The tri tip roast is an odd cut of beef. On The west coast it has been well known and well loved for decades. The east coast, not so much. It’s not like east coast cows don’t have a tri tip (2 actually) so what gives? I have no idea. It’s a great cut of beef, has tons of great flavor and is pleasant to eat. The thing is most people do not know how to cook it so that may be the problem. The “Reverse Sear” method is preferred but what does that mean?
Reverse sear refers to slowly bringing the internal temp of the meat up the desired doneness before searing the outside over very high heat and adding all that great grill flavor. How do we do this? Starting cooking the meat at a very low temp for a long period of time. This can be very tricky on charcoal and to be honest, I have never tried it. I have always used a gas grill for this cut of meat so these instructions apply to that cooking method only. Lets get started
To properly enjoy and Tri Tip is must first be trimmed and seasoned. One side has a large fat pad. This may include some really thick and tough fat. You will want to trim as little as you can to make the tri tip as juicy as possible. Run your hand over the fat. Any rough or hard bits should be trimmed. The thick areas that remain can be lightly scored to help allow them to render as it cooks.
As for seasoning, it’s a thick chunk of meat so this will take 24 hours to do correctly. Use a steak or roast type seasoning. Heavy on the herbs and pepper with plenty of garlic. I have my own version of this but it is an actual secret recipe so I can’t share it just yet (should be available to buy soon). Montreal Steak seasoning or something like that will work. Apply it all over and place the roast in a large zip top bag and put it in the refrigerator over night.
45 minutes before cooking begins take the tri tip out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter. When you are ready to cook take it out to the grill and place it on a cold grill, fat side down. Yes, cold! NOW light the grill and turn it to low. You do not want the temp to get above 275f.
After 10 minutes flip it over. Keep flipping it every 10 minutes for about 35 – 45 minutes. If you want cross hatch marks turn the meat 45 degrees as you flip it each time. Check the internal temp of the tri tip often. You are looking for it to get up to about 115f to 120f. Check several spots to make sure you have an accurate reading.
Once you hit 115f to 120f it is time to baste the meat with….. BBQ sauce. Yup, sounds weird, tastes amazing! A sweet sauce like Sweet Bay Rays original works best. Avoid very vinegary sauces as they will overpower the meat flavor of the tri tip. Coat one side and crank the heat to high. Place the basted side done and baste the other side. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until all the sauce is cooked in and the surface of the tri tip is bubbling and delicious. Pull it off the grill before you reach 135f or it will be shoe leather.
Let it rest, covered and in a warm place, for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Slice the meat AGAINST the grain and at an angle to make the fibers as short as possible. Start at the big end and work back to the small end. Slice nice and thin with a very sharp knife. A dull knife will squeeze all the juice out. Serve hot will some dripping over the top of each serving.
Best Way to Cook a Tri Tip, Reverse Sear Method
