Tried Tri-Tip for the very first time...


 
Ron G.

Ron G.

TVWBB Wizard
Tri-Tip is pretty hard to find in our area.

However, we were at Costco last weekend, and I checked the Meats department there and they had some. So, picked-up a 2-pack figuring that I would investigate what all the hype was about...

Finally got around to grilling-up the smaller one last night. "Santa Maria" Style from Steve Raichlin's "Planet Barbeque" book:

PREP:
Patted-down with a drizzle of Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Coarse Black Pepper, Minced Garlic, and Chopped Cilantro, refrigerated for about 2-hours before grilling.

GRILLING:
Medium-High finished Medium for about 16 minutes. Apple & Hickory chunks in the smoker box on trusty old Weber gasser. Got a nice crust on it, but thickest part could've used another two minutes.

SERVED WITH:
Fresh-made Pico De Gallo made with fresh on-the-vine tomaters.

THE VERDICT:
Nice and Juicy! Great beefy flavor. Not the most tender piece of meat I've ever had, but pretty good / flavor and juice made up for it.
Got two "thumbs-up" from wifey.

If you live in one of the "Tri-Tip Challenged" localities, you should try this if you can get your charcoal-stained paws on some!
 
Tri-tip is really great! My wife likes it better than brisket she says. Like Bob said slicing it thin helps and I usually pull at 130-135 internal which also helps the tenderness.
 
Ron from Tosa...
why...
why did you NOT photo this historic event?!
Certainly sounds like you did wonders to that hunka meat!
May I ask what Costco Tri's cost?
 
It's not easy sometimes, but if you can sort out which way the grain runs, cutting across the grain also helps with tenderness.
I do a visual inspection as I am prepping tri-tip, although the way it plumps up when cooked often changes the landmarks I intended to use when slicing.
 
As several had suggested - I DID slice it, fairly thin too.

Lampe - You're right, one of these days, I need to set up a flicker account or something like that, and post a few pics. I DO already have some food-ornpae on my camera / in my computer's photo-archive, but just have not gotten around to it.

I tossed the wrapper, but IIRC - they were around 6-7 pictures of Mr. Washington per pound. Not bad when you consider that the meat looked beautifully streaked with veins of fat (not what I would call "marbled" like a steak - then again, you're seeing the grain from the side and not the "end-grain" like a steak) Plus, it was ALL eetable - so, you're not spending any hard-earned moo-lah on bones.

I've still got the bigger one in the freezer, so I'll definitely be doing this again.
 
I think $6.99/lb is what they are at our Costco.
They are much more common around these parts now, and some stores put on sales for around $5/lb.

Ron, it you're not anti Google, their Picasa photo software works great, and is pretty easy to use.
 
Ron - One more question:

The Costco in my area used to sell tri-tip (but no longer does) and that was my first experience with it. They sold it cut-up in packs of individual strips that were about an inch by inch, but were rather tapered so there were thicker parts and thinner parts on the same strip. Not in the whole "roast" form which is triangular in shape, about 1.5 ponds. How did your Costco sell it? Hopefully in the whole "roast" form, but if not, try a local butcher - it's really great. I don't understand why my Costco sold it cut-up (it was good, but not great), but I think I know why they don't sell it anymore.

Glad you found it, because it really is tasty stuff.
 
The only stuff that they had displayed in the meat cases was the pre-sliced (about half-inch thick slices, cross-grain) stuff. Maybe they figure that people around here may use it for Fajitas or something like that???

This is what got me thinking - so, I asked one of the ladies in the meat dept if they had any whole Tri-Tip roasts. She was kind enough to check and had a pack wrapped-up for me.

Sometimes it pays to ask, and do it nicely
icon_smile.gif
 
Originally posted by Richard Hinton:
It's not easy sometimes, but if you can sort out which way the grain runs, cutting across the grain also helps with tenderness.
I do a visual inspection as I am prepping tri-tip, although the way it plumps up when cooked often changes the landmarks I intended to use when slicing.
Click to expand...

