Tri-tip is on the East Coast

Oh, we have it.

Funny story on tri-tip :

I went down to Whole Foods a few weeks ago to look for a good cut. Grass-fed tri-tip was on sale, so I asked the butcher if it cooked pretty tender. He said “if you want it tender, you need to take a mallet and beat the **** out of it!”

I said, “give me a half pound!”

Brought it home and ran it over in the driveway with a steamroller hoping that would tenderize it enough. I cooked it and then went to take a bite and thought I was eating a leather boot.

Obviously I didn’t do something right. Now I just stick to the classic cuts (ie., NY Strip, Top Sirloin, London Broil etc.)
 
The only way I've done tri-tip is sloooooow smoked after marinading for a day or two.

Pretty good that way.
 
Ryanb said:
Now I just stick to the classic cuts (ie., NY Strip, Top Sirloin, London Broil etc.)
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Speaking of London Broil, that's a weird one. When you go to the butcher or market and ask for a London Broil, what you'll actually get (i.e. what part of the cow it came from) will differ depending on geography.
timwinters said:
The only way I've done tri-tip is sloooooow smoked after marinading for a day or two.

Pretty good that way.
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Bah. I've had it after an hour of salting plus an hour of grill/smoke. Came out tender as a strip steak. I'm told one of the keys is in the slicing. Also that it prefers a somewhat narrow temperature range.
 
You don't necessarily have to slow smoke tri tip for it to come out tender (although that doesn't hurt.) Overcooking will make it tough. Undercooking will make it tough. I usually go covered, direct heat over the coals, for about 20 minutes to a half hour, until the rubberyness (if that is a word) just starts to disappear.

How you cut it is important. It is a roast, so you need to let it sit for 15 minutes before you cut it. You cut the line where the grains meet to separate them, then thin slice across the grain for each half. I guarantee you that if you have my tri tip, it will not be tough.

I just made a couple last night. They were completely decimated. Sooooooo good.

Some people cut it and cook it like a steak. That doesn't work well. It comes out tough that way.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I just made a couple last night. They were completely decimated. Sooooooo good.

Some people cut it and cook it like a steak. That doesn't work well. It comes out tough that way.
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Since you did not invite us, we needed you to make a video and you let us down. :(
 
Weird. We have eaten tri-tip for decades and never had a problem. You have to cook it slow, but it was always a good meal.
 
It sounds like there are 2 things I need to find: a tr-tip and a free day.

I figure a nice bourbon while it cooks, then a good salad and a glass of wine or a beer when it's ready.

Maybe a brandy and cigar while I read my newspaper in front of the fireplace while the dog sleeps by my feet... maybe not.
 
Re-reading the thread, I think I figured out what went wrong.
Ryanb said:
I said, “give me a half pound!”
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Sac Arrow said:
It is a roast... Some people cut it and cook it like a steak. That doesn't work well. It comes out tough that way.
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If you got half a pound, then you didn't get a tri-rip roast, you got a tri-tip steak.
 
Tri Tip is fairly easy to cook, if you actually get Tri Tip. I was in Edenton NC two years ago and talked to the local butcher. He said he knew what it was but obviously didn’t. He gave us top sirloin roast, probably the flap. It was good but it was not not Tri Tip. More and more places on the East Coast are getting it now.

Sac is correct in cooking and slicing. I start with a hot grill and sear both sides then cook from there low and slow. It’s a thick cut so if you cook too hot the outside is tough before the inside cooks. This is from a month ago where I cooked Tri Tip for 100 people.

IMG_3956.jpg
 
Ryanb said:
Oh, we have it.

Funny story on tri-tip :

I went down to Whole Foods a few weeks ago to look for a good cut. Grass-fed tri-tip was on sale, so I asked the butcher if it cooked pretty tender. He said “if you want it tender, you need to take a mallet and beat the **** out of it!”

I said, “give me a half pound!”

Brought it home and ran it over in the driveway with a steamroller hoping that would tenderize it enough. I cooked it and then went to take a bite and thought I was eating a leather boot.

Obviously I didn’t do something right. Now I just stick to the classic cuts (ie., NY Strip, Top Sirloin, London Broil etc.)
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its tri-tip. its best ground, mixed with ground brisket and made into burgers.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk
 
asicer said:
Re-reading the thread, I think I figured out what went wrong.


