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1st Egg Flop/Damage Control???

Paul58
Paul58 Posts: 79
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Fellow Eggheads, I need help from the eggsperts!

I cook a Tri-Tip Roast tonight and it was a diaster. Not sure what I did wrong, but here's the Prep I did and how I cooked it:

Marinated it all day in a commercial off the shelf beef marinade, started the egg, broght the temp to 650, seared it over direct heat on both sides for about 5 minutes each side, let it rest while I brought the temp down to 350. Dropped in a couple large lumps of hard wood for smoke, put the roast on the rack over a drip pan on the grate suported by the plate setter (legs up)and let it go till it hit 142 (appoximately 1 1/2 hours), then took it off and let it rest for about 20 minutes before carving it.

First thing I noticed when I started carving was that one side of the roast appeared to be well done (and dry) and the other half was a nice medium rare. The side that was medium rare was tasty, but tough!

Any ideas on what went wrong?

Any suggestions on how to salvage this diaster? Was thinking of cutting it into small pieces and slow simmering it in BBQ sauce for several hours in the hopes of tenderizing it a bit and at least get a few BBQ sandwiches out of it.

Last question... What is the best way to prep a lesser, tough cut of meat for roasting on the egg? Any secrets to make a tough cut of meat a miracle meal?

Thanks for any suggestions and feedback!

Comments

  • emilluca
    emilluca Posts: 673
    Has to be sliced VERY THIN against the grain. Use to sell these sliced thin as sandwich steaks. Heat in a hot skillet just a few minutes and put on a bun.
    You could slice thin and place on a griddle and chop for steak sandwiches.
    Like Philly Steak instead of using Rib Eye.
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    I pull tri tips at 120. Also did you slice it thin against the grain?? Heres a link to one pulled at 125 and was a little too done for me so I switched to 120.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=653973&catid=1
  • Paul58
    Paul58 Posts: 79
    Interesting, my Tri-Tip (or at least that's what it said on the label) looked nothing like that! It was way fatter and had string around the middle. When I started carving it, I had no idea which direction the grain was going, but I don't think I hit it across the grain.

    I based the temp on a guide in a cookbook that listed 145 as medium rare, intended to pull it at 140, but got distracted and it didn't come off till 142 degrees.

    Any thought on prep for next time? I have had consistantly good results with brining pork, any similar prep that can be done for beef to help ensure more consistant results?
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Paul,

    145* is ruined. Pull at 120* or 115* if you like rare. Wrap in foil and rest for ten minutes. Temp will rise in the rest.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    Mine was just a little worcestershire and steak seasoning for a few hours before going on. That one was about 2 pounds. This is a 3 1/2 pounder just going on at the mini fest.

    100_3399.jpg
  • Paul58
    Paul58 Posts: 79
    Pat,

    I'm beginning to seriously doubt that we actually cooked a Tri-Tip tonight! Honestly, the piece of meat I cooked looked nothing like that! Hopefully, it was actually some cut of beef, yet which cut is becoming a mystery! The half that looked good was quite red, i.e. more toward rare than medium rare, and the flavor was good, it was just tough. The other side was a complete disaster. There was a swatch of fat running right through the middle of the roast that separated the medium rare side from the well done side! Had I cut it in half and set them on two different plates you'd have sworn they were cooked separately in two different eggs! Based on the way the string was wrapped, I would have had to stand it on edge to cut across the grain, so it was totally messed up.
  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    I'm not an expert but it sounds like a hanger steak
  • Paul58
    Paul58 Posts: 79
    What the heck is a hanger steak? :blink:
  • bubba tim
    bubba tim Posts: 3,216
    Did someone say Bubba? lol Can you say chile or Brunswhick stew? :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:
    SEE YOU IN FLORIDA, March 14th and 15th 2014 http://www.sunshinestateeggfest.com You must master temp, smoke, and time to achive moisture, taste, and texture! Visit www.bubbatim.com for BRISKET HELP
  • bubba tim
    bubba tim Posts: 3,216
    a steak you cook with a coat hanger silly.... :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
    SEE YOU IN FLORIDA, March 14th and 15th 2014 http://www.sunshinestateeggfest.com You must master temp, smoke, and time to achive moisture, taste, and texture! Visit www.bubbatim.com for BRISKET HELP
  • Paul58
    Paul58 Posts: 79
    Bubba Tim, that may be the best suggestion yet Good ole hanger steak chili!
  • Paul58
    Paul58 Posts: 79
    bubba tim wrote:
    a steak you cook with a coat hanger silly.... :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

    Thanks... I figured it be something along the lines of a steak you hang outside and hope the neighbor's dog carries it away for ya!
  • loco_engr
    loco_engr Posts: 5,759
    aka marysvilleksegghead
    Lrg 2008
    mini 2009
    XL 2021 (sold 8/24/23)
    Henny Youngman:
    I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'
    Bob Hope: When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel anything until noon, and then it’s time for my nap
  • RedBag
    RedBag Posts: 72
    Hey Paul,
    Obviously you got from the others that you cooked it too long, but IMHO you also seared it too long. 5 minutes a side is a long time. That high heat will cook everything it gets to the point of well done. That’s why you sear and then take it off and cool down to finish cooking. The longer the sear the more penetrating that part of the cook will be. So I would not only reduce your finished temp I would reduce your sear time to 2 or 3 minutes a side max.
    If you happen to be a big fan of heavy char then get closer to the fire so the sear temp is higher, but don’t leave it on that long.