About this Recipe
I really love Tri-Tip. However, when we moved to Macon, Georgia from Utah we noticed that there weren’t a lot of butchers out here than carried this West Coast favorite. We had to call around, and wouldn’t you know that the first butcher I made acquaintance with, was the one that had it – and they were in the same zip code we were. That made it convenient. I sent them an email, and that Saturday I walked in and he had it ready for me. Blanche Farms Meats in BolingBroke, Georgia. Check these guys out if you in the Macon for Forsyth area, he won’t let you down.
On to the Tri-Tip. If you are from the East Coast and have not had the ability to try Tri-Tip steak, it is time for you to enter the game. This is a cut that has amazing flavor, has excellent marbling, and I think the price per pound cannot be beaten. I think, once you have learned how to cook this cut, this will quickly become your favorite cut of beef.
In today’s post, we will talk about how to trim the Tri-Tip, how you should slice it, and of course how to cook the Tri-Tip. There are so many ways you can prepare this cut as it is so versatile, you should try them all. Our favorite is smoke.
How to Trim your Tri-Tip
Your very first step, before you do anything is to trim this Tri-Tip. This will ensure that your meat is cleaned correctly and makes a huge difference in your finished product. Depending on where you sourced your Tri-Tip some of your butchers will have already removed the silver skin and the hard chunks of fat. However, if they didn’t it takes just a few minutes of time and is so worth it in the end.
Remember, when you trim the Tri-Tip, a rule is to use a sharp knife and remove anything that you don’t want to eat. This will ensure that every bite is tender and you don’t get chewing on a rubber band or a huge chunk of fat.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 Premium Quality Texas Beef Tri-Tip Steaks (about 3 to 5 lbs Post Trimed weight)
- 1/2 cup of yellow mustard or olive oil
- 1/2 cup of your favorite meat rub (for our version, we used Prime Rib Rub (Treager) and Holy Cow Meat Rum (Meat Church)
How to Smoke the Tri-Tip:
- Preheat your smoker to 200 degrees F. You can use any hardwood to smoke, we find mesquite, oak, or pecan is best.
- Trimp your Tri-Tip as described. Always to take care to remove any silverskin and hard fat.
- Pat your steaks dry with a paper towel, then rub them with your binder and rub of choice. Make sure you apply an even coat. Don’t over-saturate the meat, but a nice coating is sufficient.
- Don’t worry about getting your hands messy, this is BBQ. Make sure to cover every portion of the surface of the steak.
- Place your Tri-Tip on your smoker and cook it until you reach an internal temperature ten degrees below your desired doneness. We pull Tri-Tips at 125 F. In my last step, we will raise the temperature an additional ten degrees to achieve medium-rare.
- When you reach your temp, remove your beef and wrap it in Pink Butcher Paper. Place your Tri-Tip in a cooler (empty and dry) wrapped on all sides with a towel and close the lid. Allow resting.
- Increase the temperature to 500 F, and preheat with the lid closed for about 15 min.
- Unwrap the Tri-Tip, re-insert the probe, and return the Tri-Tip to the grill. Sear on each side for 4 min and your temp should read 130-135 F
- Remove the Tri-Tip, re-wrap in Pink Butcher Paper repeat the steps in step 6 in the cooler and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
- When ready to serve, slice against the grain, then serve and enjoy!
