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Tri-tip roast or steaks?

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    Tri-tip roast or steaks?

    Personally, while I like a tri-tip steak just fine I prefer to buy and cook whole tri-tips. At the Costco near me, they usually cut the prime roasts into steaks. Sometimes there are a couple of whole ones but a lot of times I have to ask the butcher to go cut me some. The butcher says that's what people seem to want. What about you? Do buy tri-tip steaks?

    #2
    I like the whole roast. I have ever seen one sliced into steaks though, or maybe I have and they had some exotic name so they could bump the price up.

    Comment


    • Attjack
      Attjack commented
      Editing a comment
      Coulotte is a different cut.

      "One side (the larger side) is called the tri tip, and the other side (the smaller side) is the Brazilian picanha. In the U.S., the picanha is often called the top sirloin cap (culotte or coutlotte) but the most accurate translation is the rump cap."

    • Troutman
      Troutman commented
      Editing a comment
      Yea coulotte steaks are slices of the Picanha. That's how the SA guys cook them on skewers.

    • wrgilb
      wrgilb commented
      Editing a comment
      Attjack The tri-tip is actually bottom sirloin. Top sirloin has the 2 parts, the main part, which our Costco sells whole as cap off top sirloin or sliced into top sirloin steaks (cap off) and the smaller top sirloin cap steaks (coulotte, picanha). Back in the late 60's when I was cutting meat, we used to grind the bottom sirloin into hamburger, before the word tri-tip was ever used.

    #3
    Butchers around here sell steaks, but I never get them. I prefer the full roast. Also, that is a cut that I think really benefits from Sous-Vide-Q (9-12 hrs at 130, followed by a full ice bath before you get some smoke and char on it). It's as tender as a good New York steak, at that point, and you can hit a perfect medium-rare. I don't think it's possible to stay medium-rare and have them still be really tender with most tri-tips without the sous vide usage -- they can still be great, but nowhere near as tender.

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    • Dadof3Illinois
      Dadof3Illinois commented
      Editing a comment
      I cook these a lot and do a front sear, then add my rub and finish indirect until 130-135 and they turn out perfect. I may have to try doing sous vide on a tri tip but not sure it would be worth it for me??

    • Oak Smoke
      Oak Smoke commented
      Editing a comment
      Thank you! I've been wondering what I was doing wrong. I've done 2 tri tips and both were chewier than I thought they should be. The method I used was to sear up front then bring them to medium rare on the indirect side, around 130F. I was disappointed.

    #4
    Have never seen tri tip steaks in my area. In fact, full tri tiproast are only rarely seen. I usually get them from one of the online vendors.

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      #5
      I only see tri-tips in one supermarket by me and they are full roasts. Being that tri-tips are often 1.5 - 2 lbs, I'm trying to figure out how they cut them into steaks. In half horizontally or thicker, smaller steaks vertically?

      Comment


      • CaliforniaDad
        CaliforniaDad commented
        Editing a comment
        Vertical, and small.

      #6
      Originally posted by klflowers View Post
      I like the whole roast. I have ever seen one sliced into steaks though, or maybe I have and they had some exotic name so they could bump the price up.
      This is common at the Costco near me.

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      • Troutman
        Troutman commented
        Editing a comment
        Blade tenderized

      • Dadof3Illinois
        Dadof3Illinois commented
        Editing a comment
        Troutman yea I try and stay far away from the "blade tenderized" steaks? I never understood why they would do this to good quality meat??

      • tbob4
        tbob4 commented
        Editing a comment
        I did see that once at the Costco here but never thought about buying it. If I did, I would give it a coating of rub and a quick smoke - maybe 1 - 2 hours tops. I would pull it very rare and would then dice the meat, add onions, garlic and peppers. I would mix a little soy sauce, red table wine, cilantro and salsa and let it sit overnight. I would then grill that up for outstanding tacos.

