The Best Way To Serve Steak For The Perfect Bite-Sized Appetizer

When you think steak you probably imagine a big slab of juicy meat being served up as a showstopping main dish, but there is no reason its deliciousness should be limited to one course. There are so many great cuts of steak out there, and while a ribeye or filet may be best served in the traditional manner, there are plenty of cheaper choices you can have a little more fun with. Leaner, or tougher, steaks still have a robust beefy flavor, and freed from the demanding puritanism of the "perfect" salt and pepper medium rare ideal, you can fry them, shave them, and slather them in whatever sauce you want without catching any side eye or stray comments. In fact if you want a great appetizer you should pair some bite-sized pieces of steak with every sauce you can think of.

If you live outside of New England, you may not know about steak tips, but the Northeast has perfected a form of steak that can effortlessly transition into an easy, satisfying appetizer. Steak tips are cheap pieces of beef that are cut into bite sized chunks, marinated, and grilled. Their origins have been linked to Greek restaurant owners making kebab-style dishes that appealed to locals in New England. It's not hard to see how this dish can be repurposed into a plate full of snackable steaks with toothpicks in them. Pair that preparation with a side of tasty dipping sauces, and you will have a crowd-pleasing starter.

The key to steak tips, or bites, is using an affordable cut that is still tender enough to bite through. For traditional steak tips the choice is normally bottom sirloin, and that is exactly the type of cut you should also be looking at for any bite-sized steak appetizer. Sometimes also called the bavette or sirloin flap, this cut is not as desirable as some other steaks but has just enough tenderness and marbling to be tasty if they are properly marinated. If your local store also sells it, tri tip is a comparable cut that will also work well.

Once cut into bite-sized pieces, and roasted or grilled, plate individual chunks with a toothpick and prepare for the fun part. There are so many sauces that go great with sirloin's savory flavor, but you should always start with some classics. A simple peppercorn sauce, like a steak au poivre, is always a winner, and you can pair that with a lighter, fresh sauce like tomatillo salsa or chimichurri. If you want something with a little more bite, try popular roast beef pairings like a mustard cream sauce or horseradish sauce. There is no reason to hold back and stick to traditional beef pairings. Might we suggest some ponzu, sweet chile sauce, blue cheese sauce or Buffalo? When your beefy appetizer is as easy as this, you can let your imagination run wild.