Need recommendation on new beef cook

[SpeedyB]

Saturday I am going to take a crack at a beef cook on the smoker but want to do something I have not done.

Was thinking a chuckie or tri-tip. Interestingly my search in the archives shows that a lot of people are cooking tri-tip on a [charcoal] grill not a smoker. I would love to know thoughts for those who have smoked them successfully.

I have done some beef plate ribs recently which I absolutely love and I also have a full packer wet aging for a cook on Memorial Day. Done burgers too. Ready for a new delicious beef challenge!

[Attjack]

Tri-tip is usually cooked fast like you would cook a huge steak. Slow cooking it doesn't make it any better like it does for a chuck roast that needs time to become tender. But you could smoke it. But I would cook it hot and fast with a touch of smoke. I think you should go with the chuck roast if you want to smoke a cut if beef.

[Santamarina]

We do a lot of tri-tip - it’s readily available here in CA, and often at a good price. I reverse sear tri-tip on my grill. Most of the cook is low and slow, then a hot and fast sear at the end. So it would be fine in a smoker until the end...when a rip roaring fire is mandatory. It’s a short cook (less than 2 hours) no matter how you do it.

Also, red oak is ideal. Not mandatory, but authentic.

[fttank]

I agree 100%, Santamarina. I used to cook my tri tip on my Weber Kettle over direct heat. Now low and slow with a sear at the end. 100x better!

[Nuke em]

Beef ribs or a 3 in chuck for smoking

[Huskee]

One of my favorites is pulled beef (chuck). All the flavor of brisket with the ease and versatility of pulled pork. Trim excess exterior fat cap, salt the day before, season like you would beef ribs or brisket, smoke like you would a pork butt or brisket. The only real difference is I like to take them up to ~207-210 and let it hold there an hour (drop your cooker temp to 200-210 as the meat hits that range) then faux cambro it for another 1-2hrs. Like buttah.

Eat it straight with a fork, on nachos, in chili, on pizza, philly steak & cheese sammies, omelettes, quesadillas, the uses are nearly endless!

Here's a pic of philly steak & cheese pizza I made- I cheated and used a delivery pizza with green pepper & onions and of course piled on the pulled beef.

[Huskee]

SpeedyB it varies on thickness of course, but view it exactly like a pork butt, maybe an hour longer. You can of course speed it up if you cook hotter, if you wrap earlier, etc. you're essentially making pulled pork, just with beef.

[SpeedyB]

Huskee roger that!

[Bkhuna]

Fantastic in tacos.

[smokin fool]

Not to steal the OP's post but its amazing how regional cuts of meat can be.
I had never heard of tri-tip until this site so now I want to try one.
I've asked butchers at 3 major food chains for tri-tip and they haven't got a clue what I'm talking about.
Did some research and it could be called a bottom sirloin, a tri-angle roast or a California cut roast so going to ask for those next.
Mom and Pop butcher shops have all gone the way of the Dodo bird in my area so can't even find an old guy that would know of this cut.
Huskee, your pulled beef chuck has just been added to my list of to do's....

[Troutman]

Try ordering some online. Snake River Farms or Crowd Cow are good sources for all different cuts, including tri-tip.

[SpeedyB]

smokin fool interesting, I'm in CO and it's pretty all over here

[surfdog]

Tell your butcher it’s NAMP ID is185C. ;-)
They should be able to figure it out from there...

[Troutman]

Love tri-tip, doing two this weekend. But like others have pointed out, it's a stek, similar to sirloin (since it's part of the same muscle group). Nothing really to render so hot and fast does the trick.

One other cut that seems to get missed is Picanha or the rump cap. One of my absolute favorites. Similar to the tri-tip, you roast it then reverse sear. Marvelous cut of beef !!!

[SpeedyB]

Thanks Troutman. There's a restaurant called Little Brazil across from one of my locations. They sell and prepare it there. A couple years ago one of my friends from Brazil came and taught me how to do to Picanha Churrasco style on a charcoal grill. It was spectacular!

[Bkhuna]

We have a suermarket in Orlando that caters to Brazilian tourists and I buy Picanha there often. It's one of the best reasons to have the rotisserie for my Weber kettle.

[jumbo7676]

Depending on how much you plan to cook, you can do chuckie two ways. Use half to either slice or pull depending on what you are in the mood for. Use the other half to make some chuckie burnt ends.

[SpeedyB]

jumbo7676 fantastic idea on the burnt ends!

[mnavarre]

Chuckie burnt ends are my new favorite party trick. People (including me!) love 'em.

[smokin fool]

Looked up Snake River Farms and Crowd Cow on the web, they ship in the US only by the looks of it.
The hunt continues....

[Bkhuna]

You need to make friends with a meat smuggler.