Tri Tip Help?

TarHeelBBQ

Hi Folks. I'm going to be trying a Tri Tip over the next few weeks. I have researched them some but never tried one. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I hope everyone has a great week!!

Brisket_Fanatic

Reverse sear is how I like to cook them. Add your favorite steak rub and put indirect at 225 until internal is 115, then pull the steak off and go direct at 500 degrees for 60 seconds a side and finish medium rare temp of around 125 - 130. Adjust the temps and time to your steak likings and make sure when you slice it to go against the grain.

r8rs4lf

250* till 120* IT, then reverse sear Usually takes about an hour.

jaydub58

Google Santa Maria Tri Tip.

You'll find a wonderful rub recipe, makes all the difference in the world.  Try to find a nice (3 lb) big one.

Great eats!

MeatChurch

Reverse sear it and you will fall in love with this cut. 

GATraveller

jaydub58 said:

Google Santa Maria Tri Tip.

You'll find a wonderful rub recipe, makes all the difference in the world.  Try to find a nice (3 lb) big one.

Great eats!

+1

grege345

I reverse seared mine as well. What I did different is marinade it for 24 hours. You will love it. Cut across grain. Good luck and keep us posted

fishlessman

this is the recipe i like. find a tutorial on how to cut it, it has a weird twisted grain pattern. only way i can explian it is to start cutting at the point against the grain and start rotating the piece as it thickens

Santa Maria Style Tri-tip
Rich Miller aka Morro Bay Rich
Morro Bay, CA

 
2 (3 pound) tri-tip roasts
Basting Sauce, recipe follows
Seasoning Salt Mixture: recipe follows

Seasoning Salt Mixture:
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
4 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons salt

Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl

Basting Sauce:
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup garlic-infused vegetable oil

Whisk together vinegar and oil in a small bowl.

Coat both sides of the tri-tip roasts with the seasoning mixture, rubbing it in as you would a dry rub. Let the seasoned tri-tip rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Sear each side of the tri-tip at 600 to 700 degrees for 3 to 4 minutes each. Remove seared tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest while bringing the BGE temperature down to 350 to 400 degrees. During this cool down period I usually toss in a couple of oak chunks. Put tri-tip back in the BGE and cook to an internal temperature of 126 degrees for medium rare, basting with the sauce every 5 to 10 minutes. Remove tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest 15 minutes. Cut into ½” slices against the grain.

This recipe is from Foodnetwork.com’s website. It is titled “Santa Maria Style BBQ” Oakwood Grilled Tri-tip. It is as close to authentic Santa Maria tri-tip as I have been able to find.

I usually cook this on a Large BGE and find it take 1 hour and 10 minutes from the time I strike the match to taking the tri-tip out of the BGE.
 

PNWFoodie

Being from Santa Maria, I can tell you it's a very forgiving cut. Season however you like your steak seasoned, roast until 10 degrees below your desired doneness, pull, tent, and rest. Biggest thing is to make sure you cut against the grain. That would be long way, not across. It's going to seem weird, but trust.

TarHeelBBQ

Thanks for all the tips!!! Will keep Yall posted

SmokeyPitt

+1 on the Santa Maria Style.  Here is a carving tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmxHmuV4vTU

Shiff

That's a good video. One caution, though. Be sure to watch the video and not just look at the cover photo that is displayed. The white lines show the grain, not the way to cut it. You always cut across the grain.

Skiddymarker

Our favourite in the Trés Booblay sous vide with a reverse CI sear. Only two of us so a whole tri tip is a bit too much. You can divide the meat into the two distinct parts as in the pic above by @SmokeyPitt. Slice thin.....enjoy.

SmokeyPitt

Great point @Shiff. 

From the video this pic sums it up.  Cut it in half across the black line, then cut along blue lines.  The white lines are the grain lines. 

Hi54putty

Where did you buy it? I haven't seen them around here.

Shiff

Hi54putty said:

Where did you buy it? I haven't seen them around here.

