Braised Tri-Tips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cooking method for tri tip steak? ›

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Brush the steak with olive oil and season it with pepper on both sides. Place the steak on a baking sheet and into the oven. Cook for 30-45 minutes, or until it reaches 115 degrees for medium rare (keep the steak in the oven longer for higher doneness levels).

The longer you cook tri-tip the more tender it will become, so you can choose your time according to what you are trying to accomplish. For a more traditional texture you can cook it until it is just heated through, usually 3 to 4 hours.

Tri-tip doesn't need to be tenderized because it's already a naturally tender cut. If you want to enhance its flavor, you can marinate it for two to three hours before cooking it. Adding acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar to the marinade will help break down the muscle fibers, making the steak more tender.

If you need shredded or strips of beef for fajitas, tacos, salads, or sandwiches, a slow-cooked tri-tip steak meal might be the best choice. Not only is it convenient to make when you want something ready to go after a long day, but it also makes for a tasty and satisfying meal.

Methods for Reverse Searing

Reverse searing a tri tip steak can start with a grill or oven. The point is to cook the steak until it's almost done, followed by giving it a quick sear on high heat. Therefore, you can choose whether to use the oven or the grill, depending on your usual preferences for cooking steak.

Start with the fat side up (in truth it makes no difference. "If you put the fat side of the tri tip on the fire first, the moisture will come up through the meat and make it tender.") The problem I have with this is that, as the fat warms, it will drip down into the fire and will not evaporate until it's in the fire.

The key to being able to smoke a tri tip like a brisket (low and slow so you get fall-apart meat goodness) is to begin with a Prime cut tri tip. You need enough fat in your steak because tri tip is leaner than a brisket.

While the tri tip is a steak-like cut, it has very long muscle fibers, and long muscle fibers mean stringy, chewy steak if you don't handle them correctly. You have to cut across the grain of the meat fibers to shorten the individual fiber pieces you'll be eating.

Double wrap the meat in aluminum foil and place on a grill with indirect heat. After an hour, remove the Tri Tip. Remove from the foil and sear on all sides in a ripping hot skillet. Allow the meat to rest before slicing.

While I enjoy a good dry rub or even just a sprinkle of sea salt for certain cuts of meat, I find marinating tri-tip helps enhance its savory flavor and is the best way of achieving the most tender result.

Why does my tri-tip come out tough? ›

The tri-tip has a good amount of marbling throughout, but is actually quite lean and devoid of any fat caps, so it can be tough if not cooked properly. This is definitely a cut built for grilling and keeping medium rare to medium. Slice against the grain when serving.

Place the tri-tip in the smoker, fat side up, and cook until an internal temperature of 120-125°F for medium-rare. This will typically take 60 - 90 minutes, depending on the size of the tri-tip and the temperature of your smoker.

Beef tri-tip is a relatively cheap and lean steak cut from the sirloin. It cooks up tasty and tender with a marinade. Because it doesn't have a lot of fat marbling like a rib-eye steak, it's best grilled, broiled or pan-seared (higher temperature, quick-cooking methods) so it doesn't dry out.

Let the tri-tip cook for about 3 hours at 250°F (121°C) or until the thickest part measures 160°F (71°C) as read by an accurate meat thermometer. To check the meat temperature, I used the new Thermapen ONE which reads in only one second! When the tri tip reaches 160°F (71°C), wrap tightly in pink butcher paper.

Some folks prefer it tri-tip medium rare temp, which means it's cooked to an internal temperature of about 130-135°F (54-57°C). It's tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Here's the deal for that ideal medium rare tri-tip: slow-cook it at about 200°F (104°C). This is the key temperature for the tri-tip.

This distinctive cut is gaining attention across the nation for its hearty roasted flavor and juicy, tender texture. While generally well-marbled, Tri-Tip roast is still considered a lean cut and can become dry if not cooked to the proper temperature. This roast is best served medium-rare to medium.

The Cut: Newport Steaks, aka Tri-Tip Steaks

It's also a perfect steak for grilling hot and fast. At about half a pound each, Newport steaks cook much quicker than the whole tri-tip roast and are ideal for pan-searing hot and fast.

Incorrectly slicing meat can make a perfectly Traegered steak tough and chewy. Within the tri-tip cut, two different grains intersect: approximately half of the steak contains fibers running vertically and the other half contains long muscle fibers coming in at an angle.

The tri-tip has a good amount of marbling throughout, but is actually quite lean and devoid of any fat caps, so it can be tough if not cooked properly. This is definitely a cut built for grilling and keeping medium rare to medium. Slice against the grain when serving.