steak

Labor Day. The grand finale. The final day of the summer to bust out all your tricks and show off your BBQ prowess. Let me see if I can help you wow your audience even more. There is a great recipe I use that was created by Ming Tsai. Ming is the authority on East meets West cooking and I actually have had the pleasure of meeting him a few times in person. He is a pleasure to talk to so if you happen to be in the Boston area, I highly recommend his restaurant – Blue Ginger. This rub will give your beef an amazing smoked flavor without the hassle of using wood chips or a smoker. The Lapsang Souchong tea imparts a slow cooked taste while the Chinese 5 Spice powder and Chile powder give it some kick. The beefiness of the Sirloin matches perfectly with the tanginess of the rub. And to top it off, Sirloin is quite inexpensive so you can free up some cash for other fun beverages and food for the weekend.

What you Need:

3 cups Lapsang Souchong tea leaves
1/2 cup sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chipotle chile powder
1/2 cup dehydrated garlic or regular garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/4 cup cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dried chives or onions
1/4 cup Chinese 5 spice powder
4 8 oz. Sirloin steaks

How to make it

To make the tea rub, combine all the dry ingredients (not the steak) in an airtight container
Spread a ½ cup of the tea rub on a large plate
Coat the steaks by pressing each side into the tea rub
Let the steaks sit for 15 minutes to let the flavor meld with the meat
Grill the steaks on high heat for 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare

Summary

This simple recipe can take a regular sirloin steak and make it into something special. So, if you are pulling out all the stops for this Labor Day, I would give this recipe a shot. It is guaranteed to be so delicious that your friends will be talking about it long after the weekend is over. Happy Labor Day!