Delicious Bowls: Marinated Sirloin Tips with Sweet Potato Rosti (Chipotle Mayo and Pecans)

Stack the disks of  sweet potato rosti, drizzle with the chipotle mayo and sprinkle with toasted pecans (torn basil and tarragon as garnish)

Add some roasted mushrooms and vine tomatoes - fresh tarragon and basil- This was a really great dinner - and low carb!

Brush with the same marinade as the meat before roasting

When we were living in New York City (in the late 80's) we discovered a wonderful restaurant called Trixie's.  It was the first time we had sweet potato fries and we loved them.  The Trixie's fries were topped with mayonnaise and sprinkled with walnuts.  


The idea for this low-carb meal was inspired by this wonderful dish and memory (sweet potatoes are apparently OK, in moderation, for low-carb eating).  The sweet potato rosti pairs well with the salty marinated sirloin tips (you can also alternate with sweet potato fries).  The chipotle mayo adds a little zing and smoky flavour  and the pecans supply the crunch (toasting them brings out even more flavour).  The marinade recipe for the beef (can also be used for chicken) has been in our family for decades and is still a favourite.  There is lots of flavour in this dish!  One of my favourite dinners!

You will need for the sweet potato rosti: 2 - 3 portions

• 1 large sweet potato washed (no need to peel), about 3 cups, julienne or grated (I have a wonderful julienne mandolin made by Borner that I use for this that you can find on Amazon or Aries in Montreal);
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp (15ml) of ghee or clarified butter
• salt and pepper

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1. There are two ways to cook rosti:  in a pan as described in Swiss Rosti (you can then quarter and stack the rosti);
2. Or, in the oven in small stackable portions - I found this easier to manage.

Oven method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C);
2. Place the grated or julienned sweet potato (1 large - 3 cups) in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper;
3. Add the beaten egg and mix together;
4. Brush a parchment lined baking sheet with melted clarified butter or oil and place evenly sized stacks (3 inches - 7.5 cm in diameter) of the sweet potato mix on the baking sheet;
5. Bring in the edges to prevent burning and pat down to even size;
6. Bake on top rack of the oven for 8 minutes;
7. Flip and bake for another 4-5 minutes.
8. When ready to serve, gently reheat and stack the rosti disks.  Drizzle with chipotle mayo (a squeeze bottle works well for this) and sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans.

If you find some of the edges are a little too crisp - just trim off with scissors before stacking

For the Chipotle Mayo (Makes 1/2 cup - 80ml)

• 1/2 cup (120ml) of Hellman's mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) of seasoned rice vinegar
• chopotle powder to taste
• 2 tbsp (3ml) of water to thin out the mayonnaise

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1. Add the seasoned rice vinegar (1 tbsp - 15ml) to the mayonnaise;
2. Mix in the chipotle powder;
3. Whisk in the water slowly until you get the desired consistency;
4. Place in a squeeze bottle if you have (this makes a great salad dressing too).

For the Marinated Sirloin Tips - 2 to 3 portions

• 1 lb (450g) of sirloin tip or filet roast, cut into large cubes
• 1/2 cup (120ml) of oil (I used olive oil)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) of low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp of finely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp (30ml) of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp (30ml) of yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup (60ml) of fresh lemon juice
• freshly ground pepper

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1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the sirloin cubes;
2. Allow meat to marinate, refrigerated,  for at least 12 hours;
3. When ready to cook, remove the cubed sirloin from the marinade and allow excess liquid to strain off the meat (it will char better if the meat is relatively dry);
4. You can keep the excess marinade and boil it for 5 minutes to use as a glaze for the meat as it is cooking.
5. Enjoy!

Note:  I make a double batch of this marinade and place it with cubed meat and chicken in the freezer in the portion size I need.   When I'm  ready to cook it up, I remove it early in the day from the freezer and the meat continues to marinate as it thaws in the fridge.  It is ready to go for the evening meal.

Thought and smile of the day: