Get Your Grill On

One of our favorite steaks to grill would be Tri-Tip Steaks. The Tri-Tip Steak is a roast that is cut on one side of beef loin from the sirloin primal cut. Tri-Tip is also known as bottom sirloin or triangle roast because of the shape of the roast.

Unfortunately in a lot of areas of our country this cut of meat is near impossible to find, but in other areas it can be found year ’round. You can try and speak to your local butcher and he/she should be able to help you get your hands on this amazing piece of meat.

Tri Tip reminds me a lot of a good Rib Eye Steak in that it is nicely marbled, making it very tender. It is also one of the more flavorful cuts of meat available. In most cases, a whole Tri Tip will weigh in at about 5 lbs or slightly less, and about 2-3 inches thick.

A lot of times Tri Tip was ground into and mixed with hamburger or made into more undesirable cuts of beef, such as being cubed for stew meat or stir fry strips. This was due to there only being one roast per hind quarter of beef, which didn’t warrant enough display room in the meat case. 

Due to most stores receiving “boxed beef” from the beef processing plants, Tri Tip is becoming more available now than ever before. Today this relatively inexpensive piece of meat is becoming more popular and fast becoming a favorite among true beef connoisseurs.

What I have found is that most Tri Tip is found in the Western part of the United States and is relatively unheard of in the Eastern part of the United States. I first learned of Tri Tip steak while visiting my wife’s family in Northern California. In that part of the region, especially in the Santa Maria Valley, it is the meat of Choice being called “Santa Maria style Tri Tip.”
The meat is usually seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, and then slowly cooked over red oak wood, giving it a very distinct flavor. It is often served by slicing the roast across the grain with fresh salsa, beans, guacamole and homemade tortillas. It is often said that this is the true first fajita.

In preparing my Tri Tip steaks for this article, I purchased the steaks from my local Sam’s Club, where it is already sliced and ready to season and grill. A traditional Santa Maria rub for Tri Tip consists of salt, granulated garlic, dried parsley, black pepper. But for my cook I chose to use a combination of Durkee’s Steak Dust and The Slab’s “Wow Up Your Cow” Beef Rub.

I chose to grill the Tri Tip with a combination of Oak and Mesquite wood. Both of these woods are excellent for grilling and smoking beef and give the steak a distinct flavor.

Traditionally, Tri Tip is grilled over a Red Oak wood fire at a cooking temperature of 350-375, cooking at about 10 minutes per side or until an internal temperature between 125-135 is reached (medium rare) or more to your desired temperature of doneness.

After a 10 minute rest period, slice the tri tip across the grain (see diagram below) for sandwiches or fajitas or slice at 1/12 inch – 3 inch slices for steaks, adding more rub to taste if desired and accompanied by your choice of steak sauces or BBQ sauce. As for myself, I add a little more rub and then begin eating.

It’s my hope that after reading this article, you’ll have a desire to search out this amazing piece of beef and try it for yourself. From my own personal experience, once you try Tri Tip Steak, it will fast become your favorite cut of steaks. Drop me a line and let me know of your experiences and recipes.