First tri tip

For MR, I'd pull it at 120-125 and let it rest for 15 min. It'll get to 130 and be perfect. I should add that I would cook it at a higher temp...about 300 to 325.

Good question

spider22 said:

About how much time should I plan before it is done?

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Don't cook by time...cook by temp.

Best tip you got was from NivekD. Due to the odd shape of the tri tip you really have to use a probe and cook to temp. Time or touch doesn't work due to the odd shape and variations in sizes. I use the meat probe on my Maverick or the Polder and cook them to between 135-140. For planning, I sear 5 minutes on each side, then indirect for about 15-20 minutes until temp is reached.

For a 3 pound tri-tip, which if fairly normal, at 225F, I would allow an hour. It will get to around 125F internal, at that time, pull and sear.

Hmmm, I would add, I actually do not cook by IT or time, I do cook by feel. But, experience tells me that if you are at 225F, an hour for the main cook and reverse sear is an excellent way to go. There are many ways.

If you are going to do what most folks call Santa Maria style, then you would be direct heat, over a fire around 375F to 400F, you will want to place and flip the meat every 5 to 7 minutes, on the three sides, I know this is not what you have read, but, it will make sense. It builds the char on the surface like a direct heat method is best at, but, by frequent turning, the meat will heat slowly and evenly, pull at 130F, let it rest for 15 minutes. You are looking at a total cook time of 40 minutes or so.

If you smoke first then sear, you will be looking at 225F for an hour, as stated above, then rest and bring grill to temperature, if you have two grills going, this is easier, although a 5 minute rest between smoke and sear is good. Sear once the meat reaches 125F internal and sear over a very hot grill. No more than 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Searing first, then placing over low coals is another way to go, sear and then place into the cooker at 250F or so, run internal to 135F and pull, rest for slicing for 15 minutes. Total cook time will be around 35 to 40 minutes.

For a first cook, serve some apps and a little beer, if you run late, nobody will care :thumb:

I like to tie my tri-tips if they have a long tail on them. I just take some twine and tie the thin tip back on itself a couple of inches, evens out the cook.

If you want to pull it at 6pm, start it at 4:45pm, smoke at 225F until 5:45pm, then sear and rest, you will be serving by 6:15 at the latest.

landarc said:

If you want to pull it at 6pm, start it at 4:45pm, smoke at 225F until 5:45pm, then sear and rest, you will be serving by 6:15 at the latest.

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+1 ^^^

My tri tips are usually 45 min but I often indirect cook between 250 and 275 instead of 225. If you plan to reverse sear, you can always let the tri tip rest a little more than it needs before you sear it to final temp, just to stretch time.

This has been posted before so may be old news, but great carving vid here:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmxHmuV4vTU"]How To Carve A Tri-Tip Roast - TVWB - virtualweberbullet.com - YouTube[/ame]

Tri-tip is nothing more than a big steak, so don't try and over complicate it. Cook it like a steak, let it rest, and slice. I cook hundreds of pounds of it, and I find that letting it rest for up to an hour works best. I cook it over direct heat, and it usually only takes 25 minutes to reach an internal of 125. Throw those babies in a warming box (Cambro, ice chest, whatever you have) an after an hour, you have Tri-tip heaven. So timing wise, once your cooker is up to temp, 1 1/2 hours and you're ready to serve. I know a lot of folks like to smoke then reverse sear, but were talking a steak, and IMHO, a steak should be cooked like a steak :mrgreen:.

I cook my tri's on the kettle at 325 indirect to 120 then a quick sear(1-2 minutes per side) direct and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. An hour should be plenty if you cook at higher then 225. If you cook lower plan on 1.5 hrs to safe....

I cook them on a kettle. Cook indirect with some wood chips to about 110 them reverse sear. Rest and slice across grain.

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BBQ PD said:

Tri-tip is nothing more than a big steak, so don't try and over complicate it. Cook it like a steak, let it rest, and slice. I cook hundreds of pounds of it, and I find that letting it rest for up to an hour works best. I cook it over direct heat, and it usually only takes 25 minutes to reach an internal of 125. Throw those babies in a warming box (Cambro, ice chest, whatever you have) an after an hour, you have Tri-tip heaven. So timing wise, once your cooker is up to temp, 1 1/2 hours and you're ready to serve. I know a lot of folks like to smoke then reverse sear, but were talking a steak, and IMHO, a steak should be cooked like a steak :mrgreen:.

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Well said. Treat it like a steak if your slicing it. Still treat it like a big steak if your going longer. Rare, medium rare will serve you the best because it is a lean cut.

We prefer smoked tips cooked at around 300 degrees. We get our tri-tips from Costco and they have been carrying prime for about a year now. Let the tip rest up to an hour tented and they will cut like butter with a good and sharp knife. For a special treat, lay some fleur de sel, finely diced garlic, chopped rosemary and a little bit of olive oil on your cutting board and slice the tip on this Board dressing. This will cause you to receive praise!

Yup, I cook my pretty hot either over oak or oak wood for smoke. Temp is between 300 and 350 on the Weber Kettle, Hasty-Bake....whatever. Think steak and you can't go wrong. Usually a tri-tip takes me 30-40 minutes until IT hits about 125, then I do a quick (2 minutes per side) reverse sear to give me a rare/med rare piece of meat. I then let it rest for as long as my wife will allow (30 minutes or so).

What Big Brother Smoke said about dressing the board is a great idea, I always forget to mention that. It works so well.

There is a general thread of info here.. don't cook it like a chicken! It's done when it hits 130. No, cooking to 145 won't help.

Personally I like reverse sear on the weber kettle. Start off at around 250-275 indirect till IT hits 115-120. Pull off cooker, stoke up fire for a few minutes, then toss on direct heat for couple minutes a side. Remove and rest for 30 minutes loosely tented under foil. The end result will be a perfectly cooked piece of meat that shows med rare from end to end and side to side.

*edit* The above video that shows how to properly carve a tri tip is golden. If you slice it with the grain, you won't get it(the nirvana).