AMAZING Beef Tenderloin Steak Tips, Zip Sauce, Mushrooms, & Arugula

This beef tenderloin tips recipe smothered in zip sauce and mushrooms, and then layered over a bed of peppery arugula is simply AMAZING. Perfect for a special occasion or “just because” this recipe is a great way to indulge in a simple but delicious meal. This steak recipe and sauce have the absolute BEST flavor.

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I first tried this amazing recipe at a restaurant while visiting Detroit for one of my daughter’s volleyball tournaments. We originally ordered this dish as an appetizer to share but after quickly devouring it, placed an order for another to round out our meal.

This recipe combines the best flavors of filet mignon steaks with a savory mushroom sauce and a slightly salty butter sauce. It’s a little bit like eating the best steak you’ve ever had in your life combined with a sauce you’ll find yourself licking off the plate. It’s a good idea to have a chunk of crusty bread nearby because you won’t want to let a drop of this sauce go to waste. It’s perfectly paired with a nice glass of red wine.

What is Zip Sauce?

I learned from our waiter that “zip sauce” is a Detroit classic that is served in steak houses and is a household name throughout Michigan. The original zip sauce came from a high-end Italian restaurant along Woodward Avenue in the late 1930s. And, while my waiter wouldn’t disclose the highly guarded actual recipe the restaurant was serving, he did share that “Maggi” sauce was the key to an “authentic” sauce.

When I got home and attempted to recreate this dish for the rest of our family, I quickly discovered that there are a TON of zip sauce recipes out there. Some of them are fairly complex, calling for clarified butter, dijon mustard, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, garlic cloves, and/or a slew of other herbs and spices. I decided to keep my version very simple (mainly because I try to avoid recipes with a ton of ingredients) but also because the version I’d had was delicious in its simplicity. This version tastes almost exactly like the steak sauce I was served in Detroit, so this is the one I’ve stuck with.

In addition to steak, the sauce goes great with pork chops, chicken wings, or any type of roast.

Zip Sauce Recipe Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1.5 tablespoons Maggi sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 8-oz package portabella mushrooms, sliced

Ingredients For the Beef Tenderloin Steak Tips

• 1 pound tenderloin beef tips, filet mignon tips, sirloin tips, or a whole beef tenderloin cut into chunks
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Additional Ingredient

• 6 ounces Argula for serving

Notes:

• Maggi sauce can be difficult to find. If you are not able to locate a bottle, mixing 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce will give you a similar but not exact flavor profile.
• Avoid beef stew meat and other tougher cuts of meat for this recipe. The best way to make this a meal to remember is, to begin with, a tender cut of beef.
• If your pieces of meat are in wildly different sizes, use a sharp knife to try to make them a bit more uniform. The pieces should be bite-sized, not large chunks.
• While I love the addition of peppery arugula to this recipe, you could also serve the steak over egg noodles (sort of like a fancy beef stroganoff) or brown rice.

How to Make Detroit’s Famous Zip Sauce Recipe

Step One

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.

Add the Maggi sauce and rosemary and whisk until combined

Step Two

Add the mushrooms and stir until coated with the zip sauce. Allow them to simmer on low heat until done, about 5-7 minutes.

Set the zip sauce aside while you prepare the beef tenderloin tips recipe.

How to Cook the Beef Tenderloin Tips

Step One

Mix the salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Use this mix to season the steak bites.

Step Two

Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan or another heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the steak tips to the frying pan in a single layer. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan otherwise you won’t get a good sear on the meat.

Let the beef cook for one or two minutes on each side, just long enough to get a nice golden-brown crust.

Turn the burner off.

Step Three

Carefully add the zip sauce & mushrooms to the pan with the small bite-size pieces of meat. Toss until coated.

Step Four

Spread out the arugula evenly over a large, rimmed serving platter.

Carefully arrange the tender pieces of meat, mushrooms, and zip sauce over the greens.

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