Tri Tip, sear & cook or reverse sear?

[jjdbike]

Hello everyone,

I have a busy Fri & Sat & promised to do a tru tip for friends coming in from England. I'm picking up a premartinated one from a local specialty shop that everyone brags about. I'll cook it on my Weber kettle w/ my SM attachment over oak.

My question: I struggle to get a good smoky crust while not over cooking it. Is it better getting it close to temp and getting some color and smoke, the when it's at roughly 130 internal in the thickest part, lowering it and going for a reverse sear? Or should I sear it first, then raising it and let the inside get slowly up to temp?

Which is am I more likely to strike the balance between getting good smoke, color and sear, and not over cooking?

Thanks in advance!

[ofelles]

If you want smoked don't use your SM. With SM I reverse sear. Bring the IT up to about 110F and then drop it down and flip like crazy to about 125F

[jjdbike]

Thanks,
I believe this is the best way to get a little smoke too.

[jfmorris]

I have kinda of moved from the reverse sear to the front sear camp for many of my cooks lately, as I feel I have less chance of overshooting the final temperature. I.e. start with the SM cranked low to the fire, flip every 30-60 seconds and get some nice color on that ti-tip, then raise it up high from the fire, and slowly finish it up, pulling when you hit 135 or whatever you are going for.

Last tri-tip I did on my kamado, about 15 to 18 inches above the fire, never dropping it to one of the lower grates. I.e. no front or reverse sear - just cooking high above the flames. I often kind of emulate a Santa Maria with my Kamado since I have 3 levels of cooking above the fire. This tri-tip had nice color and great flavor.

You can see here I was pretty high above the lump fire:



I just flipped every minute or so, until I reached 135 in the thicker end, and got great color as you can see:



This was a little more done than planned, but the color, crust and smoke were there just from cooking high above the open kamado fire:

[jjdbike]

Wow that is great color!
Thanks!
JD

[Huskee]

I'm with you on front searing being my favorite, for steaks at least. Reverse searing is touted as safer, but for steaks and thinner meats I think it's like jumping on a fast moving train. Front sear/slow indirect finish allows you to slowly bring it to finish temp instead of quickly. Roasts I'm on the fence, I still reverse sear roasts, thicker, more play room.

[GolfGeezer]

Those Seaside market tri-tips are great! They are not called "Cardiff Crack" for nuthin'. Have you looked at their video on how they cook it? They set it up for 2 zone. Cook indirect until IT hits no more than 130*. Then reverse sear over very hot coals or grill - may be 3-5 minutes a side.

I sous vide them for 6-6.5 hours at 130*. Then sear them over a very hot IR burner on my gasser. Wonderful!

EDIT: Sorry, I did not realize you are using a Santa Maria setup for your question. I've never cooked them that way. I'm not sure how well those pre-marinated Tri-Tips from Seaside will take smoke.

[shify]

Be prepared for 20 different answers.

I always do reverse sear on my tri-tips. The reverse sear gives plenty of time for smoke and also turns it a beautiful color and also gives me a dry crust for a quick final sear part. Never have an issue overshooting final temp using a reverse sear

[KimO]

+1
Nice looking tri-tip!

[jjdbike]

Those Seaside market tri-tips are great! They are not called "Cardiff Crack" for nuthin'. Have you looked at their video on how they cook it? They set it up for 2 zone. Cook indirect until IT hits no more than 130*. Then reverse sear over very hot coals or grill - may be 3-5 minutes a side.

I sous vide them for 6-6.5 hours at 130*. Then sear them over a very hot IR burner on my gasser. Wonderful!

EDIT: Sorry, I did not realize you are using a Santa Maria setup for your question. I've never cooked them that way. I'm not sure how well those pre-marinated Tri-Tips from Seaside will take smoke.

Thanks!!

[jjdbike]

Be prepared for 20 different answers.

