Tri-tip roasts: cook like a steak or a brisket?

[SmokingPat]

In another cooking forum, someone said they cook tri-tip like a brisket -- to an IT of 200 deg.
I've always treated tri-tip like a steak, cooking to an IT of 120-145 deg.
I wonder whether I've been missing out after all these years. If you cook tri-tip, how do you cook it?

[Jerod Broussard]

Sous vide. I hate the straight low and slow reverse sear texture. A real fatty Wagyu would probably turn out good at 200 with a hot cook.

[tbob4]

ecowper - he has to venture out west

[Jerod Broussard]

ecowper as I see it Santa Maria is a grill style married to a technique that can't be that great if so many people move away from it hehehehehe Low and slow then reverse searing is a technique that does well on real steaks such as ribeyes, Tri-Tip is a roast. From what I have read they sear first then low and slow on the Santa Maria. Either way, too tough, even when sliced across the grain razor thin. Sous vide to the rescue!!

[ecowper]

True Santa Maria cooking uses an adjustable grill to manage the cooking and temperatures on the meat. The searing actually occurs all throughout the cook, not at any single point. I use reverse searing as the closest I can get to Santa Maria style outcomes without a Santa Maria grill.

[Skip]

I usually SV and sear like steak. BUT--just last weekend I smoked one like a brisket just for the fun of it. IMO they're good both ways.

[ecowper]

Cook the full tri-tip like a steak. Reverse sear, don’t get it above medium rare. I’m from central CA and love tri-tip done right. Do tri-tip Santa Maria style and brisket Texas style and life is wonderful :-)

Last night’s dinner

[ecowper]

Mr. Bones the salad appeased my wife .... I was gonna make a batch of pinquitos

[Mr. Bones]

Olive oil, basalmic, some herbage, in yer dressin?

Pinquitos'd a been dang dang nice, but theys always mañana, Brother

Happy Wife, ya know th Rest...

Added Fruit to my post, though I consider that a salad ,kinda thing...

[Donw]

Looks just like my dinner plate from tonight. You can’t go wrong with that combination.

[BFlynn]

I marinade the tri tip in a Cabernet / soy /ginger marinade for 3 - 4 hours and then reverse sear.

Take marinade, boil and reduce to make a sauce.

[SparkDog]

I put mine on to smoke on the grill (I use the Weber with the SNS) for about an hour or hour and a half. The grill runs about 250 or so and I pull it at 135 internal temperature. Some days I sear other days just pull it at 135.

[Cheef]

Second on this technique.

[zzdocxx]

Third this one, except I bring to temp on smoker grill rather than Weber before searing.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I front sear over a 3/4 full charcoal chimney then bank the coals add some Montreal steak seasoning and go low and slow until 130 ish. Remove from the grill and hit it with a good dose of Parmesan cheese and slice across the grain.

[TripleB]

You got it right sir! Front sear all the way!

[cgrover60]

Agreed. My chef wife insisted and I've done tri tip this way ever since with great results.

[Randy-Phx]

I had Tri tip for dinner tonight. Smoke at 250 until internal temp is 128, then sear until internal temp is 138 - 145.

[Donw]

Tri-tip doesn’t need the same treatment as a brisket and definitely doesn’t need to reach high temperatures like a brisket to be tender. Perfect range for me is medium rare but some others like it better in the medium range. If someone is saying treat it like brisket I believe they just don’t know how to slice it properly to show its tenderness. A quick search for a video on the proper way to slice a tri-tip will set them straight.

[mnavarre]

I've done tri-tip cooked up to 200ish a few times. It's pretty good, not my favorite way to cook it, but pretty good for a change up. Basically, rub it with rub of choice, smoke until it's 160 or so, wrap in foil with some BBQ sauce & juice, and cook until probe tender. Slice against the grain as usual.

That being said: SPG, oak fire, reverse sear, 130F, beans, pico, salad. Done.

[barelfly]

What’s the texture like cooking to that finished temp? Is it like brisket? You have any photos? This has me curious, but I love a tri tip cooked like a steak. Especially when I can find the prime grade at costco!

[SmokingPat]

Don't forget the garlic bread! 😋

[mnavarre]

It's kinda similar to brisket flat I guess. It's been ages since I've done one that way, might have to do it if prices ever come down to a reasonable level. I ain't paying $6.99 a pound for untrimmed tri-tip, nosiree.

[tbob4]

I'm the oddball. I never temp it except for curiosity. I front sear, smoke at 200-225 for 3 - 3.5 hours, pull, wrap, rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. I cut across the grain. Whatever I don't eat on day 1 goes into a plastic bag with salsa. I quickly sear the meat the next day for tacos or fajitas.

[GolfGeezer]

We've been buying ours from a market in Cardiff by the Sea. "Cardiff Crack" is a proprietary burgundy/pepper marinated tri-tip (the rumored trick is they use a commercial vacuum sealed tumbler to infuse the meat). Forward sear then on indirect on our gasser to preferred IT of 130-135*. Very tender like a great NY strip with incredible flavor. Yum.

https://order.seasidemarket.com/

[CaptainMike]

I have cooked literally thousands of tri tips (fundraisers, weddings, caterings, firehouse meals, etc) and my favorite is Santa Maria style over an oak fire. However, SVQ, QVQ, smoked, F or R seared, and even this L&S recipe from Traeger https://www.traegergrills.com/recipes/tri-tip-roast are all acceptable. Play around with the different techniques and see which one you like best. Each method produces slightly different textures and flavor profiles. Tri tips are a very forgiving cut and are great even if you overshoot IT's. And the leftovers are very versatile.

[BFlynn]

Thanks guys. That's real helpful. I've done them hanging on the PBC before and then seared in CI on my gasser side burner.
I have a plan. May start a new thread instead of hijacking this one.

[Dick Anderson]

CaptainMike, during the 80's/90's I attended several Hopland Street Dance and Firemans' BBQ's. Wondering if you were the cook? That claim of thousands would be modest! I always tried to buy some to take home

[CaptainMike]

Dick Anderson yep, I was one of those guys hustling around the
pits back then. Some of the best experiences of my life. Thank you for your support! How are you guys doing with the fires and smoke?

[Old Glory]

I treat it like a small roast or thick steak. I either Sous Vide it or reverse sear. I always shoot for a nice medium rare. I never found it to be tough.

[zzdocxx]

That looks the way mine usually looks. Lots of jus.

Great pic !

[zzdocxx]

I have occasionally got a tough one, only once since I started buying prime (Costco).

The one that was tough was a great big one. Maybe I'm superstitious but I am staying away from big ones.