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Tri Tip - Reverse Sear or Initial Sear

Philicious
Philicious Posts: 346
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum
Picked up a pork shoulder on my way home tonight.  Saw 4 beautiful tri tips in the case (we don't get too many of them in East TN).  Only $9.49 per pound for them - choice cut - at Earth Fare.  At least there is not high fructose corn syrup in them.

I am going to try the Santa Maria style that I have read about repeatedly over the last few weeks.  What are the differences between an initial sear or a reverse sear?
Born and raised in NOLA. Now live in East TN.
«1

Comments

  • chuff
    chuff Posts: 255
    No comparison in my opinion. Tenderness is light years ahead of any other method if you reverse sear them. It's essential with tri-tip that you slice across the grain to serve.
    XL BGE
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I'm sold on reverse sear, just be careful about the rise.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    @Philicious in the finished product, I don't think there is probably any difference.  I reverse sear steaks and tri's.  For me, it is easier to put the tri on the BGE with a probe thermo inserted and bring it to about 120.  I have the BGE about 350 but you could do it a little hotter.

    When it hits the mark you are looking for, open up the vents bring the BGE up and sear each side about 90 seconds. A 90 second per side sear, plus the rest period will bring the tri's up to 135 or 140.
  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    I get the egg to nuke temps and throw the tri tip directly on the coals with no grate. Remove the meat and stabilize to 400-500 and finish raised direct to 140 and remove. I prefer red eye express rub for tri tip. 
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • Philicious
    Philicious Posts: 346
    nola - what do you mean about being careful about the rise?

    BTW, a buddy of mine sat in on the Vilma hearing/trial today.  Said Vilma was quite the man and Goodell was a turd.
    Born and raised in NOLA. Now live in East TN.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102

    nola - what do you mean about being careful about the rise?

    BTW, a buddy of mine sat in on the Vilma hearing/trial today.  Said Vilma was quite the man and Goodell was a turd.
    If you want medium rare, and you're cooking at a given temp, you'll pull off when the internal temp is a few degrees below your target because there's a rise in temp as the hot outer meat cooks the internal, where you took the temp.  A reverse sear adds more heat to this process, so you can easily overshoot your target.  So pull off 4 or so degrees earlier before the sear than you'd do if you weren't reverse searing. 

    The difference between medium rare, medium and medium well is just a minute or two for a steak, more for a tri-tip.  Bottom line, pull off a few degrees early before the reverse sear.

    Vilma is a really good guy.  I think he got the proverbial shaft because he's the defensive capt of the team.  He doesn't have much time left in the NFL.  A shame really he's suspended for a year.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    I figure 15 degree rise in the sear and the 5-10 minutes rest before serving.  This will be close, so pull it at 120 for medium rare, 125-130 for medium, etc
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    The smaller the cut, the bigger the rise.  The hotter the cook and/or sear, the bigger the rise.  
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Bayarad
    Bayarad Posts: 313
    I' m with Travis except I don't throw them on the coals I sear it first at about 650 or 700 for about 2 minutes a side then indirect at 400 until internal temp hits 135-140 then rest for 5 minutes always juicy and succulent medium rare!
  • Bayarad
    Bayarad Posts: 313
    Might have to try Travis' direct on the coals method next!
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I' m with Travis except I don't throw them on the coals I sear it first at about 650 or 700 for about 2 minutes a side then indirect at 400 until internal temp hits 135-140 then rest for 5 minutes always juicy and succulent medium rare!
    It's easier that way, predictable rise.  But it takes less energy (heat into the meat) to get the same amount of maillard reaction (yummy sear) so it's the preferred technique if you want a nice outside sear and an evenly rare to medium rare inside. If you don't mind the "ring" of medium well, it's easier to sear first. 

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    A big roast will certainly rise quite a bit if it is being roasted at a high temp. Lot of inertia there
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    You sear first and you're adding lots of heat to cook off the moisture on the outside of the steak and you end up cooking the first quarter inch of meat medium to well done.  To get the same amount of sear at the beginning, you may have to cook for 3x the time at the same heat as at the end when the surface is dry and already hot.

