With the Fourth of July only days away, there's a good chance you already have outdoor barbecue plans. And whether you're hosting a cookout or just attending one, this recipe from The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook is sure to please any crowd of Independence Day revelers!

Grilled Steak With Texas Mop Sauce (Phase 1)

Serves 4

Description
Coffee might be a surprising barbecue ingredient, but in Texas it often shows up in "mop sauce," which is used to baste, or mop, meat while it's cooking, resulting in a moist and tender dish. The name probably comes from the fact that pit masters in the South actually use cotton mops to baste large quantities of slow-cooking meat. You can rub the steak with a spice mixture of your choice before cooking.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/4 cup strongly brewed decaffeinated coffee
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar-free pancake syrup
1 (1 1/2 pounds) sirloin steak, about 1 1/2 inches thick
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, and syrup. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Transfer 2/3 cup of the sauce to a small bowl and reserve for dipping.

Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Rub steak on both sides with pepper. Grill steak, basting frequently with remaining 1/3 cup mop sauce, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Allow steak to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Cut steak into thin slices, divide evenly among 4 plates, and serve with reserved mop sauce for dipping.

This recipe was reprinted with permission from The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Order your copy today!

Nutritional Information:
299 calories
14 g total fat (5 g sat)
5 g carbohydrate
37 g protein
0 g fiber
180 mg sodium