Recipe: Easy Maple Bourbon-Glazed Steak Tips and Asparagus
Steak tips marinated in a sweet-and-savory maple and bourbon glaze with crisp-tender asparagus.
Serves4
Prep5 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Steak tips are a favorite in my household for their budget-friendly price and bold beefiness, and I love playing around with different ways to flavor them. My current favorite is a sweet-and-savory marinade of maple syrup and bourbon. Just a quick stint in this marinade infuses every bite with flavor, and searing them in a hot skillet gives them a gorgeous golden-brown crust.
Use the same pan to cook fresh asparagus until sweet and crisp-tender, and finish it all with a buttery sauce made from the tasty bits left behind from the steak. I promise it will rival anything you can order at a fancy-pants steakhouse.
Selecting the Right Cut of Steak
This recipe uses a flavorful marinade, but it only penetrates the right cut of beef. Budget-friendly cuts like steak tips, flap meat, or flank steak have a looser grain of meat, which helps them easily absorb the marinade. Save the more expensive cuts like New York or ribeye, which have a tighter grain and therefore absorb less marinade, for simpler cooking methods.
Easy Maple Bourbon-Glazed Steak Tips and Asparagus
Steak tips marinated in a sweet-and-savory maple and bourbon glaze with crisp-tender asparagus.
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the steak:
- 1 1/2 pounds
sirloin steak tips, flap meat, or flank steak, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup
tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons
bourbon
- 2 tablespoons
maple syrup
- 2
cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon
Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
For the asparagus:
- 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
- 1 pound
asparagus, trimmed
- 1/3 cup
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon
apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Instructions
Marinate the steak: Place the steak in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish or in a resealable gallon plastic bag; set aside. Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over the steak and flip the steak to coat. Cover the baking dish or seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Cook the steak and asparagus: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. While the oil is heating, remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Add the steak pieces to the pan (it's okay to crowd the pan as long as they're in a single layer) and sear until browned and the thickest piece registers 120°F to 125°F for medium-rare steak, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Or cook to 130°F to 135°F for medium steak, and 140°F to 145°F for medium-well steak — add a minute or two for every 10 degrees needed.) Transfer to a serving platter or clean cutting board and set aside in a warm place or cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the asparagus, broth, vinegar, and amount of desired red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is crisp tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and stir until melted and the sauce in the pan is glossy. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the sauce and asparagus with the steak, sliced if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Marinade: The marinade can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Rewhisk before using.