Do you have to trim your Trp-Tips?

[treesmacker]

I recently purchased three Tri-Tips at Winco. All of them were around three pounds. They label them "USDA choice or better". The amount of fat on them varied drastically. I trimmed 13 ounces off of one of them, about 1 ounce off of the second, and about 3 ounces off the third. The meat is beautiful red and fresh, but some of the fat is very gray and tuff, like it was next to the hide or something. They always, of course, hide the fat on the bottom side of the package. I put the 13 oz of fat on my scale and took a picture it; showed it to the butcher and he agreed it was excessive. These tri-Tips ranged from $3.98 to $4.48 per pound.
So, I'm just wondering what is normal - what should i expect? Does Costco tri-tip need to be trimmed?

[Jerod Broussard]

I typically get 2 lbs meat off a 2.5 lb Choice.

[ComfortablyNumb]

I've never seen a tri-tip that needed trimming.

[jgg85234]

Only very minor trimming of little pieces of fat have ever been necessary, whether I get them from Fry's (Kroger) or Costco. The Prime has a little more fat than the Choice, but still only minor amounts of fat on the outside (more marbled - not trimmable). Here's a typical pic - back side looks like the front.



Best regards,
Jim

[Attjack]

Yes, the ones from my butcher have a large fat cap. But the ones from the butcher at my higher end market i like are trimmed but far more expensive per pound.

[mnavarre]

Yeah, at that price I'd be pretty annoyed if I had to trim 3/4 of a pound off. My local Vons usually runs choice tri-tip on sale at around 2.75 untrimmed and 4.99 trimmed, and of course all the nice, big ones go for trimmed. I buy the untrimmed when they're on sale and save the fat to be rendered down. But, no, at that price you shouldn't have to do more than touch-up trimming.

[Attjack]

That's cheap I pay 8.50/lb prime and trimmed from Costco.

[mnavarre]

Vons is Choice, but usually high-end choice. My local Vons has really upped their beef game lately. I think regular price trimmed is 7.99/lb? Something like that.

[Reds Fan 5]

I have never trimmed a tri-tip. We purchase ours from a local butcher and they are already trimmed. We pay closer to what Attjack pays.

[IowaGirl]

Ditto here. About $8.50 per pound, nicely trimmed. Being in Iowa where tri tips are next to unknown, mine are cut to order and I'm sure that adds to the cost. But it's worth it. I love my butcher.

[Livermoron]

I pick mine up at the local Costco. No trimming needed.

[jharner]

Our Walmart has started carrying them. No trimming needed.

[treesmacker]

Thanks all for the input. I guess what I got, on average wasn't all bad. Like I said the meat was great. I sous vide two of them last weekend and they were delicious. My son gave me an A+ and my son in law said best he ever tasted. I purchased another one yesterday as they had a whole case full of them at $3.98 lb. I looked them over carefully, and did see one that obviously had a thick fat cap - passed on that one - kinda looked in at the side of the cut. I'll have to try the Costco ones.

[Timbo54]

I buy mine at Costco also....no trimming needed. Safeway (regional grocery store ) sells tri-tip untrimmed . I've bought theirs at a discounted price, but like Winco's you trim a lot of fat off. I figure it's not worth the cheaper price to trim myself and throw so much away. The fat does seem to be very hard, I don't know what that means or if you could grind it to help with ground meat.

[MBMorgan]

Nope ... never had to trim a Costco tri-tip.

[rodkeary]

Same here. Sometimes my Costco has prime but mainly choice. Never ever needed to trim either.

[JimLinebarger]

I buy them bulk from Smart Foodservice and they need some trimming.

[IowaGirl]

I envy y'all with your Costco's. Closest one is 2 hours away for me.

I think if I could get a tri tip for $4 per pound, I'd be okay with trimming off a few ounces here and there, but if it's loaded with fat -- like the one Treesmacker took 13 ounces of fat off of -- that's another thing entirely. At the $8+ per pound I'm paying, I expect it should be nicely trimmed.

[Timbo54]

It's amazing that here in California, tri-tip is a mainstay in all markets. You may find Select grade, mostly Choice in most stores. My Costco carries both Choice and Prime. As I posted earlier some stores sell bulk discounted un-trimmed but normally have trimmed in the meat cabinet.

[Thunder77]

Tri-tip is definitely not a popular cut in Maryland. I rarely see it, unless it is at the commissary, or at a restaurant supply store. I have both Costco and Sam's Club membership, and I have not seen it there.
.

[IowaGirl]

Tri tip is rare around here as well. Only reason why I can get them is the butcher at one of our local meat shops spent some years plying his trade in California. He knew exactly what I wanted when I asked on a whim one day. I think he was as surprised to be asked for tri tip as I was surprised to actually get one.