Where is "around here"?

In our area (Lancaster, PA) Stauffer's market sells them.  They started doing it when I requested that the butcher get me some.  All butchers should be able to order it if they choose to do so.

Skiddymarker

Hi54putty said:

Where did you buy it? I haven't seen them around here.

Some times called bottom sirloin....

Shiff

Butchers should be able to order using the IMPS code for the cut.  It looks like an untrimmed Tri-Tip is IMPS 185C and a trimmed one is 185D

grege345

I've seen them at wegmans a lot lately

PNWFoodie

Oh dear gracious people! It's a hunk of meat, not rocket science! Sorry if it's the Santa Maria in me coming out, but honestly, it's not that hard! this is one of the tastiest, most forgiving cuts of meat. Season, cook to medium rare, cut against the grain. Serve with pinto beans (bleck), salsa (yum), and garlic bread and you've got a true SM tradition that you can find throughout town as a fundraiser any weekend.

SmokeyPitt

PNWFoodie said:

Oh dear gracious people! It's a hunk of meat, not rocket science! Sorry if it's the Santa Maria in me coming out, but honestly, it's not that hard! this is one of the tastiest, most forgiving cuts of meat. Season, cook to medium rare, cut against the grain. Serve with pinto beans (bleck), salsa (yum), and garlic bread and you've got a true SM tradition that you can find throughout town as a fundraiser any weekend.

It's what we do here...overthink heating a hunk of beef . 

fishlessman

PNWFoodie said:

Oh dear gracious people! It's a hunk of meat, not rocket science! Sorry if it's the Santa Maria in me coming out, but honestly, it's not that hard! this is one of the tastiest, most forgiving cuts of meat. Season, cook to medium rare, cut against the grain. Serve with pinto beans (bleck), salsa (yum), and garlic bread and you've got a true SM tradition that you can find throughout town as a fundraiser any weekend.

only thing hard about tritip is finding it if your on the wrong coast and paying for it up in newengland. last time i saw one was about 2 years ago, about 14 dollars a pound. its almost as rare as catching a maine lobster in arizona with a trap
i believe you guys get 90 percent of the countrys tritip and we get the same with flap meat for sirliontips

MeatChurch

The wife wanted da tip last night.

Reverse seared with our Holy Cow rub. Indirect 275 and finished at 500 in cast iron. So easy, so good. 

Mkadilla

I cook tri-tip like a steak. Sear direct first (600), then cook to desired temp at around 400-450 for 20-25 minutes and then rest for 10 minutes before serving. Gets a nice crust on it.

Seasonings - liberal dose of McCormick's garlic pepper and onion salt.

Shiff

$14/pound in New England is unbelievable.  Here in Pennsylvania it is usually $6.99/pound. I also usually cook it like a steak to medium rare and it comes out great.

I was at Wegmans in Hunt Valley, MD, yesterday and they didn't have Tri Tip. @Grege345, which Wegmans have you seen them at?

Acn

Shiff said:

$14/pound in New England is unbelievable.  Here in Pennsylvania it is usually $6.99/pound. I also usually cook it like a steak to medium rare and it comes out great.

I was at Wegmans in Hunt Valley, MD, yesterday and they didn't have Tri Tip. @Grege345, which Wegmans have you seen them at?

Interesting, I've never had a problem finding them at that Wegmans. They aren't in the long meat case though, they're in a smaller case that is corned by the organic meat section/fish freezers, opposite the butcher counter. Usually about $10.99/lb.

I load up when I see them at Trader Joes, theirs are usually $7.99/lb, but 75% of the time they only have the ones that are pre-marinated.

Shiff

@grege345, thanks for the location.  I don't think I checked out that cooler case.  We were just passing through and stopped at Wegmans for a lunch (love their subs) and checked out the meat and cheese aisles.  Next time, we'll look for the cooler case you mentioned.  Sounds more expensive than our local Stauffers market, but they might be better quality.