This is a front sear recipe*. If you like to reverse sear your steaks/roasts, then adjust accordingly. Also, this is not Santa Maria style, though still very flavorful.
Background: Literally grew up with Tri-tip in LA. Loved eating it when I went up north to visit friends at Cal Poly SLO and you could find Tri-tip out in Santa Monica, CA back in the 70’s. The base of this recipe I pulled off the internet many years ago, but have tweaked it quite a bit. I use my seasonings, but can easily be replaced with your own. This Tri-tip is grilled with a mop sauce that provides the acid balance to the salt and fat.
Serves: ~ 4
Takes how long: Dry brining: 4-24 hours. Grilling: ~ 1 to 1 ¼ hours.
Special Tools: Brick wrapped with aluminum foil and an Instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients:
Whole Tri-Tip
Prep: 24 hours before (or at least 4 hours) trim TT of all visible fat and silver skin. Dry brine with beef rub with salt. Wrap in cellophane and place in frig.
Fire up: When ready to cook, prepare your grill. One side of grill with a hot fire for direct grilling, the other side with no coals or fire for indirect cooking.
Cook:
Background: Literally grew up with Tri-tip in LA. Loved eating it when I went up north to visit friends at Cal Poly SLO and you could find Tri-tip out in Santa Monica, CA back in the 70’s. The base of this recipe I pulled off the internet many years ago, but have tweaked it quite a bit. I use my seasonings, but can easily be replaced with your own. This Tri-tip is grilled with a mop sauce that provides the acid balance to the salt and fat.
Serves: ~ 4
Takes how long: Dry brining: 4-24 hours. Grilling: ~ 1 to 1 ¼ hours.
Special Tools: Brick wrapped with aluminum foil and an Instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients:
Whole Tri-Tip
- Generally around 2-3 lbs.
Mop Sauce
- 1/3 Cup Veg. Oil
- 1/3 Cup (½ Red Wine and ½ Red Wine Vinegar)
- 1 Lrg. Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 4 Cloves Garlic, grated
- 1 Tbsp Parsley, minced
Dry Brining
- Beef rub (with salt). I use my own all-purpose rub.
Prep: 24 hours before (or at least 4 hours) trim TT of all visible fat and silver skin. Dry brine with beef rub with salt. Wrap in cellophane and place in frig.
Fire up: When ready to cook, prepare your grill. One side of grill with a hot fire for direct grilling, the other side with no coals or fire for indirect cooking.
Cook:
- Just before grilling, dust TT a bit more with beef rub.
- Place TT directly over goals and grill for 3-4 minutes, then flip TT over.
- When you flip the TT, brush top of TT with mop sauce. Grill 3-4 minutes.
- Keep repeating steps 2-3 (flipping and mopping) until you get the bark or crust you want.
- Place foil wrapped brick on hot side of grill, turn TT over to that 3rd side that is now prevalent, mop if needed.
- Move TT over to the cool side of grill. Inspect TT to determine if there is enough char, bark, fond or crust to your liking. If insufficient push TT back over the coals until you get the crust, fond you like.
- Place TT again on cool side of the grill. Take internal temp of the TT, adjust vents accordingly and finish TT indirect to your desired internal temperature.
- Pull TT off grill, place on platter and pour remaining mop sauce over TT, tent with aluminum foil and carry into the house. Rest the TT as you see fit.
- There are two distinct muscles in a TT. Find them, separate muscles and then cut against the grain.
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