Tri-Tip Steaks
The pantheon of great beef is generally long-established. Filet mignons, porterhouses, rib eyes and chateaubriands were discovered early and left little room for newcomers to the club. Then a relatively late arrival to the steak world combined tender juiciness and delectable flavor, while giving the wallet a bit of a break. The tri-tip steak is actually a subsection of the sirloin cut, a part that was traditionally relegated to use as hamburger before it found its calling in the 1950s by way of the Santa Maria barbecue style of California’s central coast.
The cooking method, passed down from the Spanish ranchero culture, involves large chunks of beef over a pit of smoking red oak. It’s the steak lover’s barbecue, no pork or sloppy sauces—perfect for cooking tri-tip. Long a secret among the area’s butchers, the cut has now found favor across the country, sometimes by the names Santa Maria and Newport steak. As a whole roast it comes in at about two to three pounds, but tri-tip is also available in strips. The word “tri” refers to the cut’s shape, which is actually more like a pentagon made of two triangles together. Cut against the grain, remembering that the grain on each end is perpendicular to the other.
The meat is traditionally seasoned with a Santa Maria rub, which is a spicy combination of things like black pepper, paprika, and cayenne, as well as onion and garlic powders. An all-purpose seasoning like Dickson Smokehouse also works well. Pat on the mixture at least four hours ahead and refrigerate.
There are many cooking methods, but they usually involve smoking, roasting and searing (not necessarily in that order). The key is to get a healthy dose of smoke at low heat, roast to a temperature of 125° to 130° and put a couple minutes of cast-iron sear on each side. To retain its tenderness, avoid overcooking. (Don’t worry, the cut’s skinny ends will provide meat for those who like it well done.) If you have a pellet smoker and a sous vide device, you can achieve ultimate tenderness by giving the meat about an hour’s smoke and then a six-hour bath in hot water.