If you got half a pound, then you didn't get a tri-rip roast, you got a tri-tip steak.
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Yes. Mystery solved. I shoot for 2 or 3 lbs per tri tip.
 
flhrci said:
Since you did not invite us, we needed you to make a video and you let us down. :(
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Maybe one of these days when @SixPapaCharlie invites me play a role in one of his aviation reality videos, I will manage to work a tri tip preparation in to it.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Maybe one of these days when @SixPapaCharlie invites me play a role in one of his aviation reality videos, I will manage to work a tri tip preparation in to it.
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You might have to settle for a mention in an episode of "As the Prop Turns" or whatever it is called, if there ever is another.
 
stsflyer said:
Tri Tip is fairly easy to cook, if you actually get Tri Tip. I was in Edenton NC two years ago and talked to the local butcher. He said he knew what it was but obviously didn’t. He gave us top sirloin roast, probably the flap. It was good but it was not not Tri Tip. More and more places on the East Coast are getting it now.

Sac is correct in cooking and slicing. I start with a hot grill and sear both sides then cook from there low and slow. It’s a thick cut so if you cook too hot the outside is tough before the inside cooks. This is from a month ago where I cooked Tri Tip for 100 people.

View attachment 74431
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I can personally attest that stsflyer is the BOMB at making tri tip. We have rode in two Tour de Fuzz rides so far with another Purple Board member, and he has hosted us and tri-tipped us on both occasions.
 
This is a tri tip thread, but brisket gets a pass.
 
Dude.....it's meat. Good meat....too. o_O

btw...the son just did two large chuck roasts in the smoker yesterday.....:drool:
 
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Matthew said:
I would roll around in burnt ends.

For some real pig candy check out just about any recipe for pork belly burnt ends.
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We have some pork belly in the freezer. As well as two huge cryovac butts.
 
flhrci said:
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I like that guy's apron. Mine has a built-in bottle opener. I need to get a nice beer holster, though.

In my neighborhood we have "vultures". My favorite was my former back yard neighbor. She did a lot of catering. Her thing was to show up at the back fence and say something like, "I THOUGHT I smelled something good! Hey, I just happened to be baking pies/cookies/whatever today and have a tray of samples for you." She always got paid back. It was a pretty good gig while it lasted.
 
IMG_4565.jpg

I know this is going to appear blasphemous, but the turkey roaster actually makes excellent spare ribs. Covered in the oven, 250 for 5-6 hours followed by a few minutes uncovered at 450 makes perfect, fall off the bone ribs.

The little metal thingies are Weber coal holders pressed in to service as rib racks. I needed to angle them to fit but the key is the air gap around the ribs. Keeps them out of the fat, too.
 
Sac Arrow said:
View attachment 74459

I know this is going to appear blasphemous, but the turkey roaster actually makes excellent spare ribs. Covered in the oven, 250 for 5-6 hours followed by a few minutes uncovered at 450 makes perfect, fall off the bone ribs.

The little metal thingies are Weber coal holders pressed in to service as rib racks. I needed to angle them to fit but the key is the air gap around the ribs. Keeps them out of the fat, too.
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2 things: Those look like backs, not spares. And you did not call it BBQ. So no blasphemy, good on you.

Hey, work with what you got. And that's a valid way to cook ribs. I'd probably baste them with a little sauce at the end, then maybe pop them back in for 4-5 minutes to "set" the sauce.
 
Matthew said:
2 things: Those look like backs, not spares. And you did not call it BBQ. So no blasphemy, good on you.

Hey, work with what you got. And that's a valid way to cook ribs. I'd probably baste them with a little sauce at the end, then maybe pop them back in for 4-5 minutes to "set" the sauce.
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No, those are spares, but they kind of look like backs in the photo. We are looking at about 8 lbs of ribs there, between the two.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Definately untrimmed, then.
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Hm, interesting. They looked trimmed to me...

Here's untrimmed (an uneven polygon):
740cb4029308529d4973320d122f40ab.jpg

And here's trimmed St. Louis cut (i.e. nice and rectangular):
42.jpg
 
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asicer said:
Hm, interesting. They looked trimmed to me...

Here's untrimmed (an uneven polygon):
740cb4029308529d4973320d122f40ab.jpg

And here's trimmed St. Louis cut (i.e. nice and rectangular):
42.jpg
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Definitely not rectangular. The raw things looked more like your above picture.
 
4A1DF92B-ABEE-4847-9AC6-20661273120F.jpeg 42A10150-78ED-410A-8381-6AF794D069D1.jpeg

Squared away tri tip!

That is the line on which I will cut first prior to slicing across the respective grains.
 
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