tri-tip vs. sirloin tip roast ...


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Bill Harvey

TVWBB Super Fan
Is there a difference in the two?? I was reading Chris' article on smoking "tri-tip" ... I believe it said the tri-tip was the end of the sirloin and weighed 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. I smoked a sirloin tip roast this past weekend... It weighed 10 lbs. I was told by the butcher it was the tip of the sirloin... I assumed it was just a larger cut of the same piece of meat... But the two don't look like the same cut of meat... Does any body have an answer???

It turned out great... Wonderful taste, tender and moist... It was served at a party, cut in thin slices and served on a tray with turkey and ham.. They ate all the beef, some of the turkey and ham were left... lol... It was delicious..
 
Yes, there is a difference. Tri-tip is from the bottom part of the sirloin, whereas sirloin tip roast comes from the top part of the sirloin. Tri-tip is not just a smaller version or portion of the sirloin tip roast.

The diagram at the beginning of the tri-tip article shows the location of tri-tip in red. To find sirloin tip roast, start at the top left section of the diagram--the shoulder--and count over two sections to the right--the loin. The sirloin tip roast comes from the top right part of that section.

Regards,
Chris
 
Chris,

However, the 2.5 pound and under tri-tips are not the true size of the bottom sirlon tip.

From the tri-tips that I have gotten on occasion, they will weigh in at 5 pounds.

The 2.5lb and under tri-tips that are most availible are a what is left of the tri-tip after making 2-3 lbs of coulette steaks from the thicker portion of the tri-tip.
 
I think it's very unusual to find a 5 lb. tri-tip in stores. That's why most sources describe the roast as weighing 2-1/2 lbs. or less, because that's what shows up at retail.

Regards,
Chris
 
Chris,

Oh I agree completely.

It is a rare treat to get a larger (5-6 pounds) tri-tip.

The reason is that they can make more $ by processing that larger tri-tip into a 2lb tri-tip & 3lbs of Coulette steaks.
 
Is the Tri-Tip considered better than the sirloin tip? I looked for tri tip's at Sam's and couldn't find any. They had plenty of large sirloin tips, 11+ lbs ea.

Would you prepare the sirloin tips like prime rib, or like tri tip roasts?
 
That 11 pounder is probably a Beef Round, Knuckle, Cap Off (Tip)IMPS/NAMP 167A. Go to R & D Ranch, about half way down the page, to see a nice description and video of how to cut it. I have done this before and you can get alot of great cuts of it.
 
I got the meat from Sam's and talked briefly with the butcher who said it was a good cut of meat to smoke like a rib roast... I smoked it exactly like I would a rib roast and it turned out really good... I did take it off the smoker at 147 degrees which looked about medium rare.. I wrapped it in tinfoil and put in in the refrigerator where it stayed until the next day... We cut in in half and decided to put it on the grill and cook it a little more... We were afraid it was a little too rare for some of the guest... We cook the two halves on the grill until both were 155 degrees... We then cut them into thin slices to serve on a tray... The meat was wonderful... Moist and tender ...great taste.. I believe it would be delicious cut into larger steaks and will defiantly smoke more sirloin tip roast... /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Cheers!!!

bugg /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
We do tip all the time and I would not take it to 147?, I would go 125 to 130? max. Finish at higher pit temp to get some med well on the outside for those that want beef done to that degree.
We use a product called BourbonQ as a mop through out the cook.
Jim
 
Sirloin tip is actually part of the round, but when the round is separated from the loin, it stays on the sirloin side, hence the name "sirloin tip". I use this cut for roast beef w/gravy and mashed potatoes (my son's favorite meal). I'm a big fan of the bottom sirloin, of which there are three cuts, tri-tip, ball-tip and flap meat. Flap is great for carne asada and it's significantly cheaper than flank or skirt (guess it hasn't been "discovered" yet).
 
Jim...

Do you smoke it like a rib roast or a little hotter...??? How do you cut it when it's ready to serve? Steaks or thin slices, etc. ...

I though it was still quite red in the middle at 147...(which was fine with me) However 125 to 130 would be rare or very rare.. right? And one last thing... Lol... Do you use a rub and the mop together or just the mop?

Thanks and Cheers!!!

bugg /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

p.s. One nice thing I fail to mention is the roast was a little less than $2.00 a lb. at Sam's and I saw it in Wal-Mart for about the same price... Great buy...
 
Bill
I smoke as you would a rib roast, takes about 5 hours on average.
Cut across the grain, can be fairly thick slices and still be tender.

Scott
Great info, look forward to seeing more of your posts.
Jim
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top