Cutting across the grain is probably the most important thing with tri tip. It's a must. So many people get that wrong and cut with the grain and then it's all stringy.

How to cut tri tip
 
This is a pretty good read on tri tip that you guys might find interesting.

History of tri tip

I know I find it quite interesting how far it's come and reached. I remember being a bagger at a local grocery store on the Central Coast of California and we would have people come from just Los Angeles with ice chests to get tri tip, this was in the early-mid eighties.

Anyways I've grown up on the stuff and it's what I can do best. That said it's pretty hard to mess up tri tip if you know the basics.
 
Thanks, great read! Sometimes great things are discovered by accident. I'll raise a beer to Mr. Shutz when I cook my first Tri, the man did the world a service.
 
I got my first tri tip from Sams for a great price. Put it on my grill on high heat, and it got very overdone. Still tender enough, but by no means med rare that I was shooting for. The touch test failed me on this meat...I was functioning in steak mode, lol!

Was able to trim it nice, and will buy more in the future. Just need to figure out the quirks of it. It does not behave like a ribeye without a temp probe!
 
Yep Stacy,

Don't treat it like a steak - it's really more of a "roast".

I'm by no means an expert on this. The one I made was pretty small (about 1.5 lbs). The other one from the 2-pack is in the freezer. When I cook this one, I know that it will take longer.

Take a look on Food Network's website - Bobby Flay did one on "Grill It" a while ago, and he also did his on Medium Heat for a while (don't remember the exact details). However, I think that medium heat for a while, to cook it through without burning it and render some of the fat works well - and then finish it at high heat to put a little salt/fat/seasoning "crust" on it works well.

Bet this would also be REALLY GOOD if sliced thin and served on some nice, crusty hoagie rolls with some onions & peppers - like a Philly Cheese Steak sammie....

Keep tryin' - I think that it's fun to try some different stuff. Just don't be afraid to mess one up here and there - it's going to happen, and is a natural part of the learning process.
 
I've been grilling tri-tip for some time now and I get it at Costco and Safeway here in Livermore, Ca. I use the dry rub that was included in the paperwork of my old Weber Kettle; paprika, red chile power, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme. I place it on aluminum foil and cook indirectly with oak chunks on the charcoal. I wrap it in the foil for 15-20 minutes to let the juices set and then cross cut it in thin slices. We use the left overs the following day with the juice for tri-tip sandwiches.
 
I love doing Tri-tip. We do it all the time on my gas grill.

Rub (I use the The Rub Co- Santa Maria)..let rest and get to room temp.
Indirect until it gets to about 125 with one flip at about 105.
The set up the Sear area. (I have GrillGrates) and then sear it to about 135 and pull it off.
Let set for at least 10 minutes.
Slice and serve. (Kids love it when I rub the slices in the juice)
Just what I do..have a good one.
 
Originally posted by Jack O:
I've been grilling tri-tip for some time now and I get it at Costco and Safeway here in Livermore, Ca. I use the dry rub that was included in the paperwork of my old Weber Kettle; paprika, red chile power, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme. I place it on aluminum foil and cook indirectly with oak chunks on the charcoal. I wrap it in the foil for 15-20 minutes to let the juices set and then cross cut it in thin slices. We use the left overs the following day with the juice for tri-tip sandwiches.
Click to expand...

You know what you're doing. Resting is so important like most meats, but if you cut a tri tip right off the grill you are seriously going to see all the flavor inside rush out. It will be a blood bath of juicy gravy wasted.

I also prefer dry seasonings over marinades for tri tip, but if you like marinades it will soak up any flavor like a sponge.

Also perfect tri tip sandwich for me is a toasted roll, tri tip and fresh salsa.
 
Well I bought and tried "Chuck Eyes" as you guys said they were great, So Guess I will be on the look out for Tri Tips next looking forward to this cook.
 
I like them with Plowboy's Bovine Bold a lot. As noted above, you need to rest them and cut them a certain way for maximum effect. You can sear them and then move to indirect, or you can do the reverse, but whatever you do don't overcook them. I cook to 125 in the center but the tips are of course more done for those who prefer that.
 
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