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Tri-tip cooked to a perfect medium-rare.
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Technically, tri-tip is a triangular shaped cut of steak cut from the bottom of the primal sirloin. But being a roast, this is not your typical steak cook of sear, flip, sear, bake, rest. Grillin' Fool Scott Thomas explains exactly how to cook and serve it in the article below.
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Pro Tip ~ Carve the onions into thick slices and then spear the sides with wooden skewers, then lop off the ends of the skewers with wire cutters. This will keep the onions intact on the grill even as they become soft and opaque.
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Tri-tip can be sliced like traditional top sirloin, or used as the base for marinated grilled steak tacos.
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Browning the tacos on the grill takes no time at all, so refrain from engaging in long, tall tales or leaving the grill for any reason.
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Memorable steak tacos, made from marinated tri-tip steak and grilled vegetables.
Editor's Note: Scott Thomas is the founder of GrillinFools.com, a website offering step-by-step, picture-by-picture, foolproof instructions on the best ways to grill meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables. Scott is also recognized nationally as a featured blogger for both Char-Broil and Sears. From time to time, he'll weigh in here as well.
The 4th of July is right around the corner and your grill will be used to feed that crowd coming over somehow, some way. But what to serve?
“Man, steak would be great, wouldn’t it,” your stomach says. “That'll impress all the people coming over.”
“I’m thinking burgers and brats,” your wallet chimes in.
Your brain is torn on which to go with, so you visit your local butcher to help make the decision. When you see the steak prices, your stomach, wallet and brain all agree, “Burgers and brats will have to do this year. We can do steaks next year.”
But what if there was a way to serve some awe-inspiring steak without breaking the bank? And there is: It's called a tri-tip.
What is a tri tip? Technically, it’s a triangular shaped cut of steak taken from the bottom of the primal sirloin cut. “Wait, sirloin?” your brain scoffs. “I thought you said steak and not some tough piece of meat that has to be marinated for a week by those national ‘steak’ chains to pass for chewable.”
Hang with me here. The tri-tip is a roast that is generally between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds and because it is so large, and with proper preparation and grilling, will be every bit as tender and juicy as that NY Strip and even most of the rib-eye (the money muscle on the top outer edge of the rib-eye not included). Also, it generally runs about two thirds the cost of those more traditional steaks.
Being a roast, this is not your typical steak cook of sear, flip, sear, bake, rest. No, we need to make sure this sirloin is incredible, and indeed we will. Generally speaking, one of these will feed four to six people so buy accordingly based on your guest list. When you get them home, there may be a thick layer of fat on one side. Trim that down, but not all the way. Leave a little to melt into the meat as it cooks.
Now, let’s marinate those bad boys overnight. Put the tri-tips in a resealable plastic container or bag with Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, black and white pepper. No amounts here, just enough Worcestershire to coat the meat and garlic and pepper to taste. Place the bag in the fridge overnight.
The next day pull the steaks out of the marinade and pat them dry with paper towels. Season with salt and your favorite BBQ rub or steak seasoning.
Prepare a standard grill for two zone grilling with charcoal and smoke wood on one side and the meat on the other. Target internal temperature for the grill is 250-300. For a kamado grill, put the plate setter between the coals and the meat. For a gas grill, turn on the burner on one side and leave the others off. Keep playing with the fire on the one burner until the grill is between 250-300 degrees. Then place a foil ball filled with unsoaked wood chips as close to the actual burner as possible. When the foil ball starts smoking, place the tri-tips on the side with no heat.
Smoke until they reach an internal temperature of 120 degrees (about 45 minutes depending on the heat of the grill and the size of the steaks). At this point, stoke up the fire and sear them over high heat to get a great flavor crust on the outside. Once you get some nice char marks on both sides, remove from the heat and allow them to rest. This is vital to make sure they are juicy. See, when those steaks come off the grill, the juices inside are in an excited state. If sliced immediately, those juices will run all over the cutting board. Wait eight to ten minutes before slicing into them.
Slice it like you're carving prime rib, definitely across the grain. Carve off the slices and serve them just like you'd serve top- or other cuts of sirloin.
OR, let’s take this up another notch. One of my favorite ways to serve tri-tip is in grilled steak tacos. When picking up the meat the day before, buy some bell peppers, chilies and onions.
After dropping the meat into the marinade, grill up some bell peppers, chilies and onions and place them in the fridge over night as well:
Pro Tip ~ Carve the onions into thick slices and then spear the sides with a couple of wooden skewers and then lop off the ends of the skewers with wire cutters. This will keep the onions intact on the grill even as they become soft and opaque.
Take tortillas and layer some shredded cheese, then a couple slices of tri-tip and finally the peppers and onions. Fold into tacos and brush the top oil, place on a hot grill oil side down and brush the other side with oil. Don’t walk away from the grill at this point, start telling stories, use the restroom, or go and refill your drink--this does not take long. Brown one side of the taco and then the other. Remove from the heat, plate and serve.
Notes: if you want the tri-tip more rare, sear when they reach 110 degrees; for more done, sear at 130 degrees or higher. Also realize that with a roast this size, doneness may not be consistent throughout. The points tend to get more well-done than the middle.
