Post by noboundaries on Sept 3, 2013 20:49:16 GMT -5
Smoked Tri-Tip
We've been eating tri tip roasts for over 30 years, usually grilling a dozen or so a year. Tri-tip roast is ubiquitous on the West Coast and apparently is often difficult or impossible to find in some areas on the East Coast. For those unfamiliar with the cut of meat, it has marbling like a rib eye steak but the texture is closer to roast beef.
Tri-tip is a cut of meat that grills quickly, like steak. It smokes quickly too. The flavor is incredible. The preferred wood for smoking a tri tip is red oak. If you don't have oak, try any wood of choice, but go light on the wood. I used only two chunks of mesquite due to my wife's West Texas roots and we loved it.
With a rather creative set of bones in my body I've experimented with a lot of seasonings and cooking styles over the decades. Generally I grill tri tips using both direct and indirect heat, much like they do in Santa Maria with their fire pits. Santa Maria pits look a lot like what you see at BBQ stands at county/state fairs where the grill can be cranked up and down above the fire. Unfortunately with a Weber Kettle or a gas grill the final result usually has part of the roast well done and part close to rare due to the varying thickness of the roast. Not with this Smokenator/Gas Grill combo method! This was THE BEST SANTA MARIA TRI TIP WE'VE EVER EATEN outside of Santa Maria! The final result was tender, juicy, and oh so flavorful. The exact details are listed below. My wife kept saying "wow" with each bite. She said "go write down EXACTLY what you did because THIS is how we'll eat tri tips from now on."
INGREDIENTS
Tri tip roasts, similar in weight if cooking two or more.
Olive oil
Santa Maria Style Seasoning by Scott's Food Products (available online or at Whole Foods Market)
DIRECTIONS
1. Take tri tips out of the refrigerator and let warm for about two hours.
2. While tri tips are warming, cover very lightly with olive oil.
3. Cover liberally with Santa Maria Style Seasoning by Scott's Food Products.
4. If the tri tip has a long, thin "tail," tie it back over the meat with butcher's string and a surgeon's knot to add to the thickness to the tail.
5. Tent the roasts with a piece of aluminum foil while they warm. No need to wrap in foil or plastic.
6. Put an aluminum drip pan in the smoker below the food grill. Later, you will add the drippings to the au jus.
7. Fire up the SN once the tri tip has been warming for an hour. Use a half-load of coals because the meat will only need to smoke about an hour. Use red oak if you have it, or any wood of choice. I use two 2.5" by 2" thick pieces of mesquite, our choice.
8. At two hours put the tri tips on the SN when the grill (not vent) temp is 225°F. Insert the wireless meat probe into the thickest part one of the tri tips if cooking more than one.
9. Fire up the gas grill on high heat when the internal temperature of the meat is 130°F on the SN, about an hour.
10. Move the tri tips from the SN to the grill when the internal temperature of the meat is 135°F.
11. Sear the roasts on the gas grill over high heat 4 minutes on each side to form marks, a slight crust, and give the roasts some color.
12. Remove from the gas grill to a 9 x 13 aluminum roaster, cover with HD aluminum foil, and let rest in a towel lined cooler for 90 minutes. The "rest" equalizes of fluid pressure in the meat, retaining more of the juices, though some will still pool.
13. Add the drippings to the au jus, slice across the grain (VERY IMPORTANT) with slices about 1/4 inch thick, then serve with the au jus.
We've been eating tri tip roasts for over 30 years, usually grilling a dozen or so a year. Tri-tip roast is ubiquitous on the West Coast and apparently is often difficult or impossible to find in some areas on the East Coast. For those unfamiliar with the cut of meat, it has marbling like a rib eye steak but the texture is closer to roast beef.
Tri-tip is a cut of meat that grills quickly, like steak. It smokes quickly too. The flavor is incredible. The preferred wood for smoking a tri tip is red oak. If you don't have oak, try any wood of choice, but go light on the wood. I used only two chunks of mesquite due to my wife's West Texas roots and we loved it.
With a rather creative set of bones in my body I've experimented with a lot of seasonings and cooking styles over the decades. Generally I grill tri tips using both direct and indirect heat, much like they do in Santa Maria with their fire pits. Santa Maria pits look a lot like what you see at BBQ stands at county/state fairs where the grill can be cranked up and down above the fire. Unfortunately with a Weber Kettle or a gas grill the final result usually has part of the roast well done and part close to rare due to the varying thickness of the roast. Not with this Smokenator/Gas Grill combo method! This was THE BEST SANTA MARIA TRI TIP WE'VE EVER EATEN outside of Santa Maria! The final result was tender, juicy, and oh so flavorful. The exact details are listed below. My wife kept saying "wow" with each bite. She said "go write down EXACTLY what you did because THIS is how we'll eat tri tips from now on."
INGREDIENTS
Tri tip roasts, similar in weight if cooking two or more.
Olive oil
Santa Maria Style Seasoning by Scott's Food Products (available online or at Whole Foods Market)
DIRECTIONS
1. Take tri tips out of the refrigerator and let warm for about two hours.
2. While tri tips are warming, cover very lightly with olive oil.
3. Cover liberally with Santa Maria Style Seasoning by Scott's Food Products.
4. If the tri tip has a long, thin "tail," tie it back over the meat with butcher's string and a surgeon's knot to add to the thickness to the tail.
5. Tent the roasts with a piece of aluminum foil while they warm. No need to wrap in foil or plastic.
6. Put an aluminum drip pan in the smoker below the food grill. Later, you will add the drippings to the au jus.
7. Fire up the SN once the tri tip has been warming for an hour. Use a half-load of coals because the meat will only need to smoke about an hour. Use red oak if you have it, or any wood of choice. I use two 2.5" by 2" thick pieces of mesquite, our choice.
8. At two hours put the tri tips on the SN when the grill (not vent) temp is 225°F. Insert the wireless meat probe into the thickest part one of the tri tips if cooking more than one.
9. Fire up the gas grill on high heat when the internal temperature of the meat is 130°F on the SN, about an hour.
10. Move the tri tips from the SN to the grill when the internal temperature of the meat is 135°F.
11. Sear the roasts on the gas grill over high heat 4 minutes on each side to form marks, a slight crust, and give the roasts some color.
12. Remove from the gas grill to a 9 x 13 aluminum roaster, cover with HD aluminum foil, and let rest in a towel lined cooler for 90 minutes. The "rest" equalizes of fluid pressure in the meat, retaining more of the juices, though some will still pool.
13. Add the drippings to the au jus, slice across the grain (VERY IMPORTANT) with slices about 1/4 inch thick, then serve with the au jus.
