Need SV Tri Tip Advice

[Skip]

I received an early Christmas present, an Anova Sous Vide cooker. I have a 2.4# Tri Tip in the freezer to practice on before Christmas. I have been reading on this AR site and a couple others as well for advice and find some conflicting views on time and temperature. My Family likes beef "medium", not too rare. I'm thinking a temp of 134 for 10 hours and then a high heat sear. Does this seem about right? Hopefully this weekend will be favorable outside for the grill sear. Thanks in advance for the help.

[smokinfatties]

I just got the Joule, that may be the right temp though. mgaretz is always using the SV and torch!

[EdF]

I've only done tri-tip once, and it wasn't SV. My impression is that people treat it more like steak when cooking, in which case 10 hours is probably a bit much. 134 and a sear sounds good for what you want. So, guess we need to hear from some Californians.

[SoCalTim]

Hi Skip, IMO 10 hrs is too long for your tri tip. I just did one this past Sunday, 140 @ 3 hrs ... then hit it with a screaming hot sear. Magic. If you go with your plan, I'd sure love to hear about your results, I'm always looking for different ways to do tri tip cooks. Best ~ Tim

[tbob4]

Breadhead is a go-to guy for this. Here is a thread https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...boy-style-😆

[Jerod Broussard]

I cut mine into nice steaks with the grain so you cut against when consuming. 131 at 4 hours (sometimes less) then sear has done plenty for me.

[Breadhead]

I received an early Christmas present, an Anova Sous Vide cooker. I have a 2.4# Tri Tip in the freezer to practice on before Christmas. I have been reading on this AR site and a couple others as well for advice and find some conflicting views on time and temperature. My Family likes beef "medium", not too rare. I'm thinking a temp of 134 for 10 hours and then a high heat sear. Does this seem about right? Hopefully this weekend will be favorable outside for the grill sear. Thanks in advance for the help.

Skip ... 131° is the temperature I use because my Modernist Cuisine book about SV cooking says if you are going to cook it at a lower temperature than that you should blanch the meat before putting it in the vacuum sealed bag, to get rid of any bacteria on the surface. Your 134° cooking temperature will be fine.

I've done many, many Tri-Tips in my SV bath tub and I've seared them every way possible. I once did one for 24 hours at 131° and concluded that was too long because the meat became too mushy.

4 hours at 131° in the bath tub and then seared is what I do when I'm in a hurry. I sear it really hot with the intent of keeping my finished internal temp at 135°. The texture of that meat is what you would expect from a fairly low fat type of steak. Depending on what rub you use you are going to get a really tasty piece of meat.

Then also know that the longer you leave it in the bath tub past those 4 hours the more tender it is going to get - but that's a slow process. 1 additional hour won't create much of a change in tenderness. I've experimented with lots of different times at 131°, 6/8/10/12/15 hour cooks.

Personal I think the sweet spot is 10 to 12 hours in the bath tub at 131°. I've had a couple of guys tell me their Tri-tip I served them that had 12 hours in the bath tub was as tender as a tenderloin and better tasting. A couple of New Yorker's here on vacation that had never heard of a Tri-Tip.

If you cook at 134° that will change the times some so keep that in mind. If you have the time I would give your first one 8 hours in the bath tub. Then try 10 hours on the next one, then 12 hours. You will find your sweet spot doing that.

Also... the best way to sear a Tri-Tip is over your charcoal starter, in my humble opinion.😎

[mgaretz]

My preferred time and temp for tri-tip is 8 hours at 131F, and usually that's from frozen and for choice grade. So if it's not frozen you could shave an hour off or so. Prime grade you can get away with less time, I have done as few as 3 hours. Your cooking temp will depend on your desired degree of doneness and your searing method. I used to use my gasser with grill grates, but now I use the searing torch.

I should mention that I am not that precise with the time. A 7-10 hour range is the goal. My wife doesn't get home from work at a set time, so if it stays in the bath an hour or two extra it's no big deal.

[Huskee]

Is your torch just propane?

[Skip]

Thanks to all for your posts and advice. I will post some results hopefully this weekend.

[fzxdoc]

I've experimented with lots of different times at 131°, 6/8/10/12/15 hour cooks.

Personal I think the sweet spot is 10 to 12 hours in the bath tub at 131°. I've had a couple of guys tell me their Tri-tip I served them that had 12 hours in the bath tub was as tender as a tenderloin and better tasting. A couple of New Yorker's here on vacation that had never heard of a Tri-Tip.

Well, Breadhead , I followed your sous vide advice almost to a "T", a tri-tip T that is, and the results were fabulous. Based on your advice, I figured 12 hours at 131° was the way I wanted to go.

My tri-tip had been brined with salt 4 hours then vacuum sealed and stored in the freezer (life got in the way). Two days ago, I took it out of the freezer and dropped it into the 131°bath. I followed Chef Steps recommendations and added half again as much time for frozen food. So it was in the bath and set for 18 hours. Actual bath time was closer to 21 hours since our guests were late (2 traffic jams on their trip).

Took it out, dried it well, coated it with avocado oil and seared it on my Grill Grates, flipped to the solid side, on my gasser. The temperature of that surface was just over 800°F (Grill Grates can be taken up to 900°F). Seared 30 to 45 seconds per side and edges and took it to the table. Best tri-tip ever. Tender as a tenderloin and better-tasting, as advertised.

Served with homemade chimichurri sauce.



Thank you so much for doing all that tri-tip research and for finding the perfect recommendation for it. It sure worked for me as a great place to start.

Next time I'll do an unfrozen brined tri-tip for the 12 hour/131° exactly. That's the plan at least.

Kathryn

[fzxdoc]

Breadhead , I did see on a later post (the one where you prepared dinner for Scary Mary) that you prefer 15 hours now, but since I was starting from frozen, I opted for the lower end of the range. OK, next will be a head-to head comparison of 12 and 15 hours with fresh cuts of dry brined meat.

K

[Breadhead]

Kathryn... if you do 2 try making a bernaise sauce for 1 of them. I think the most popular sauce for Filet Mignon in Steakhouse's is bernaise. That's the sauce I served my New York friends and TriTip + Bernaise sauce, blew them away! I'm perplexed as to why Meathead doesn't have a bernaise recipe.

[kmhfive]

That's just a beautiful picture! I love Breadhead 's method for Tri Tip! Sounds like it tastes just right, too.

[fzxdoc]

Did you make the Bernaise in the sous vide, Breadhead ?

Kathryn

[Breadhead]

Did you make the Bernaise in the sous vide, Breadhead ?

Kathryn

No... I've been making my bernaise sauce the same way for 35 years. With the exception I added my Thermapen after I got one when Meathead told me too. I use a sauce pan with an inch or 2 of water in it and then set a Pyrex bowl over the pan. I keep my water temperature at 160° so my Egg yokes don't overcook, which will make your sauce separate. First I do the vinegar & terragon reduction, and set it aside. Then I put the egg yokes in to start the cook. Once the yokes cook slightly, you start seeing a trail behind your whisk, then I add the vinegar reduction and the butter an ounce at a time, whisking continually. I use 2 ounces of butter for each egg yoke I put in.

Leave the vinegar & terragon reduction out and you have a hollandaise sauce...👍

I guess I could do it in the SV bag and then put it in the blender but... my way is pretty easy for me.