Tri-Tip Cost

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MountainMan

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I just returned from a trip to CostCo where I found choice Tri-Tip selling for $7.95 a lb.


Seems a little pricey when choice Rib-eyes were $8.95 a lb. and if I remember correctly prime was $11.95 a lb.



Do you think the Tri-Tip is actually worth that kind of money?
 
If you've never had tri tip, it's worth trying it to decide yourself. For me, there are equally good cuts for less money, but I would never had known that without tryng one.
 
Growing up in California and having cooked tri tips for the past 30 years, I remember when they were $1.99lb or even cheaper for Choice. My local Costco has trimmed twin-packs for $7.99, which isn't bad at all.



Most supermarkets in the area still have Choice for $2.99lb untrimmed/$3.99 trimmed in the summer time. I usually stock up and vac seal them at that price.



That said, most of time I am finding that ribeyes or NY's are now cheaper than tri tip in a couple of different spots.
 
Maybe tri-tips are ramping up in price like briskets did. Briskets used to be an afterthought, cheap cut.......not any more. They have cachet and demand now.
 
I scored twin packs of tri tip labeled “members mark angus beef” at Sams for $5.98 per pound. No bones, fat or gristle. Great beef flavor. Very juicy and easy to cook. It’s UNDERRATED!
 
Trimmed tri-tips are more expensive like trimmed brisket flats at Costco. Untrimmed tri-tip are cheap but have decent amount of fat that you need to trim.

I find tri-tip is similar in texture and taste to top sirloin steak. I can usually find choice top sirloin for little over $4/lb and prime top sirloin for little over $5 /lb so that's what I usually buy. But if I can find tri-tip in the $2.xx /lb range, I'd buy it over top sirloin.
 
Ribeye all the way before tri-tip for me. I remember buying tri-tip years ago for $1.29 lb. occasionally would sell for $.99 lb during summer holidays. I like tri-tip but in my opinion ribeye is a superior cut compared to tri-tip.
 
Choice pretty consistent 6.99# at United Grocery
 
Knock on the window of the meat department. Sometimes they will sell you a cryovac pouch with 5-6 of them at the case price. I do that at Sams and get them for less than they sell for from the meat case.
 
We rarely pay more than $5.99/lb, more often than not we buy it for less than $5 lb.
We eat tri tip every week for that reason.

For those saying it compares to top sirloin...you may have not had a good tri tip, because I don’t find this to be the case at all.

It is a far better cut than top sirloin for many reasons, taste leads the pack.
 
SirPorkaLot said:
We rarely pay more than $5.99/lb, more often than not we buy it for less than $5 lb.
We eat tri tip every week for that reason.

For those saying it compares to top sirloin...you may have not had a good tri tip, because I don’t find this to be the case at all.

It is a far better cut than top sirloin for many reasons, taste leads the pack.
Click to expand...


+1


I wholeheartedly agree.
 
SirPorkaLot said:
We rarely pay more than $5.99/lb, more often than not we buy it for less than $5 lb.
We eat tri tip every week for that reason.

For those saying it compares to top sirloin...you may have not had a good tri tip, because I don’t find this to be the case at all.

It is a far better cut than top sirloin for many reasons, taste leads the pack.
Click to expand...

It depends on the top sirloin you buy. I only buy beef loin top sirloin cap whole in cryovac at Costco. That's basically picanha with the fat cap removed. And yes, I think top sirloin cap/picanha tastes better than tri tip.
 
I love tri tip and Ya those prices are up therefor sure for that I might look at other cuts also I'm lucky I get them for 2.79 all day every day, not prime or anything and they need some trimming but I can feed 5-6 people for $12, no brainier for me
 
I sure wish they were cheaper out here. Cheapest I’ve ever bought was 4.99lb and Burnco. BBQs meat counter.
 
tom b said:
I love tri tip and Ya those prices are up therefor sure for that I might look at other cuts also I'm lucky I get them for 2.79 all day every day, not prime or anything and they need some trimming but I can feed 5-6 people for $12, no brainier for me
Click to expand...

I'd cook one ever other week if I could find them at that price too.
 
Check out RD, I usually get them around $3.60-$3.90 lb. After trimming, works out to about $5.25-$5.75 lb. But I trim them up pretty good.
 
SirPorkaLot said:
We rarely pay more than $5.99/lb, more often than not we buy it for less than $5 lb.
We eat tri tip every week for that reason.

For those saying it compares to top sirloin...you may have not had a good tri tip, because I don’t find this to be the case at all.

It is a far better cut than top sirloin for many reasons, taste leads the pack.
Click to expand...


I couldn't agree more, John. I'd take a good tri-tip over top sirloin ANY day. We get great choice AND prime out where we live and it's usually on sale frequently, choice usually at $5.99 per lb and Prime @$7.99 per lb.



I've even had some choice Tri-Tips approach the tenderness of filet, like this for example:


https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248092
 
IMHO, Tri Tip is in it's own league. Gotta try it first and it's imperative that it's cooked right. There are times that I bypass Ribeye for Tri Tip.

Doesn't help that we get 'em cheap out here. $3/lb untrimmed and about $5/trimmed on average.
 
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