We were given a 2lb chunk of tri tip. Problem is, I’ve never been a huge fan of the texture. I have tried it from the smoker and also traditionally grilled. I know my husband cooked it “correctly” both previous times. Just doesn’t work for me
wondering if anybody has other suggestions for like slow cooked or some other option?
by pimentocheeze_
15 Comments
unfortunately tri-tip isn’t great for braising or slow cooking. Grilling is the best way to cook the meat. You could try braising it in a slow cooker or dutch oven, but it might be dry.
Son of a bitch I wish I could constantly get shishitos in my area.
Back to your question it’s all about how you cut it. Obviously across the grain to start but I like to go on the bias and super thin. This helps to get the muscle grains as short as possible in each piece. I aim for 1/8”-1/4” thick slices. Also thinner slices give you more bites so win/win.
Back in 2020 when I could afford bovine meat. I used to like to get a pair of Tri tips at Costco and I would season the outside with salt and slow roast them in the oven at a low temp like 285-300 until 127-130 degrees let them rest in the fridge overnight and then slice them as thin as possible and make roast beef sandwich’s
The biggest thing with tri tip is how it is cut. I refuse to let anyone else cut tri tip in my house because I did not spend all that time marinading, grilling, and making chimichurri just for someone to fumble the ball at the 1 yard line. When cut incorrectly, tri tip is a chewy mess, when cut correctly it is akin to a mix between sirloin and brisket. Tri tip has two separate sections and those grains run more or less perpendicular to each other. Look up a guide online and let me know if that made a difference!
You can do them like a steak, sear in an oven safe pan then chuck the pan in the oven. Turns out pretty good if you don’t overcook it
I love to smoke mine and then sear it really hot. Also they’re really great for sous vide and then searing really hot.
Crockpot turns out pretty good.
cook it like a steak on the grill… dump some chimichuri on it. most important: slice it AGAINST the grain, which may be your ‘texture’ issue. it is super important to slice tritip against the grain.
I like smoking them or reverse sear low and slow, let the fat render completely, slice across the grain.
Sous Vide.
I season it with a black garlic truffle rub, Sous Vide for a few hours, then marinade for a little bit with a portobello finishing sauce and finish on the grill.
Unreal steak. So good.
That’s gorgeous, I want it no other way
Cut it against the grain. You aren’t fully parallel, but there are some very long muscle fibers in your pieces. That’s why it’s chewy.
My favorite way is to trim the fat cap, dry rub it and let it marinate over night. Render the fat low and slow and use the tallow to sear the tri tip before roasting in a 350° oven until medium rare. Slice thin against the grain.
Tacos
I was all kinda skeptical, but…. air fryer.
I prep like a steak. Pat dry, pretty heavy salt, in the fridge for a few hours. Then on the counter to warm a bit. Coat with olive oil and season with garlic salt.
Preheat and then set fryer to 350°. For a 2.5lb roast, which fits our fryer basket nicely, I do 11-mins, flip, and another 11-mins. It leaves the fryer at roughly 120°, and climbs to ~ 130° after a 10-min rest.
Slice thin against the grain and be happy.