Ingredients
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tbsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 (2 lb.) tri tip roast
1 plum tomato, seeded and finely diced
2 celery stalk, peeled and finely diced
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 whole pickled jalapeño, diced
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Preparation
Step 1Combine all of the seasonings in a spice grinder and blitz for a few seconds to break up the dried rosemary.Step 2Pat the tri tip dry and flip it so that the fattiest side is facing up. Using a sharp knife, trim the fat cap until about half of the fat remains. Cover entire surface of the tri tip with the spice rub, massaging it into the surface of the meat, taking care that it’s completely covered. Let rest uncovered on a wire rack set into a baking sheet for 1 hour, or up to overnight.Step 3Preheat oven to 225°. Remove tri tip from the fridge and flip the fatty side down on a cutting board. Fold about 2 inches of the long tail up toward the center of the tri tip and secure using butcher’s twine. Continue to truss the roast at 1” intervals. Return the roast to the wire rack and cook until the center reaches 115°, about 55 minutes.Step 4While the tri tip roasts, combine all of the ingredients for the salsa in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Step 5Remove tri tip from oven and let rest, tented with foil, for 10 minutes. While tri tip rests, heat an indoor flat top griddle or grill pan over high heat until it is very hot. Using a paper towel, quickly rub the surface of the grill with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Place the roast on the grill, fat side down and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. Using a pair of tongs to pick it up, sear the end and sides of the roast for about 30 seconds each.Step 6Move to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove trussing. Orient the roast horizontally, fat side up. Starting at the top of the triangle, slice off the long tail, separating the roast into two pieces. Keeping the tail horizontal, slice thinly down its length the long tail. Take the other half and rotate it 90° so that the cut end is parallel to the edge of the cutting board. Slice thinly against the grain. Step 7Top with salsa and serve.
Cooking beef at high temperatures means smoke, especially if we’re trying to imitate the charring that would happen using an outdoor grill. Get ahead of a blaring smoke alarm by opening a few windows and cranking your oven fan to high. Tri-tip TLCThere are three key steps for great flavor and even cooking: trimming, dry rubbing, and trussing. Trimming Tri-tip typically comes with a few thick fat pockets on the surface. Fat is awesome but too much of it can mean that your steak won’t have time to fully render during the cook time, leaving behind strangely textured pieces. To avoid this, flip the fattiest part up and trim off about half of it. Don’t trim so much fat so that there isn’t enough moisture to baste the meat as it roasts. This will vary depending on the roast, but for a roast that’s between 2- 2.5 lbs. you should trim 3-5 oz. of fat. For this recipe we trimmed about 3 oz. of fat and ended up with a 2 lb. roast. Dry RubbingCovering the meat in a seasoning blend with salt and letting it rest uncovered even for 1 hour will allow the flavor to penetrate. This will help form the flavorful crust that yields the yummy charred bits. This is also a great time to use a peppercorn blend if you have it. TrussingTrussing tri tip isn’t exactly traditional, but we think it should be. The oblong shape of tri tip inherently includes sections that vary in thickness and will cook at different times. Here’s how to increase your chances for even cooking: after the rub has set in, flip the fatty side down and fold about 2 inches of the long tail up toward the center of the tri tip. Secure using butcher’s twine and continue to truss the roast at 1” intervals. Don’t pull the string too tight, there should still be enough slack so that the meat stays flat and will make even contact with the flat top surface when seared. Once the trussing has been removed, tri tip can be difficult to slice correctly because of the muscles running in two different directions. To maintain tender, short fibers, the roast should be separated and cut into two different directions. Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
