Beef Sirloin Tip Roast Crock Pot

About This Recipe for Sirloin Tip Roast Slow Cooker

What you should expect is a pot roast style succulent beef without a trace of chewiness. You will be able to effortlessly break the meat apart with a couple of forks and serve it in a number of different ways - see the bottom of the post for suggestions or create your own presentation.

We demonstrate a method of preparation in a slow cooker with white button mushrooms but there are several other ingredient line-ups that work beautifully. These are listed right above the recipe card below. The cooking process remains the same.

Understand the Cut of Beef

The beef sirloin tip roast comes from the round primal cut.

It is a lean cut of beef that includes cross sections of four muscles (the quadriceps group) and sits at the top of the hip and can come in different sizes depending on how the round and the sirloin were separated by the butcher.

Below is a picture of a large cross-cut raw sirloin tip, about 5 pounds in total weight. It contains parts of all the quadriceps muscles that comprise the sirloin tip roast with the rectus femoris prominent in the middle.

TIP: The sirloin tip roast is known by many other names such as knuckle, sirloin butt, bottom sirloin, round tip and ball tip.

What is the Difference Between Sirloin Roast and Sirloin Tip Roast?

In a nutshell, a sirloin roast has tender and lean meat while a sirloin tip roast has tough and lean meat. The former is relatively expensive while the latter (subject cut) is very inexpensive. Here is why.

A sirloin roast is essentially a whole top sirloin with the connective tissues removed and some of the fat cap left in order to lubricate the meat and give it texture as it cooks. It is also a much smaller roast, about two and a half pounds on average.

Sirloin roast is derived from the sirloin primal cut which sits in front of the round primal. The top sirloin muscle naturally does less work and therefore the meat is much more tender than that of the sirloin tip (which is used for support and mobility).

How to Cook a Sirloin Tip Roast

The best way to cook beef sirloin tip roast is low and slow and with moist heat. In other words - braising it. This flavorful but tougher cut of meat lends itself beautifully to the technique and yields rich, tender meat in result.

While oven searing a whole sirloin tip and then slow roasting it to a medium-rare or medium does lead to rather good-looking dry roast, the texture of the beef never reaches the succulent tenderness produced by braising.

Finally, thinly sliced sirloin tip steak is very easy to quickly pan-fry or grill but should be properly tenderized and marinated beforehand.

A Few Simple Ingredients

Sirloin Tip Roast. Be sure to procure a cross-section piece as shown above. This cut can also be sold separated into distinct muscles (each of the four quadraceps separated and sold full length).

Aromatics and seasonings. You will need onions, fresh garlic, thyme (the fresh herb or dried) and kosher salt and pepper to season the beef prior to searing it. You can add some garlic or onion powder, paprika if you like it.

Oil and Cooking liquid. Sear the beef in olive oil or vegetable oil. For the braising liquid you can use red wine and beef broth as shown or if you prefer you can substitute the red wine with a porter ale and add a bit or Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 - Prepare the roast. You will begin by thoroughly patting dry the roast, seasoning it with salt and pepper and searing it on ALL sides over medium-high heat until golden brown. Once browned you will set it on top of two thickish raw onion rings placed at the bottom of your slow cooker (see picture below). Lower the heat under the frying pan to medium-low.

TIP: Do not skip searing the roast even if this seems unnecessary to you. It is an essential step to creating more flavorful beef. As the dry surface of the sirloin tip is browned by the hot heat of the frying pan/large skillet, a number of aromatic flavor compounds are born via the Maillard reaction. You will literally be creating some of the rich flavor base for the dish.

Step 2 - Prepare the braising liquid. In the same pan over the lowered heat saute the onion and garlic, along with thyme until just softened. Deglaze with red wine (or dark beer or beef stock), scrape off all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and then allow to simmer until the liquid reduces by about half.

Step 2 - Slow cook. Pour the braising liquid base over the roast in the slow cooker, tuck in the thyme bunch and add the beef broth as shown below. Close the lid and begin cooking (low or high setting is your choice). Cook for at least 3 hours before you add the mushrooms, possibly longer if your roast is large and you selected low (consult the How Long to Cook For section below).

Step 3 - Add the mushrooms and finish cooking. When it appears that the sirloin tip is becoming quite tender when tested with a fork you can add the mushrooms and finish braising. First halve the mushrooms and saute them over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes in only olive oil to impart more flavor. You can lightly season them with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then add them to the slow cooker. Cook until the roast is so tender that you can easily break apart chunks with forks.

How Long to Cook Sirloin Tip Roast in a Slow Cooker?

The short answer is - until it is fall-apart tender. The internal temperature is irrelevant when braising beef roasts in a slow cooker.

The exact time depends on

• the size of the roast
• the setting of the crock pot (low vs high)
• the actual brand and model of the crock pot (they all are calibrated differently)

Overall, budget at least 3-4 hours for HIGH and up to 8 for LOW, maybe longer. This is assuming a five pound raw roast. You are the boss when it comes to deciding when the sirloin tip is done - just trust what you see and allow enough time according to your preferences.

Serving Suggestions for Slow Cooker Sirloin Tip Roast

We often enjoy the slow cooked sirloin tip roast broken up into sizeable chunks doused in the strained slow cooker liquids. There is really no need to make a gravy as the sauce does not contain too much fat and is of perfect consistency to be absorbed by the lean meat. Just run it through a mesh strainer. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes for maximum comfort food effect.

If we have leftovers of the tender beef after the initial meal we like to highlight the flavorful meet as part of other plates. Some easy ways to delight in the ultra tender braised tip roast (never forget to soak it in the some of the cooking juices first) include:

nachos - break it up in very small pieces, scatter over tortilla chips, add cheese and other ingredients you'd like and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted

sandwiches - self explanatory, let your own taste buds dictate how you want your sandwich built

wraps - same as above

rice or quinoa bowls - pile up your favorite boiled rice or quinoa, add shredded sirloin tip, add veggies and fixings to your liking, douse with sauce and enjoy

noodles - same as above, we think rice vermicceli and ramen noodles work particularly well, flavor with some Hoisin sauce if you'd like

tacos - add avocado, thinly sliced red onions or radishes, Oaxaca cheese, all kinds of salsa (but consider salsa borracha) and more.

How to Store and Reheat

Once you have enjoyed your initial fill of succulent beef, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, along with the strained braising liquid. The braising liquid has so much flavor and the immense potential to moisten your leftover meat once you get around to re-heating it.

To reheat transfer the beef and liquids to an appropriately sized pan for which you have a lid. Heat over medium until the meat is warmed through and prefectly moist. Alternatively, use the microwave.

More Ideas to Prepare This Cut in a Slow Cooker

Traditional Pot Roast. Use aromatic vegetables such as onions (chopped relatively large and rough), carrots and cellery and add baby gold potatoes or red potatoes to create a satisfying classic pot roast. Add those cut into just a bit bigger than bite size pieces about an hour after you start the crock pot so they can cook through but not become mushy. Remember that you can always take them out if you feel they are cooked while the roast could use extra time.

Garlicky Green Beans Sirloin Tip Roast. Prepare the roast as instructed but skip the mushrooms entirely. Instead allow it to cook until tender and shortly before serving prepare these buttery garlic green beans to serve along.

Root Vegetables Sirloin Tip Roast. Use sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga and beets (yellow beets work better) cut into chunks and perhaps tossed in brown sugar (to taste, to take the edge off any natural bitterness). Add them to the crock pot about an hour or so into the cooking time. Check for tenderness and remove before the beef is done if necessary.