What Is Top Sirloin? Our Guide To Sirloin Steaks (2024)

FAQs

What Is Top Sirloin? Our Guide To Sirloin Steaks? ›

The top sirloin is a naturally lean, thick cut of steak with a bold, beefy flavor. This popular steak is delicious on its own, adds huge flavor to recipes, and cooks well with marinades and sauces. Top sirloin is a favorite grilling steak that's lean enough and affordable enough to enjoy any night of the week.

Well, they are both boneless, despite their names. The top sirloin comes from the sirloin of the beef and is more tender. The sirloin tip, however, comes from the round and is a little tougher and leaner in its marbling. Additionally, there is a ridge of fat that runs along the top of the boneless top sirloin steak.

The Sirloin is home to popular fabricated cuts but is first separated into the Top Sirloin Butt and Bottom Sirloin Butt. In the Top Sirlon you'll find steaks great for grilling, while the Bottom Sirloin provides cuts like Tri-Tip and Sirloin Bavette, which are good for roasting or grilling.

Top sirloin is a cut of beef from the primal loin or subprimal sirloin. Top sirloin steaks differ from sirloin steaks in that the bone and the tenderloin and bottom round muscles have been removed; the remaining major muscles are the gluteus medius and biceps femoris (top sirloin cap steak).

The top sirloin steak is the most tender and flavorful of the sirloin cuts. It's taken from the upper portion of the sirloin, close to the short loin. This steak is well-marbled, making it juicy and flavorful. It's often grilled or pan-seared and served as a standalone steak.

The best way to cook this cut is on the grill. But pan-seared Sirloin steak is also delicious. Additionally, you can broil Top Sirloin steaks in the oven, sous vide, or even air fry your steak. Select your favorite Top Sirloin steak marinade or our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning and get started!

"Sirloin steaks are a great budget-friendly option chock-full of flavor," said Jerome, who also suggests cutting sirloin steaks into smaller pieces for another budget-stretching, grill preparation: kabobs. "Top sirloin steaks are a great option to have something lean but also tender and flavorful for your beef kabobs."

On either a cutting board or some other cleanable surface, lay down a bed of salt the size of your steak. Place the steak on top, and completely cover it with salt. Let the salt work on the meat for 15 minutes ( NEVER go longer than 20 minutes). Rinse the salt off the steak thoroughly and pat it dry with a paper towel.

Cooking times and temps

The target temperature for a top sirloin comes down to personal preference. However, it's important to note that higher temperatures can create a tougher steak. A well-rounded option for most, and the temperature that provides ideal tenderness, is medium-rare.

However, sirloin has quite a bit less fat content than a ribeye steak because it doesn't have as much fat marbling running through it. This keeps it from getting as tender during quick cooks, but if you don't mind waiting longer for it to cook, its fibers can loosen up over time.

What is another name for top sirloin steak? ›

Other labels for top sirloin are top butt steak, center cut sirloin, or hip sirloin steak. The meat itself is intensely flavorful, with a deep beefy taste. The muscle is tender, but not quite as tender as cuts like filet mignon or prime rib.

Adjacent to the top sirloin cut, you'll find the sirloin tip. Leaner and less tender than top sirloin, sirloin tips are the most tender of all round cuts. Perfect on its own, this cut is also excellent for marinading. Thus, the ideal cut when you're looking to make (or enjoy) the most tender steak sub.

As long as the sirloin is not overcooked, it will still be tender and juicy. On top of all of this, sirloin is one of the most affordable cuts of steak. If you want quality beef that gets you a little more food for your money, this is arguably the best steak you can find.

These cuts—ribeye, New York strip loin, and filet mignon—can certainly be dubbed the best, and few will disagree. “Filet is the most tender cut, but has the least amount of flavor. Ribeye is the most flavorful, but the least tender of the three, and New York is in the middle.” Flannery explains.

DALLAS FILET

Filet is our most tender cut of beef as well as one of the leanest cut. Our filet is grain finished and aged up to 21 days to provide a “melt in your mouth” texture along with legendary flavour when paired with our steak seasoning.

Sirloin Tip is less tender than Top Sirloin but is the most tender of the round cuts. Because it's low in fat, like a Round Steak, we suggest you marinate for 2-4 hours before cooking, never cook more than medium to avoid toughness, and don't pierce the surface while cooking.

As you can see from the picture, the sirloin is situated in the hindquarter of the animal, and whatever the various steaks are called – whether it be Sirloin Steak, Porterhouse Steak, New York Strip or Striploin Steak – they're all the same cut of beef and they're all boneless.

These cuts—ribeye, New York strip loin, and filet mignon—can certainly be dubbed the best, and few will disagree. “Filet is the most tender cut, but has the least amount of flavor. Ribeye is the most flavorful, but the least tender of the three, and New York is in the middle.” Flannery explains.

If you'd like a more tender version, try top sirloin. It does have a bit more fat content, but it stays more tender when pan-searing or grilling. Top round roast is another lean option, as it comes from the muscular hip region.