Is Ball-Tip Steak Good for Grilling?

Grilling is an ideal cooking method for many cuts of beef, including the ball tip steak. The Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association says grilling maximizes the flavor of your steak while keeping it tender.

While perusing through the butcher shop, you may find cuts of beef you never even knew existed, like the ball tip steak, also called the petite sirloin. Ball tip steak is cut from the lower portion of the bottom sirloin butt near the hip bone.

If you like steak, but have concerns about saturated fat and your health, the ball tip steak may be a good choice for you. The Mayo Clinic considers the ball tip steak to be a lean cut of beef. According to the USDA, a 3.5-ounce cooked (roasted) portion of the lean meat trimmed of all fat has:

• 173 calories
• 29 g of protein
• 6 g of total fat
• 2 g of saturated fat
• 88 mg of cholesterol

When it comes to steak nutrition, the ball tip is also a good source of iron with 2.8 milligrams per serving. In the United States, many groups of people don't get enough iron in their diets, including young children, women of childbearing age and pregnant women.

Lean red meats like the ball tip steak make good options for getting more iron in the diet. Plus, your lean grilled steak contains heme iron, which is a bioavailable form of iron that's easy for your body to absorb.

Read more: How to Grill T-Bone Steak, According to a Chef

When it comes to cooking a ball tip steak, grilling is one of the best options, according to The Beef Board. Before you throw your steak on the grill, though, you need to follow a few steps so you get the tastiest results.

First, clean your grill to remove old food residue that may cause flares of fire that could char your steak. Next, oil your grill and preheat until it reaches 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Though it's often recommended that you remove your steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking so it's at room temperature, this may increase your risk of foodborne illness. The Beef Board recommends you remove your steaks from the fridge and season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then place them directly on the grill and skip the warming-up part to reduce your risk of getting sick.

Grill your steak for five minutes, and then flip and cook for another five minutes or until your steak reaches the desired internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer to track doneness. For food safety, the USDA recommends cooking steaks like the ball tip until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.

Read more: 11 Healthy Grilling Tips for the Best Barbecue Ever

The Beef Board suggests steak recipes that call for marinating the ball tip cut of steak before grilling. A marinade adds flavor and may improve tenderness. The American Heart Association suggests keeping your steak marinade simple using ingredients such as low-sodium soy sauce, a touch of olive oil, vinegar and minced garlic.

Or, you can try the LIVESTRONG.com recipe Fresh Mango Marinade, which adds a natural sweetness to your steak.

After preparing your steak marinade, place your ball tip steak into a sealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade to cover the meat. Refrigerate the marinating steak for at least two hours, or overnight, before grilling.

Despite what you may read on the internet, steak marinade recipes don't kill any of the bacteria that may be on your raw steak. Cooking to the recommended temperature is the only surefire way to kill foodborne bacteria.

In fact, you need to dispose of any remaining liquid from your marinade after you've removed your steak. If your steak is a source of germs, those germs are now in your steak marinade and can make you sick. Never use your steak marinade as a dipping sauce or to flavor your meat as it cooks, says the University of Illinois Extension.