      #7
      My buddy went to Costco and had to text and call me repeatedly to make this happen. I told him PRIME and then he hit me with the steaks. I said WHOLE and he said they only had choice. I said talk to the BUTCHER and he pointed him in the right direction.

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      • Troutman
        Troutman commented
        Editing a comment
        Yea read the label, they tell you to cook it to 145* as a result of their "tenderizing". That said, I just did a post where I regularly cook meat loaf to no more than 145* which should really go to 160*. I regularly eat Costco meat myself, damn the torpedos, full speed ahead !!!

      • klflowers
        klflowers commented
        Editing a comment
        I haven't been to Costco in awhile. Time to pay a visit.

      • klflowers
        klflowers commented
        Editing a comment
        I need to got back to Costco, haven’t been in awhile

      #8
      Roasts for me, untrimmed if I can get them.

      Comment


      • Troutman
        Troutman commented
        Editing a comment
        +1, forget the steaks.

      • TripleB
        TripleB commented
        Editing a comment
        Why do you want them untrimmed? Cost vs. trimmed?

      • CaptainMike
        CaptainMike commented
        Editing a comment
        TripleB I control the trim and I save the fat for a grind. TT burgers are pretty dang good, but it's nice to have the fat for whatever AND it's quite a bit cheaper, especially in a cryovac pack.

      #9
      I just now came home with a cryovac of prime tri-tips from Costco ($6.79 /lb). Not only are they several dollars per pound less that way, but they also aren’t blade tenderized. My Costco never has them out, I have to ask for them. I cut some into steaks and leave most as roasts. The little ends of those that become steaks get further cut into stew sized chunks.

      Comment


      • mgaretz
        mgaretz commented
        Editing a comment
        Well the Costcos around here get them that way. Yesterday they were out but said they'd be in today, and sure enough, they were.

      • Dadof3Illinois
        Dadof3Illinois commented
        Editing a comment
        Yes the last ones I bought from Costco were a cryovac of 7 tri tips and they weren’t trimmed or blade tenderized. Now that was in 2019 so I’m not sure if that’s what you’ve got or not.

      • CaptainMike
        CaptainMike commented
        Editing a comment
        I save the ends and fat for a burger grind.

      #10
      Roasts for me, but I've never tried the steaks, so I'm only expressing an unfounded, biased allegiance to what I've always done.

      Comment


        #11
        I always go roasts, never tried the steaks. I know my parents used to buy the roasts and slice them before drowning them in an over salty marinade and over cooking them on their cheap gas grill so maybe I am just jaded away from buying anything but the whole roast.

        Also if you buy a full bag (usually 5 or 6 tri tips) or even a case you can get those non-blade tenderized and save a bit of money per pound. When I get tri tips from Costco that is usually how I buy them. Cook up one and vacuum seal the rest and throw them in the freezer.

        Comment


        • Attjack
          Attjack commented
          Editing a comment
          I will definitely ask about this since you're the second guy saying this.

        #12
        Got used to having these around in AZ. Haven’t caught on in MN yet.

        Comment


          #13
          I can honestly say that I’ve never even seen a Tri tip steak. O_o
          Kinda defeats the whole point IMO...

          If I’m going to grill a steak, I’m going to pick up a steak cut...like a ribeye, New York strip, etc.

          Comment


          • Attjack
            Attjack commented
            Editing a comment
            Well, although I like to cook them whole you can cut yourself some nice thick steaks from a big Tri-tip.

          #14
          A cut of meat rarely seen in these parts so like surfdog kind of a moot point.
          Did find them once nearby but only for a few weeks, haven't seen them in months now.

          Comment


            #15
            The commissary has tri-tip sometimes here, I was blown away when wally world had 2 poor grade tri-tips the other day, I grew up in so-cal and NV, never seen a tri-tip steak before. If I had a choice I'd still prefer whole. They cook perfect for my house, a few petite "steak" slices cooked med for those few who prefer, some good number of slices cooked med-rare all with the same effort and taste.

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