We had lunch yesterday at Marie Calendar's and their fall menu included
tri tip as a meal or in a salad. It was "baked" with S, P and Garlic,
and really was decent. To me, it's a cut that I like almost blood rare
in the middle with a little crust on the outside, but wonder how folks
might do it low and slow with smoke. Could you all give me some various
cooking methods that work out well for both low and slow and my own way
of rotisserie or grill? It's a cut I didn't grow up with, and I'm in an
experimenting and learning mode with it.

Nonny
--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

Nonnymus wrote:
> We had lunch yesterday at Marie Calendar's and their fall menu
> included tri tip as a meal or in a salad. It was "baked" with S, P
> and Garlic, and really was decent. To me, it's a cut that I like
> almost blood rare in the middle with a little crust on the outside,
> but wonder how folks might do it low and slow with smoke. Could you
> all give me some various cooking methods that work out well for both
> low and slow and my own way of rotisserie or grill? It's a cut I
> didn't grow up with, and I'm in an experimenting and learning mode
> with it.

I never do it low and slow, Nonny. It is too lean a cut. It is best done
smoke-grilled. When I have tried to do it low-n-slow, it toughens up and
dries out too much for my liking.

--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

Dave Bugg wrote:

> I never do it low and slow, Nonny. It is too lean a cut. It is best done
> smoke-grilled. When I have tried to do it low-n-slow, it toughens up and
> dries out too much for my liking.
>
When I get one, I think I'll give it an hour cold smoke in the Bradley,
then hit it hard on a well heated grill. Is there a fat cap, normally?
If so, do you leave it on when cooking and especially when turning?

--
---Nonnymus---
No matter how large your boat,
the person you are talking with will
have a close friend with a larger one.
---Observation by my son

On Nov 19, 8:33 pm, Nonnymus > wrote:
> Dave Bugg wrote:
> > I never do it low and slow, Nonny. It is too lean a cut. It is best done
> > smoke-grilled. When I have tried to do it low-n-slow, it toughens up and
> > dries out too much for my liking.
>
> When I get one, I think I'll give it an hour cold smoke in the Bradley,
> then hit it hard on a well heated grill. Is there a fat cap, normally?
> If so, do you leave it on when cooking and especially when turning?

They used to come with a fat cap, but modern butchers trim it off.
Good luck with the technique.
When I started cooking these I'd do the indirect grilling technique
to get a smokey thing going, but it often came out too tough and dry.
Been much, much happier with direct grilling. I grill one about the
same temp as you'd grill a pork tenderloin.

Nunya Bidnits wrote:
> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:07:46 -0800, Nonnymus wrote:
>>
>>> We had lunch yesterday at Marie Calendar's and their fall menu
>>> included tri tip as a meal or in a salad. It was "baked" with S, P
>>> and Garlic, and really was decent. To me, it's a cut that I like
>>> almost blood rare in the middle with a little crust on the outside,
>>> but wonder how folks might do it low and slow with smoke.
>>
>> You can't smoke tri-tip. It meant to be rubbed and grilled at
>> medium heat.
>>
>> -sw
>
> Around here we don't see cuts called "tri-tip" sirloin. What other
> regional names might be used for this cut? I keep hearing about it
> but never see any in the markets.

Maybe called a triangle roast. The IMPS (Institutional Meat Purchase
Specifications) for beef designation is either 185c or 185d, depending on
whether you want it defatted or trimmed.
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

In article >, Sqwertz says...
>
>
>Triangle Roast, or sliced it's called coulette steaks.
>
>If you're in North or South Carolina, or anywhere in the
>mid-Atlantic you can count on not finding it.
>
Supposedly, Tri-tip is originally from California. Santa Maria, CA to be exact.
I've seen so many different cuts of it--it is sometimes hard to recognize in the
meat case.

I buy mine untrimmed--the meat guy sometimes has to get them out of the back.
He'll knock $1.00 a lb. off the price because I don't want them trimmed.

I like to get the the biggest I can (around 3.5 lbs). They are shaped kind of
like a triangle.

I smoke them with the fat cap up using mesquite wood. I keep the temp at 225
until the meat is 140 (warm pink center). Slice them against the grain and they
are tender and juicy.

The leftovers make great filling for beef fajitas during the week.

Mark

Mark Filice wrote:

> I buy mine untrimmed--the meat guy sometimes has to get them out of the back.
> He'll knock $1.00 a lb. off the price because I don't want them trimmed.
>
> I like to get the the biggest I can (around 3.5 lbs). They are shaped kind of
> like a triangle.
>
> I smoke them with the fat cap up using mesquite wood. I keep the temp at 225
> until the meat is 140 (warm pink center). Slice them against the grain and they
> are tender and juicy.

This is *exactly* how I do tri-tips. Moderate smoking temperature
with oak in the firebox, and watch the meat - don't let it get
over 140F internal. I rub the meat - anything suitable for beef
will work, it can be as simple as equal parts of salt, black pepper,
onion powder, paprika and a half-part of garlic powder, or whatever
you want.

Dana

"Nonnymus" > wrote in message
...
> We had lunch yesterday at Marie Calendar's and their fall menu included
> tri tip as a meal or in a salad. It was "baked" with S, P and Garlic, and
> really was decent. To me, it's a cut that I like almost blood rare in the
> middle with a little crust on the outside, but wonder how folks might do
> it low and slow with smoke. Could you all give me some various cooking
> methods that work out well for both low and slow and my own way of
> rotisserie or grill? It's a cut I didn't grow up with, and I'm in an
> experimenting and learning mode with it.
>
> Nonny
> --
> ---Nonnymus---
> No matter how large your boat,
> the person you are talking with will
> have a close friend with a larger one.
> ---Observation by my son

I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB, CA for eight years and loved the tri-tip.
Towards the end of my last year and a half I saw a friend of mine using a
rub called Santa Maria Seasoning (wished I had discovered it sooner) I tried
it out and have loved it ever since. http://www.susieqbrand.com/ I'm now in
Florida (retired from the AF in April) and have to order the stuff by
internet, so I've ordered a few cases of it and the folks at work each buy a
bottle to share in the shipping cost. Anyway I have found one butcher here
in Panama City that said he can get tri-tip, but I have to buy a huge
quantity so I have to try and talk my coworkers into going in on that too. I
use this stuff on all my steaks and other grilled meats give it a try in
your tri-tip and you'll swear by the stuff. If you live in California you
can pick it up in the supermarket, Albertsons usually has it anywhere close
to the central coast. There is also a diagram on the website that shows the
cut of meat for anyone unfamiliar with tri-tip.

When you buy your tri-tips, as others have mentioned, leave the fat on while
grilling, for the best flavor. Has anyone else here tried the Santa Maria
Seasoning? O.K. now I'm hungry again.

The_Critic wrote:

> When you buy your tri-tips, as others have mentioned, leave the fat on
> while grilling, for the best flavor. Has anyone else here tried the
> Santa Maria Seasoning? O.K. now I'm hungry again.

Tri-Tip is extremely common throughout California, though not a highly
prized cut. It's name comes from the fact that it is a triangular shaped
cut. Santa Maria rub is good, but then again there are quite a few store
bought rubs that folks use out here that I consider pretty good. I like
Pappy's, and Lawry's personally. I only cook Tri-Tip 2 ways.

1. Grill it as a roast to a rare finish, slice thinly against the grain,
and eat on a bun.

2. Slice it with the grain into steaks, and grill it hot and fast to a
medium rare.

No matter how you cook it, it never seems to be really tender. The main
attraction nowadays is that you can buy it for about half the price of a
good steak.

--
Dave T.

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.