Grilled Tri Tip
Grilled Tri Tip is a staple for get togethers in our group of friends. It’s a great piece of beef for grilling. An easy “go-to” for a crowd or to set aside leftovers for steak sandwiches on a busy weeknight. Tri Tip is also known as a triangle steak, it is cut from the sirloin.
Grilled Tri Tip is nearly impossible to mess up due to generous amounts of fat in the tissue. Even overcooked, it will be tender and delicious. This takes away much of the stress of grilling for a crowd. You don’t need much grilling prowess to serve up this crowd pleaser. We shoot for medium rare leaning towards rare in the middle. We slice from both sides for service and the leftovers reheated for sandwiches will still be tender.
When you’re shopping for meat, if at all possible, utilize your local butcher shop. They’ll have the freshest meat, they’re the most knowledge, and you’ll be supporting small business. It’s also a great way to learn about cooking meat. But, we’re also big fans of Costco, they have consistently great quality meat and a good selection.
Grilled tri tip has great flavor on its own but we like to enhance it with a marinade. There are a number of excellent recipes for marinades and rubs for Grilled Tri Tip. We have relied heavily on Steven Raichlen’s BBQ Bible and many of the Weber cookbooks. But, we usually come back to our two favorite bottled marinades, they’re proven winners and time savers. Chaka’s MMM Sauce is a savory, salty, soy based sauce. And, Yoshida’s Marinade, a sweeter, teriyaki type sauce, both easily found in California and they’re available on Amazon.
We remove as much fat as possible to reduce flare ups on the grill. And, we take the extra step of tenderizing the meat before adding marinade. A Jaccard meat tenderizer is an excellent tool for the job. A hand held tool with 48 blades that extend into the meat and retract back, making tiny slices in the meat fibers allowing marinades to penetrate more deeply. After tenderizing, we add the meat and marinade to a vacuum seal bag and freeze. Once frozen, we vacuum seal for freshness and return it to the freezer for cooking later. If you’re not stocking the freezer, allow the meat to marinade at least overnight, 24-48 hours is best.
When you’re ready to grill, let it come to room temperature on the counter for 45-60 minutes. This is a great time to start your coals or warm up your grill. When your coals are ashy and glowing, spread them in a single layer and prepare your cooking grate. Cook your tri tip over direct heat 8-10 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reads 125-130 degrees in the middle. Let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting. Slice the meat 1/8 – 1/4 inch slices across the grain and serve warm with your favorite sides.
Grilled Tri Tip
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 1 2-2½ lb Tri Tip roast
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 cup marinade enough to generously coat all sides
Instructions
- Trim most of the fat from the roast and discard.
- Tenderize with a Jaccard meat tenderizer if you wish, this helps the marinade to penetrate the meat.
- Combine dry seasonings and rub all surfaces of the meat.
- Place meat and marinade in a zip top bag or vacuum seal bag, carefully working marinade around so it coats the meat. Refrigerate for 6-48 hours.
- Remove meat from the refrigerator, remove from marinade, place on a plate or cutting board, and pat dry. Discard the marinade.
- Let the meat come to room temperature (45-60 minutes)
- Prepare grill. When your coals are ashy and glowing, spread them in a single layer and prepare your cooking grate.
- Cook your tri tip over direct heat 8-10 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reads 125-130 degrees in the middle.
- Let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting. Slice the meat 1/8 – 1/4 inch slices across the grain and serve warm with your favorite sides.
