I have attended grilling contests, mixed and matched spices and dressings, and tasted the so-called “Best” winners. Honestly, few have lived up to its billing. While attending a barbecue contest last summer, I spoke with three competitors who cooked their Tri-tip roasts differently. The first group smoked theirs in a hanging smoker. When served, the temperature was 135 and weird. The sauce has a mixture of ketchup. The first rule of thumb is…
TEMPERATURE; You need to achieve a light pink in the middle and completely finished around the outside. To accomplish this, I pull my Tri-Tip to 138 degrees. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes and it will reach a temperature of 10 degrees. Remember, 140 is rare, 150 medium, 160 good. A properly made Tri-Tip is chewy and lacks taste and flavor.
The second competitor called his entry “Santa Fe style”. They used a Santa Fe style rub on the meat. They also had a special red tree bark to smoke the last 10 minutes that was supposed to give the meat a special flavor. What I found was very little flavor from the rub and no additional special flavor from the crust. Boring and bland!
PREPARATION: I have found little to no difference using countless rubs on the Tri-Tip. Remember that you are cooking a roast. If you really want to impart flavor, use a wet marinade. You have a thick piece of beef and you need penetration. Try to marinate for at least 24 hours with strong flavors to develop character and flavor profile. You can add your spices to the marinade.
The final contender and winner for this BBQ Tri-Tip award was a local winery, whose chef did little to no prep, but creatively hid his travel tip in a small brioche bun with a little homemade hot sauce. I thought it was smart, but far from showing off the meat product. He hid it!
BUILD CHARACTER AND FLAVOR: The meat must be marinated to develop a rich flavor. The longer the better, but try overnight. Brown the outside of the roast first to help form a char and crust. If you have a little layer of fat, this will help build a nice crust. A total of 5 to 10 minutes on direct heat when you are lighting the coals should be enough. Once the browning is complete, pass it through the grill and smoke indirectly. Use chips and chunks and a mix of hickory, apple, cherry or other fruit. Hickory for its spicy signature and fruity wood for its smooth flavor. Watch your temperature and keep it around 138 degrees. Sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting ENJOY!
