Smoking a Tri-Tip......like a brisket......Who's Tried it? (Not Reverse Seared)

[Finster]

I did one seasoned with everything bagel seasoning for the Bonesy cook 2 years ago.
it was damn good.

[Spinaker]

Fantastic!

[SheilaAnn]

Following….

[realdocBBQ]

I think this was the 5+ POUND tri-tip I did previously like this.





Yeah, she was guuuuuud. We use a special rub on tri-tip that is just incredible, seems to go perfect with that cut of meat for whatever reason.

[Spinaker]

wow! Thanks for this. That looks incredible.

[realdocBBQ]

Yessir, it was. I wish I could get it cheaply, but I really can't. Nothing is cheap anymore except... chikkin.

[smokenoob]

realdocBBQ except the eggs 😂

[Spinaker]

Haha, I was jsut at Costco and I forgot to grab the darn Tri-Tip. LOL. Gonna have to get it tomorrow .

[Clark]

Spinnaker Remember Grandma's secret to remembering things...tie a piece of string around your finger now. When you wake up tomorrow, you'll see it and remember why you put it on.

[DaveD]

Man, that's me all over...

[TripleB]

Being a So. Cal boy and the state where Tri-tip originated, this approach to cooking a TT like a brisket is....just wrong! It's like floating the notion that beans in chili is good to a Texan, or trying to convince a Chi-Towner to put ketchup on their hotdog or....well, you get my point.

To each his own.

[Finster]

Not from Chi-Town, but ketchup on a hot dog is a violation….just sayin’

[Henrik]

I have seen plenty of recipes online. My own take all the time has been: Nah, it's wrong. You will just dry it out and waste good meat. But I've thought plenty of it, and I think it can work. the thing is: tri tip is not a NY strip, or a tenderloin. I.e. given it's location on the rear leg, and the fat content/striations, although lean, is what makes it work.

SO: I'm gonna get myself a nice tri tip and do the dang cook myself, 100% brisket style. As I see it this is a win-win.

- Either I can say to everyone else: Hah! I told you so!

OR

- My hypothesis (above) is correct, I get to eat some tasty beef and I have learnt something new.


Spinaker, let us all know how your cook goes.

[Spinaker]

Love it. Looking forward to your cook. I will do the same!

[realdocBBQ]

It is very good. Try the rub I posted.

[Richard Chrz]

I’m following along, I have a tri tip in my freezer (not well marbled) that I’ve been thinking about a brisket or pastrami route,I like the idea mentioned about separating it.

Low and slow just feels right for a tri tip, based only on my SV experience with it.

[McFlyfi]

Okay, so as a long time SoCal resident, and a cooker of tri tip for going on 40 years, here's my entry.

Dry brined with for aboy 40 hours with my usual rub- Susie Q's SAnta Maria Style Seasoning. It's basically SPG, with a little msg, cane sugar, and parsley thrown in.


Cooked for about 7 hours to 202f it. It stalled hard at 154, so I wrapped in butcher paper after brushing it with beef tallow.



The verdict:
Meh.
It has good beefy flavor, but much more akin to brisket than Tri Tip. I won't say it was dry, but it wasn't the juicy, med rare, roast I am used to. The DW loved the flavor and how tender it was. I thought it trended towards "pot roasty". This method took away what was unique about Tri Tip - it's flavor. If you want to turn this cut of meat into a mini brisket, this method is for you. But if you want to experience "real" So Cal Tri Tip, this is not the way to cook it.
I consider this experiment ended. I won't be doing this again.

[McFlyfi]

Cooked at 250. Took the 7 hours to get to 202. I agree it's too long. Tri tip is not "meant" to be cooked in this way ( long time, low and slow).
At 250 (indirect) my tri tip cooks take an hour or a little more to take it to medium rare at around 128-130.

[Spinaker]

Why would a 40 hour dry brine not make this akin to cooking brisket? Not having a smoke ring? No flavor in a smoke ring anyway.......I guess I am missing something. Clark

[Spinaker]

Thank you for your entry. The good thing about all of this is we live and learn. I have alwasy just been curious to see what the results are since I have heard people smoking it this way. I am gonna give it a go at 275, and see what kinda results I get. I am gonna try to find prime and then give it a good 2-3 day brine, like I do for brisket. McFlyfi

[Redwng]

I have done it twice with a prime and it came out good each time, not as tender as a brisket but pretty good.....and a lot faster.

[Spinaker]

So would you say more like a flat?