I always do reverse sear on my tri-tips. The reverse sear gives plenty of time for smoke and also turns it a beautiful color and also gives me a dry crust for a quick final sear part. Never have an issue overshooting final temp using a reverse sear

That’s a beautiful looking plate.
I love grilling peppers too.
if I may, what is to the right of the meat, opposite the bread. It looks like it’s hot chimichurri on it.
JD

[shify]

Yup, the green stuff is chimichurri - just didn't bother plating it all pretty on top of the chicken like I did the steak. So the plate is tri-tip, grilled chicken and grilled shisito peppers with chimichurri and a sourdough popover.

[ecowper]

I cook tri-tips on my Hasty-Bake. Because of the ability to raise and lower the firebox, it functions similar to a Santa Maria grill when I'm cooking with direct heat. I have done Tri-tip both reverse and front sear. Most of the time I do reverse sear. I feel like I develop a better smoke flavor profile this way. Reminds me strongly of places in central california when I was a kid: smoky, medium-rare, a bit of flavorful crust.

[smokenoob]

I like the reverse sear. Smoke until IT 110°-115° then sear to final desired IT. If the sear looks good you can always rest it till it hits your desired IT 🤔😱🤫

[jjdbike]

Those Seaside market tri-tips are great! They are not called "Cardiff Crack" for nuthin'. Have you looked at their video on how they cook it? They set it up for 2 zone. Cook indirect until IT hits no more than 130*. Then reverse sear over very hot coals or grill - may be 3-5 minutes a side.

I sous vide them for 6-6.5 hours at 130*. Then sear them over a very hot IR burner on my gasser. Wonderful!

EDIT: Sorry, I did not realize you are using a Santa Maria setup for your question. I've never cooked them that way. I'm not sure how well those pre-marinated Tri-Tips from Seaside will take smoke.

Hey Golf,
Thanks for chiming in. It's great to hear from a fellow SoCal Q head. I appreciate the specific input on Cardiff Crack. I have a question about that Burgundy pepper marinated try tip. I have a Santa Maria rub that's basically SPG w/ some dry parsley flakes. Would that be appropriate for the marinated tri? Would it pare will with the marinade or would it clash? Most importantly, would it be too salty.
What would you use to rub that tri to maximize a flavorful crust ?
Thanks in advance!
JD

[GolfGeezer]

jjdbike I really love that market, but it is a bit of a hike from San Clemente for us to go there these days. Although we do make it down to Vigilucci's Steak & Seafood on Carlsbad, the one on Tamarac. As for putting rub on the marinated tri-tip - never done it that way. I've made it about 5-6 times as it comes, without any rub. I do serve it with homemade chimichurri. I really think a rub would clash with the marinade flavors.

[GolfGeezer]

I should also add that when I do buy a tri-tip that is not marinated or rubbed at a local market, I do use a Santa Maria rub that is very much like what you describe. Those are the ones I sous vide, then sear. The marinated ones from Seaside, I do indirect, then sear like in their video.

[jjdbike]

Those Seaside market tri-tips are great! They are not called "Cardiff Crack" for nuthin'. Have you looked at their video on how they cook it? They set it up for 2 zone. Cook indirect until IT hits no more than 130*. Then reverse sear over very hot coals or grill - may be 3-5 minutes a side.

I sous vide them for 6-6.5 hours at 130*. Then sear them over a very hot IR burner on my gasser. Wonderful!

EDIT: Sorry, I did not realize you are using a Santa Maria setup for your question. I've never cooked them that way. I'm not sure how well those pre-marinated Tri-Tips from Seaside will take smoke.

How in the heck do they get those things so tender!?! Their choice Tri tips marinated in burgundy & black pepper. I think there’s some sugar in there because it was kind of sticky. It’s like they used meat tenderizer & injected it. I looked hard & didn’t see any holes. Is it possible that the marinade sone how penetrated the meat?
I’m going to start another thread in the recipes & techniques forum.
Best regards!
JD

[GolfGeezer]

jjdbike From what I understand, they have an “industrial” vacuum tumbler that they seal them in with marinade, suck out the air, and tumble to get all around penetration. I tried doing it myself with a home version, but it didn’t have the capability to really get the air out of the tumbler the way they do it. They do not tenderize with a jacarad or other blade idea.