Ideas For Smoking A Tri Tip

[JamalSayegh]

Smoking a Tri Tip on Monday and was open to ideas on rubs, cooking temps, and cooking times. I browsed the recipes here on the site but wanted more info. I am using a Traeger pellet smoker. Thanks all! Have a great Memorial Day and please take some time to remember what the holiday is about.

[Breadhead]

Hmmm... I've never smoked a tri-tip even though I've eaten many of them.

If I were going to just wing it and try to add the smoke flavor to a tri-tip I'd dry brine it the night before the cook. I'd put it in my smoker cold out of the fridge - after adding a rub. I'd put it on the grate in the smoker when it was at 200°. I'd allow the heat to reach 225° and hold it there until my meat was at 133°. Then I'd shift it over to my kettle & SnS to sear it. I would want the final interior temp to be 135°.

Just a wild thought...😎

[boftx]

I treat Tri-tip the same as I do steak. Low and slow at 225 until it hits 120 then sear directly over coals til 130. Not sure you can do that with your rig. As for rubs, dry brine as long as you can then hit it with Montreal Steak seasoning before the cook. Think of it as a very tender brisket without the 18hr cook time. It's beef, can't go wrong with salt and pepper.

[RonB]

Since all you have is the Traeger, I'd smoke it at 225* until about 10* below your finished temp and then put it under a hot broiler and flip it every minute until it came up to your final temp. If you want to get fancy, cut off thinner chunks as they reach final temp.

[Da Chief]

I used Meathead's Memphis Dust on a trip-tip a few days ago. I believe that particular rub was intended for pork, but it was wonderful on beef as well.

[Mpryan]

I cook a lot of tri tips. Both on my smoker and my kettle. After trimming it up I rub it with olive oil. Hit it with kosher salt,pepper and rub. Then into the heat. In the smoker at 225. Kettle indirect with a water pan over the coals. I take it off at 125 and let rest. Sometimes I reverse sear, if that's the case I start when its at 115

[CurlingDog]

If all you have is the Traeger, it will be a bit tricky. Smoke won't be a problem.... it's the sear part that will be your Nemesis.

So based on the info at hand, here's what you might try:

-use the Smoke setting on the traeger for about an hour.
-Turn it up to 225 and bring the internal temp to 115-120. When it reaches that, remove the tri tip and foil it.
-Turn the traeger to high and if you have grill grates, thats a huge plus... let it blaze as hot as you can and then when it can get no hotter...
-sear the tip to an internal of 135.

It won't be ideal, as the wait will drop the internal a bit but if that is all you have to work with... improvise, adapt and overcome!