Cook a Tri Tip Roast
Tri-Tip is a large, flat and triangular cut of meat taken below the sirloin. It can be roasted or grilled with the aim of cooking it to medium rare or rare.
Contents
Steps
Roasting a Tri-Tip
- Choose a tri-tip roast. Aim for a roast that is approximately 2.5 to 3 lbs. (1.1 to 1.4 kg) to keep it moist in the center while it cooks in the dry oven. Pick 1 that is marbled throughout.
- Tri-tip roast may be labeled as “sirloin roast,” “triangle roast” or even Santa Maria steak.”
- One side of the meat should have more fat than the other. You will cook it with this side up.
- There is little internal fat with this cut of meat, so it is better cooked at high temperatures to medium rare doneness.
- Cook it within 3 to 5 days of bringing it home. You can also freeze it for up to 1 week in the butcher’s wrap. Defrost it completely in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Season the roast 24 hours in advance. Santa Maria rub is traditionally used with this type or roast. Once you have massaged the seasoning all over the roast, wrap it in plastic and place it back in the refrigerator.
- To make Santa Maria rub for a 4 lb. (1.8 kg) roast, mix 1tbsp. (18 g) of salt, 1 tbsp. (6.9 g) of black pepper, 1 tbsp. (9.3 g) of garlic powder, 1 tbsp. (7.2 g) of onion powder, 1 tbsp. (5.4 g) of dried oregano, 1 tsp. (1.8 g) of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. (1.2 g) of dry rosemary and ½ tsp. (0.4 g) of dry sage.
- Remove the roast from the refrigerator 45 minutes before you plan to cook it. Letting it come to room temperature will help it to cook more evenly in the oven.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius).
- Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan with the fat side up. Make sure there is a lip in the pan so you can collect the juices.
- Roast the meat for 30 minutes. Test it with a meat thermometer. You should aim for 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) for a medium rare roast and 150 degrees (66 degrees Celsius) for a medium roast.
- Remove it from the oven and place it on the counter. Cover it with aluminum foil. The meat will continue to cook for several minutes, so make sure to rest it for 15 minutes.
- Slice the meat thinly across the grain.
Grilling a Tri-Tip
- Season the roast with the Santa Maria rub recipe. You can also marinate it overnight with any marinade recipe of your choice.
- Take the roast out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before you roast it.
- Heat a grill to high on 1 side. Leave the other side of the grill off to heat indirectly. You should aim to maintain a temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius) in direct heat and 250 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (121 to 149 degrees Celsius) in the indirect heat.
- Sear the tri-tip. Place the roast on the high heat. Turn it until all the sides are browned.
- You should sear it for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Place the roast on the indirect heat with the fat side up. Turn the direct heat control down to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Lower the lid or cover the roast.
- Test the meat after 30 minutes with a meat thermometer. Remove it from the grill when it is 135 degrees (medium rare) or 150 degrees Fahrenheit (medium). The tri-tip cut will start to get tough if you cook to a higher temperature than this.
- Set the tri-tip to rest on the counter. Cover it with aluminum foil. The roast will continue cooking and reach an internal temperature between 5 and 10 degrees hotter than the last reading.
- Slice the meat against the grain. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Avoid flipping the meat with tongs or a large spatula. Avoid poking the meat with anything other than a meat thermometer, or the juices will leak out.
Things You'll Need
- Tri-tip/sirloin roast
- Santa Maria rub
- Plastic wrap
- Meat thermometer
- Oven/grill/slow cooker
- Aluminum foil
- Tongs
- Roasting pan
