This was my first tri tip cook (didn't take any pics) and actually my first time using oak. I have been wanting to cook some in the wsm for a few years now, but for some reason you just can't find them here. I also would not have used oak unless the recipe called for the cook to use it for an authentic flavor. The wife and I really enjoyed the finished product. I cooked (2) 1.5# roasts at 350F for about 40 minutes, and then seared them on top of the coals for about 2 minutes on each side after the internal temp made it to 125F.
All in all, they were very good, but I had to hunt them down at half dozen different butcher shops until I found them. I paid $8.20/lb, and I'm sure that was way too high. At least I now know what I was missing. I don't think it will become one of my staple cooks, but I will keep my eye out for when they go on sale (I don't think they ever do, though). It also got me to use another wood. I tend to stick to old faithfuls for me, pecan, apple, hickory, and mesquite. Between those, I have cooked just everything from brisket to meatloaf and turkey. Oak definitely gives it a unique flavor that I wasn't expecting. It's definitely more noticeably to me than pecan, and it has a unique smokey flavor.
Since it was a very short cooked, I also took the opportunity to smoke two very large steelhead trout fillets using the coals and a small chunk of apple. Was a good day.
All in all, they were very good, but I had to hunt them down at half dozen different butcher shops until I found them. I paid $8.20/lb, and I'm sure that was way too high. At least I now know what I was missing. I don't think it will become one of my staple cooks, but I will keep my eye out for when they go on sale (I don't think they ever do, though). It also got me to use another wood. I tend to stick to old faithfuls for me, pecan, apple, hickory, and mesquite. Between those, I have cooked just everything from brisket to meatloaf and turkey. Oak definitely gives it a unique flavor that I wasn't expecting. It's definitely more noticeably to me than pecan, and it has a unique smokey flavor.
Since it was a very short cooked, I also took the opportunity to smoke two very large steelhead trout fillets using the coals and a small chunk of apple. Was a good day.