Savory Beef With Onions and Mushrooms

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Heat the shortening or oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the beef to the skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides.

4. Mix the flour with the salt, pepper, and thyme; sprinkle over the beef. Add the onions and mushrooms back to the skillet along with the beef broth, vinegar, and ketchup. Stir to blend ingredients. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender. Tenderness depends on the cut of meat used. 

5. Serve with hot cooked rice.

The Mysterious Beef Tip Cut

You won't find a specific cut of beef labeled "tip" on a diagram of a cow. Beef tips are nothing more than beef cut into cubes (or trimmings) which can come from any part of the animal—tenderloin, sirloin, round, chuck. It all depends on how much you want to pay.

Beef cubes or tips from the chuck or round are excellent for stew, as in this recipe, because they are simmered low and slow to break down the connective tissue in the meat.

Tenderloin or sirloin, on the other hand, would be used for any recipe calling for meat that doesn't need to be cooked for hours, like beef stroganoff.

More Ways to Use Beef Tips

This versatile, and sometimes economical, cut of beef can be used in multiple ways. Try a sirloin tip recipe slow-cooked with mushrooms or easy beef tips slow-cooked or oven-cooked and served with rice. A classic combo is sirloin tips with canned mushroom soup and onion soup mix served with mashed potatoes or noodles.