Oftentimes, when we think about cooking with tea, all that comes to mind is baked goods. There’s so much more you can do, though, and so we were really excited to find a recipe for a tea-marinated beef dish from Whole Foods. With a little tweaking, Tea Noir-style, it makes a heck of a great dinner, and it’s surprisingly easy to throw together.

Yerba Maté Marinated Sirloin Tips
(adapted from Whole Foods)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons Maté My Sweet lemongrass yerba maté
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, green and white parts, sliced
2 pounds sirloin tips, cut into 8 pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges and parsley for garnish

Procedure

1. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a pot. Once boiling, turn off heat, let water cool for a minute or two, then add the yerba maté and ginger, either in an infuser or on its own. Cover and steep for about 20 minutes, then strain. Allow maté mixture to cool completely, then add half of the green onions.
2. Place sirloin tips in a large plastic bag and add the maté marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove sirloin tips and discard most of the marinade, reserving about half a cup. Season all over with salt and pepper.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until just translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the sirloin tips and cook, flipping once, until brown and slightly crusted, but not quite cooked through.
6. Add the reserved marinade and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the marinade has thickened and glazed the beef and onions, about 10 minutes.
7. Serve over rice, sprinkled with the remaining green onions, with lemon wedges on the side.