Hi, darlings! My next dish is coming in hot, hotter than this current Midwestern heatwave. In the spirit of summer, I have a healthy, balanced smoker recipe. My Tex-Mex New York Strip Sirloin Rice Bowls have boldly marinated and reversed seared New York Strip Sirloin. The summer veggies include red bell pepper, jalapenos, onion wedges, and some freshly picked cherry tomatoes that are smoked alongside the meat. Once done cooking, everything is added to a rice bowl and garnished with zesty lime and sprinkles of cilantro. Perfectly balanced protein veggies and carbs will keep you at peak nourishment until the summer heat wave breaks.
Marinade
My marinade is simple and easy but bursting with flavor. Marinating the steak brings out the best flavor with minimal effort. For this marinade, I used 1 tbsp of fajita seasoning, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 lime freshly squeezed, 1 clove of garlic chopped, cilantro, and salt to taste.
When marinating meats and vegetables, I like to use the clips to hold open my plastic bag as I add the marinade ingredients. It helps keep my hands free to measure ingredients and also keeps the bag open so nothing accidentally spills all over the counter. If you grill often, I highly suggest looking into them, as they save time and make the cooking process easier.
Marinating the meat is a vital step in this recipe. I like to marinate the meat for at least two hours before cooking, allowing the flavors to infuse and intensify. For a more intense flavor, you can let it marinate overnight.
Grilling Vegetables
Grilling vegetables is an excellent way to bring a new depth of flavor to your dishes. It’s also effortless to prep and cook alongside your meat. I opt to use a stainless steel grill basket, and after chopping everything, I add them to the basket, spray it with some avocado oil, and set it in the smoker. That it. It’s that easy! Especially when it’s too miserably hot to cook, something simple like this helps to keep dinner on your table before the sun goes down.
Remember to pop any cherry tomatoes with a knife before serving. You wouldn’t want the hot juices to burst in your mouth and burn you!
Reverse Searing your Steak
The cooking method for your New York Strip Sirloin is to reverse sear. This means cooking the steak low and slow, then cooking it fast and hot at the end to create those beautiful grill marks. I preset my smoker, Big Smoke, to 225 degrees F. I will cook the steak alongside the veggies for 45 minutes. Check your smoker to ensure enough pellets are grilled for close to an hour. I used the Mesquite pellets .
Cooking Tip- Reverse sear means to cook your meat on low temps then end it with a quick sear. This method can help you cook more evenly with better temperature control. This method can help your meat become juicer.
At 45 minutes, I will remove the vegetables and set them aside to keep warm. Next, I will push the grill heat up to 450 degrees and sear for one minute, flipping. I’ll sear for a minute more before removing the steaks from the grill entirely. Set your steaks on a plate for 10 minutes. They will continue to cook during this time. It is also a good trick to keep all the steak juices from running all over your cutting board when you go to cut your New York strip into pieces.
I don’t own a Smoker. Can I still make this meal?
Yes, even if you do not own a pellet grill like a Treager you can still reverse sear your steak. You can achieve this by placing your steak into a cast iron skillet and cooking low and slow in your oven for 45 minutes. Take the cast iron skillet out and sear on high heat for 1 minute before letting rest.
If you prefer to grill, you can use a propane or charcoal grill. It’s not as easy to control the temperature with these method but you can do a quick sear on high heat and still have a very flavorful steak.
Instant Pot Rice Hack
Cooking rice should be a breeze! My preferred method is to use the Instant Pot to prepare a batch of rice for the week. It’s incredibly convenient to set it and forget it until it’s ready. You could also use the traditional stovetop method, but who wants to babysit food? Simply add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of rice, set it on the rice setting, and return it when it’s ready to release. You’ll have perfectly fluffy rice without any hassle.
Assembling
Bringing everything together makes this a well-balanced meal.
When removing the stainless steel grill basket and the steak, you will want to be mindful of how hot the grill is. I am a shorty (hence the name of this blog), so I rely on silicone baking mitts to help open the hot smoker and easily grab my food without the fear of getting burned. I like that they are rather large, so they cover a good part of my arms as I reach for things. I haven’t burned myself yet.
I like to add my rice first, then vegetables. Next is sliced New York Strip Sirloin. I finish with lime juice and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
The Wrap
Thhanks for reading about how to make my Tex-Mex New York Strip Sirloin rice bowls. If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my other smoker and steak recipes below:
I hope your summer reflects your meal: balanced, bold, and something to enjoy. I had a bunch of fun creating this dish, so I hope you enjoy it. This recipe was made with love from my grill to yours.
-J.Marie
Tex-Mex New York Strip Sirloin Rice Bowls
Equipment
- 1 pellet grill
- 1 bag for marinade
- 1 knife for cutting vegetables
- 1 stainless steel grill basket for vegetables
Ingredients
Steak Marinade
- 1 tbsp fajita seasoning
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1/3 tbsp fresh cilantro
Tex-Mex New York Strip Sirloin Rice Bowls
- 2 New York Strip Sirloin Steaks
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 white onion sliced
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño chopped
- 1 spray avocado spray
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 lime wedges for ganrish
Instructions
- Place marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and add New York Strip steaks. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 24 hours.
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees.
- Add bell pepper, jalapeño, white onion, and cherry tomatoes to a stainless steel grill basket. Lightly spray with avocado oil.
- Place steaks and grilling basket full of vegetables onto the pellet grill and smoke for 45 minutes.
- Remove vegetables at the end of 45 minutes and transfer to bowl. Wrap with foil to keep warm.
- Keep steaks on grill and increase temperature to 450 degrees F. Flip once after cooking steak for one minute. Grill marks should be visible.
- Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Cook rice.
- Add cooked rice, then smoked vegetables. Next cut your steak into strips and add to your rice bowl. Squeeze some lime and sprinkle fresh cilantro.
