Pecan Smoked Tri-Tip & Brined Spuds

[Bob Correll]

My July 4th cook.
The potatoes spent 8 hrs. in a salt brine, with 2 TBS MSS (Montreal Steak Seasoning) added in.
Fired up the kettle, put on the dried, oiled & outside salted spuds.
A near 2 lb. tri-tip was hit with some MSS.

Fired up the WSM with about a dozen briqs, and a large chunk of pecan wood.
One bottom vent half open, smoked for about an hour, internal temp at 115 degrees:

Spuds were about done, so I added more coal to sear the tri-tip:

Well rested, and juicy as all get out:

Results: great smoke flavor, and as tender as any filet mignon I've ever had.
The potatoes were nice and moist, but the MSS flavor didn't show up. I'll have to do one with and one without the brine for a side by side comparison.

Salad for a side.
My wife gave this meal an excellent rating, and trust me, she's stingy with those ratings!

 

[Larry Wolfe]

Holy Smoked Tri Tip Batman!!!! Fantastic and perfectly cooked!!!!

 

[Bill Hays]

No tri-tips in these here parts.

So, I'll live vicariously through your post!

That looks fantastic !!

 

[Jim Lampe]

Here's my rating for this Tri-Tip cook!
Looks Fantastic!!

I like the idea of brining the taters...

 

[Wolgast]

WOW just wow

 

[Glenn W]

Mr. Correl, what have you done? I'm not that far away..........!

NICELY done sir!

 

[G Dechaine]

Geeze...that's tough to cook a tri-tip much better than you did there. Looks amazing.

Keep us posted on the regular brined potatoes.

 

[DaleW]

I swear, I think the WSM was made for tri-tip. It's a good cut of meat regardless, but on a WSM with some MSS and smoke, wow. And Bob, yours was perfect!

We did a tri-tip with MSS but with a mesquite smoke. Mesquite is very easy to get in San Diego, and the tri-tip can handle it. Finished it off with a 2 minute sear with the grate directly on the firebox. Nothing left of two tri-tips at the end of the 4th, so I guess everyone liked it

. I know Mr. Lampe, no pictures, it didn't happen. I'm working on the picture thing....

 

[JimK]

Well, d@mn Bob! Just d@mn! That is outstanding.

Tell us more about the brined 'taters. What do you think of the results (aside from the absence of MSS flavors)?

 

[Bob Correll]

Thanks to all for the kind words!

Jim,
I really don't think that there's a big difference with the brining.
I like moist potatoes, and these were, needing less butter or sour cream, IMO.
I normally coat with oil, and MSS (no foil).
I left the MSS off on these to see if the flavor would come through.
Still need to do them both ways for a better comparison.

 

[r benash]

Well done Bob - looks perfect.

 

[John Solak]

Nicely done. Looks perfect.