    It's gonna taste good either way, there's no wrong way to do it.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Bayarad
    Bayarad Posts: 313
    I actually like the ring of medium with some char on the outside contrasted with the semi-bloody buttery medium rare middle! Ahhh! that's sum steak! The Dizzy Pig Red Eye Express makes a great crust!
  • gte1
    gte1 Posts: 379
    They both work well and yield excellent results for tri tip. . For steaks though I notice a marked difference in taste between the two methods. I much prefer the trex method. Try letting the tips rest foiled for at least 15 min. This also requires pulling a little sooner. George
    George
  • Stoater
    Stoater Posts: 292
    Scuse my ignorance is tri tip a sirloin tip?
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    edited July 2012
    wellllll....
    i may have this wrong.  but this used to come up alot.  i believe tri-tip is from the bottom sirloin.  the sirloin tip from the top sirloin

    when in doubt, you may have to ask for the NAMP designation, because street names and local variations can be confusing.  supermarket meat cutters may not knowwhat you are talking about

    here's the difference between the sirloin tip, and the tri-tip

    tri-tip

    sirloin tip

    i have only seen true tri-tip around here once or twice.  i don't quibble, but take them at their word.  who the heck is gonna know around here?  but i think in cali, where reputations hang on this sorta thing, there's a big (enough) difference considered between the two
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Stoater
    Stoater Posts: 292



    here's the difference between the sirloin tip, and the tri-tip

     

    Thanks Stike, I saw a sirloin tip in Sams yesterday, is it a nice cut for low and slow, how would it compare to brisket, is it more a roast for say a sunday dinner, with yorkies, roasties and gravy.

     

    Cheers.

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Brisket has much, much more collagen than any sirloin cut, it's a tough piece of meat to eat unless you cook the bejesus out of it, brine it or grind it up.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • cmkratt
    cmkratt Posts: 54
    Tri-tip is one of my favorite cooks. I pick one up weekly at HEB. I've done both the reverse sear and the initial sear. They both came out great. I prefer the reverse sear mainly because I think it's easier. Start out with a low fire around 225 with some oak chunks, pull the tri-tip at 120, open the vents to 550+, and sear for 90 seconds a side. Then rest for 10 minutes before slicing. The end product should look something like this...

    image
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Only 9.49 lol thats expensive
  • ribnrun
    ribnrun Posts: 174
    9.49/lb hurts.

    I tried a reverse sear last night. Roasted at 300 indirect till internal was at 125. Set up direct and let the air fire it up. Got to about 600, put the tri tip back on for about 1 min a side. The end result was very tender and pretty juicy.

    I had a question to those who reverse sear more often, as this was my first crack at it. I let the tri tip rest for 15 minutes, on my slicing platter on the kitchen counter, uncovered. There was a huge puddle of juice on the plate after the 15 minute rest, and the tri tip was not sliced yet. The end result was pretty good and juicy, so it's not like the meat was missing that juice. It actually made a real nice dipping sauce for the meat.

    Do others see this much juice running out of something reverse seared?
  • chuff
    chuff Posts: 255
    @cmkratt - I've never seen a tri-tip that looked like that. What part of the country are you in?
    XL BGE
  • gte1
    gte1 Posts: 379
    9.49/lb hurts.

    I tried a reverse sear last night. Roasted at 300 indirect till internal was at 125. Set up direct and let the air fire it up. Got to about 600, put the tri tip back on for about 1 min a side. The end result was very tender and pretty juicy.

    I had a question to those who reverse sear more often, as this was my first crack at it. I let the tri tip rest for 15 minutes, on my slicing platter on the kitchen counter, uncovered. There was a huge puddle of juice on the plate after the 15 minute rest, and the tri tip was not sliced yet. The end result was pretty good and juicy, so it's not like the meat was missing that juice. It actually made a real nice dipping sauce for the meat.

    Do others see this much juice running out of something reverse seared?
    Put it in a pan and cover when resting. Still get juice but easier to collect. Great for French bread. It seems covered they retain a little more moisture.
    George
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    @cmkratt - I've never seen a tri-tip that looked like that. What part of the country are you in?
    +1 
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    @cmkratt - I've never seen a tri-tip that looked like that. What part of the country are you in?
    It's marketed by the Stingray Scallop company.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    @cmkratt - I've never seen a tri-tip that looked like that. What part of the country are you in?
    It's marketed by the Stingray Scallop company.
    ahhhh. the elusive stingray scallop. I've tried to make fried scallops out of stingray wings. they were good but not the same. 
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    cmkratt said:

    Tri-tip is one of my favorite cooks. I pick one up weekly at HEB. I've done both the reverse sear and the initial sear. They both came out great. I prefer the reverse sear mainly because I think it's easier. Start out with a low fire around 225 with some oak chunks, pull the tri-tip at 120, open the vents to 550+, and sear for 90 seconds a side. Then rest for 10 minutes before slicing. The end product should look something like this...


    image
    i suggest cutting it much thinner. Where is that from? Tri tip I get is always look triangular.
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Yeah mine always look like large triangles and then recently at Cosco I've seen that now they look like strips and I'm wondering they're still labeled try tip but they look nothing like the larger tri-tip. so now they offer both the triangle tri- tip and the strip tri- tip I am watching for you guys to buy the strip so sticking with the triangular size.