Try tip "poor man's prime rib"?

[Fine Swine]

12 dollars per .lb today. What do you guys pay? This is rich man's territory! Oh well, I thought that I would give this a try today for tonight's dinner. Got any advice on this on this one?

[Huskee]

Beef prices have soared in recent years. From what I've read, tri tip used to be relatively cheap (but then again so did brisket). Prime rib is pricey, and often it's a heavier roast than a 2-3lb tri-tip... so it's still cheaper just not cheap!
But on to your question- tri-tip doesn't exist in my area unless I special order it. I ordered one online, a Wagyu one, and it was about $70 (up to about $80 now)....so roughly $27/lb when I got mine. Regulars online where I shop are $30 so more in line with what you spent.

Meathead's recipe for tri-tip is here. Low & slow (200-225 max) to ~110F, then reverse sear over high heat to about 130 for medium rare. It can be a tough cut of meat if cooked too fast.

[jholmgren]

Just bought one yesterday to cook up for meat-a-palooza tonight. It's going on around 4:00. Cost was $8/lb here in central PA. I cook mine using MH's method as Huskee describes above.
Love me some tri-tip. All meat, no waste. You have to cut it across the grain or it will be chewy.

[jgg85234]

I often get meat from Fry's in Arizona, which is now a part of the Kroger chain. Tri-Tip is generally priced at ~$11 per pound, but will frequently be on sale for either $5.99 or $6.99 per pound for USDA choice. I only buy them when they're on sale.

Jim

[CeramicChef]

Fine Swine - you'll LOVE the Tri-Tip cut IF you cook it correctly. Use Meathead's recipe as recommended by Huskee above. You must also slice the Tri-Tip across the grain or you'll have one VERY tough chew for dinner and you don't want that! Use the YouTube search function to find a few videos that teach you how to carve the Tri-Tip roast correctly. Because of it's shape, you'll need to cut it on 3 different angles. Watch the videos, cuts a couple of very shallow lines on the Tri-Tip before you reverse sear to indicate when to change the angle of your cut, and you'll be just fine.

I live in Oklahoma and we pay nowhere near $12 a pound for Tri-Tip! Last Tri-Tip I bought was in the $6 - $7 a pound! Yeah, you read that right. I eat a LOT of Tri-Tip here as SWMBOI lobes it ever since I fixed it for her as a Valentines Day Dinner about 3 years back.

[MBMorgan]

As a less pricey alternative to ribeye (just a slice of prime rib, right?), give chuck eye steak a try ... normally available around here for around $5/lb. It's from the same muscle as the prime rib ... just one rib closer to the nose.

[Breadhead]

$12 per pound for Tri-Tip is a MAJOR hose job!!!

It's a very popular cut of meat in California and is a regular inventory item for every store that sells meat. For Choice grade Tri-Tips the running top retail price in Hermosa Beach, Ca is $6.99 per pound. Sometimes I'll see choice grade Tri-Tips for as low as $4.99 per pound. I stock up at that price.

[Jerod Broussard]

I love the beef flavor of Tri-tip, can't stand the texture if it is just plain ol' indirect cooking and reverse searing, even slicing razor thin against the grain.

Sous vide takes care of all that. I will not eat that any other way.

As for as ribeye I don't care to sous vide. Prefer the flavor you get from indirect charcoal heat and reverse searing on the grill.

[Breadhead]

I agree Sous Vide is the best way to cook Tri-Tip. Then sear it on the slow & sear.

[Fine Swine]

Isn't sous vide cheating? But I got to admit that I would like to give it a shot. I think that I could use the one at work to give it a try. Do you need a special machine or can it be done otherwise? Costs?

[Dr ROK]

Fine Swine you may be interested in this link:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/06/video-how-to-cook-your-steak-sous-vide-in-a-cooler.html

[Fine Swine]

Meathead's recipe is a OK. He is a few picts..I will do again if i can get a better price...

[DWCowles]

Dang that looks soooooooo good....nice photos

[jharner]

Perfect timing for a post! Have read about tri tip on the site but never cooked one. Found this today at the local Albertson's but not as expensive as y'all have talked about. Hope it's a good cut. looking for suggestions on cooking on my pellet grill.

[mgaretz]

Tri-tip here in the SF Bay Area has come down to $5.99/lb regularly for trimmed, $4.99 for untrimmed. That's at a market for choice grade. If you buy in the bag at some Costcos, it is about $4.59 for trimmed choice. A bag will have four to five pieces.

You can smoke it on a pellet grill at 225f to about 5 degrees below your target temp, then reverse sear. I used to do that but my wife didn't like how smokey it was. So now I sous vide them to target temp for 6-8 hours and then sear with a torch.

[jharner]

Thanks

[Papa Bob]

Got lucky couple months ago prime peeled 3.99$ bought two bags 5 each, trimmed all the fat off salted two days, cryvaced two per pack put in 5 gallon bucket of ice water two days freeze, thaw and I cook indirectly to 110 sear 120 ice chest until 140 chill over night slice very thin against the grain will eat the best beef dip sandwiches known to man and refreeze some for fast sandwich fodder anytime