How to make a healthier sirloin steak at home

A steak needn’t be marbled with fat in order to be delicious. Seriously. Yes, fat makes food taste great — but the highly satisfying, robustly savory red meat flavor we treasure is not just (or even mostly) about fat.

That savoriness, sometimes referred to as umami (a.k.a. the fifth flavor), comes from the protein itself. That’s good news, because it means we can enhance the meatiness of a relatively lean cut of red meat to make it more satisfying — and healthier.

The USDA defines a “lean cut” as one that has less than 10 g total fat and 4.5 g saturated fat in a 3.5-ounce cooked serving. A sirloin steak is far leaner than that parameter with about 5 grams of fat and only 2 grams of saturated fat.

Yes, that’s right: the USDA is talking about a 3.5-ounce serving size. Very few adults I know consider that an adequate dinner portion. But as the photo above shows, with sirloin steak, which is served cut into thin strips, those few ounces go a long way. The recipe below calls for a 1.5-pound sirloin: that yields six 3.5- to 4-ounce cooked servings. Each serving has just under 300 calories, 36 grams of protein, 14 grams of total fat and 3 grams of saturated fat, 511 milligrams of sodium and, of course, no added sugar.

To get the most bang for your steak buck, we use a culinary technique to make the most out of the steak’s satisfying umami flavor. When you pair meat with mushrooms, which are also high in umami, you get more delicious meatiness in every bite.

SIRLOIN STEAK WITH MUSHROOMS

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2-pound top sirloin steak

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid and soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Season the steak with the remaining 1/2 salt and the pepper. Add the steak to the skillet and cook until an instant read thermometer inserted horizontally into the thickest part of the center registers 130 degrees F for medium-rare, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest 5 minutes before cutting it across the grain in thin slices.

3. While the steak rests, return the mushroom mixture to the skillet and warm over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Serve the mushrooms over the steak.

Makes 6 servings