Smoked Tri Tip

[Sakko300wsm]

My wife has an event coming up for her work and I’ve been put in charge of making Tri Tip. Well as you would have it - I’ve never made it haha!! So seeing if any of you guys have an awesome recipe or insight? Will be smoking it on a GMG
THANX!!!

[mcrawfordaf]

I've never had smoked Tri-Tip but a Hawaiian buddy of mine in the Air Force used do that cut alot for cookouts. He'd marinade it soy sauce, onions, some sort of sweet jam/marmalade (whatever he had in the fridge) and fresh ginger. Then just grilled it temp. Was never bad. Its a great cut though and I'm sure would be just as fine smoked!

[Stein]

My wife makes a killer tri tip, it's one of my favorite cuts of beef.  She marinates it all day then I sear it and smoke it at 300 or so until the internal temp is about 125 or however you like it.  Slice 1/4" across the grain.

[gallion_t]

I've done it a couple ways and I really can't decide which I like more. Really just depends on my mood that day.

1. Treat it like a big steak. Do an aggressive trim, get the big fat cap off. Salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic. Throw it on the grill at 225 until it hits 125. Pull it off and get the cast iron cranked up. Get a good seat all the way around then let it rest.


2. Streak it like a brisket. Use your favorite beef rub, go low and slow on it and slowly bring it up to it's probe tender and about 203. Do a long rest in a cooler or warmer keeping it below 140-150 internal.

[pickardjw]

I like this Meat Church recipe. Smoke at 225* until 115* internal, then rest for 10 min before searing.

Only done it once with a tri-tip and never made the chimichurri, but can confirm it works great for other cuts.

He also has a "tri tip like a brisket" recipe, but I've done that with a few chuck roasts and the "beef" flavor is very heavy. A steak-like preparation sounds better for a company event.

[Smokeploe]

The best way is just like they do it in Santa Maria!
Leave a good layer of fat(flavor and tenderness).  Get Pappy’s blue lid Rub, sprinkle and cover thickly, put in a plastic bag pour red wine till 1/2 covered about 3/4 cup, squuze air out so wine covers meat.  Put on plate in fridge for 24 hours+ turn every 6 hours.  Bring out of fridge 2 hours before cooking, pull out of bag let air dry for that two hours, turn once to get all side dry.  Cook over bbq using oak chips soaked in wine!  Use hot grill turn every 10 minutes for about 45-60 minutes.  You want the meat about 140-150 depending on how rare you like it.  You do not want to cook till well done, this is not one of those types of meat! 
Another way to cook is to cook over hot coals till you get a good char on the outside of the meat all over, about 15 minutes  Then wrap in two sheets of foil then put back on the grill cook for 15 minutes to a side the remove, let set the over a deep dish plate open the foil but do not lose any of the juice!  Slice and serve on a sour dough sandwich roll with cooked onions and peppers and spoon on the juice!

Smokeploe

[Timberstalker]

In my experience, pulling a tri-tip at 140-150 will result in well (very well) done.

Some great tips here.

[Wolfdog2314]

https://greenmountaingrills.com/recipes/pellet-smoked-tri-tip/

I usually cook a pre seasoned one. 225* until it hits 125*. It’s about 2.5 hours.  Pull off and let it rest 10 mins before cutting.

The biggest factor with a tri-tip is how it’s cut. It has to be cut thin AGAINST the grain. If you don’t, Itl still have great flavor but you’ll be chewing and chewing and chewing. I always thought my tri-tips were hit and miss in how I was cooking them. Turns out I was just cutting them wrong.

[Pnwrider]

I’ve been doing a lot of tri tip lately. You can get prime from Costco for $9.99 /lb. Here’s my go to marinade: 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup Worcestershire, honey, and balsamic, 1 tablespoon black pepper and garlic powder. Marinade overnight. Smoke at 225-250 until 130 degrees internal temp. Rest at least 10 minutes, then sear in a hot cast iron on all sides. As stated already it’s very important to slice across the grain.

[Angry Perch]

The best way is just like they do it in Santa Maria!
Leave a good layer of fat(flavor and tenderness).  Get Pappy’s blue lid Rub, sprinkle and cover thickly, put in a plastic bag pour red wine till 1/2 covered about 3/4 cup, squuze air out so wine covers meat.  Put on plate in fridge for 24 hours+ turn every 6 hours.  Bring out of fridge 2 hours before cooking, pull out of bag let air dry for that two hours, turn once to get all side dry.  Cook over bbq using oak chips soaked in wine!  Use hot grill turn every 10 minutes for about 45-60 minutes.  You want the meat about 140-150 depending on how rare you like it.  You do not want to cook till well done, this is not one of those types of meat! 
Another way to cook is to cook over hot coals till you get a good char on the outside of the meat all over, about 15 minutes  Then wrap in two sheets of foil then put back on the grill cook for 15 minutes to a side the remove, let set the over a deep dish plate open the foil but do not lose any of the juice!  Slice and serve on a sour dough sandwich roll with cooked onions and peppers and spoon on the juice!

Smokeploe

You are right on the money there. Definitely not a pork shoulder or brisket.

[Pathfinder101]

I like this Meat Church recipe. Smoke at 225* until 115* internal, then rest for 10 min before searing.

Only done it once with a tri-tip and never made the chimichurri, but can confirm it works great for other cuts.

He also has a "tri tip like a brisket" recipe, but I've done that with a few chuck roasts and the "beef" flavor is very heavy. A steak-like preparation sounds better for a company event.

  Meat Church on Youtube is my go-to whenever I want to cook a meat that I'm not familiar with. 

[C-Money]

I recently gifted a Pit Boss pellet smoker. My nephew upgraded to a bigger Pit Boss, and he gave me his less than a year old Laredo 1000. The boy delivered it and wouldn't take a dime for it. He is a good kid. We use the apple flavor rub on our tri tips that you buy in bulk at Winco. I like to burn the apple pellets. I really like the flavor of the apple smoke. With the Pit Boss, avoid placing the meat in the center of the grill. Takes about 2-2.5 hrs @ 225deg to get the meat to 140-145deg. Let it rest for 10-15 min, cut, and enjoy. We put golden potatoes in foil on the middle rack to cook along with the meat. They are the best baked potatoes you'll ever eat! Tri Tip is probably my favorite meat to smoke. I'm confident you'll get great advise here and make some fine eating.

I'll add, going from a propane Char-Broil smoker to a Pit Boss is a huge leap forward. Using an app, I can monitor the temps and cooking of the Pit Boss from my phone. So very nice and easy!

[Blacklab]

Tri tip🤑🤑🤑 yum.

[Sakko300wsm]

Thanx guys! Taking a wack at it tomorrow- think I’m gonna try the meat church way. Except he doesn’t say how long it takes? I’m assuming it will be around 2.5 hrs at 225.
I’m doing 3 of them
And I did not know they have grain running 2 direction?

[Angry Perch]

How'd it turn out?