Rodney
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2009
- Location
- Antelope...
Hey guys-
I haven't been around here much over the last couple months, but I've been busy cookin'! It's time to share some pr0n...
Here's a tri-tip I cooked the other day, roughly "Santa Maria Style":
This one turned out so-so. I put the rub on it, froze it, thawed it, and left it in the fridge for about a day and a half before I got around to cooking it. The outer layer of meat had a pastrami-like, almost cured texture to it. The previous one, which I refrigerated for 24 hours with dry rub on it (and didn't freeze), was INCREDIBLE. I've got a good sense of how to season the beef without overpowering its flavor, so next time I'm gonna introduce some oak smoke.
Here's a recipe I posted on the "Notes" page on my Facebook profile. I'd like you guys to pick it apart and let me know where I've possibly gone astray, or how I'd get even better results. One thing to note is that I let the meat rest for at least an hour, as every tri-tip I've cooked has turned out better the longer I've let it rest. I foil it and put it in a 6-pack cooler with a towel over it so it stays hot.
"Santa Maria Tri-Tip" Recipe:
This is a great way to cook tri-tip if you want the seasonings on the meat to work with the beef flavor, enhancing it rather than dominating over it. It's not quite a perfectly authentic Santa Maria tri-tip recipe, but it's pretty close! In any case, it's really tasty.
Ingredients:
1 ~3 lb tri-tip roast (see below for selection tips)
1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or just shy of 1 teaspoon of table salt)
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder/granulated garlic (not garlic salt!)
(I found this rub recipe online, and I really like it!)
Selecting a Roast
A tri-tip is triangular in shape, and if the points are too long and thin, they cook much faster. I like a roast that has blunt, rounded points on it, with as consistent a thickness as possible. This way, all of the meat cooks more consistently. That said, those points will get well-done, and if you have someone around who likes their meat well-done (yuck!), there you go! It may make your life easier to get a roast with long, thin tips on it. Also, don't get a roast that is really lean... the marbling of fat makes it taste better. Be sure to get a USDA Choice grade roast, or if you're feeling spendy, get a Prime (likely gonna cost $10/lb, but may be worth it to you!) Whatever you do, don't get a "Select" grade roast... it's not worth cooking.
Preparing the Roast
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a small dish to make a "dry rub". Sprinkle the rub all over the roast and either rub in with your hand or the back of a large spoon. Don't forget the edges of the roast. Toss the roast in a gallon ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight. this is very important! The salt will dissolve and soak into the meat, flavoring it throughout.
Cooking the Roast
The traditional way to cook Santa Maria-style is to use Santa Maria red oak wood as fuel. I don't have any, so I used charcoal instead. I may try to get my hands on some and see how big a difference it makes. I just use charcoal. ;-) You're also supposed to serve it with pinquito beans and salsa, but I don't do that either.
Start the cooking process about 2 hours before you plan to serve the meat. Giving the meat plenty of time to rest has really worked well for me!
If cooking over coals: I recommend Kingsford Competition briquettes, because they're 100% natural and don't add extra flavors. They also burn hot and don't leave much ash behind. Fire up some coals (~3/4 chimney, if you have a chimney starter) and take the meat out of the fridge. When the coals are just ashed over, lay them in a single layer, concentrated into about 1/3 of the charcoal grate. Sear the meat directly above the coals, cooking all sides of the meat until brown and crunchy. Use a long pair of metal tongs (nice, sturdy ones) and a heavy leather glove to stand the meat on edge to sear the edges as well. The hotter the fire, the better. If you can lower your cooking grate to just over the coals, it'll work even better. When the meat is seared, put it on the cooking grate on the opposite side of the grill from the coals, so it doesn't see any direct heat. If you want some smoke flavor, toss in some water-soaked smoking chips of your choice at this point. Put the lid on the grill, and open the dampers so that the air temperature near the meat is about 300-350 degrees. This is called "offset" or "indirect" cooking, and is similar to a convection oven.
If cooking on a gas grill: Crank up the grill to high on all burners, making sure the drip pan of your grill isn't full of drippings and grime or it may catch on fire. Take the meat out of the fridge. When the grill is rippin' hot, after about 10 minutes of preheating, sear the meat directly above the fire, cooking all sides of the meat until brown and crunchy. Use a long pair of metal tongs (nice, sturdy ones) and a heavy leather glove to stand the meat on edge to sear the edges as well. The hotter the fire, the better. When the meat is seared, put it at one end of the top rack and turn off the burner below it so it doesn't see any direct heat, then turn the other burners to low (or whatever gets you a temperature near the meat of 300-350 degrees). If you want some smoke flavor, toss in some water-soaked smoking chips of your choice at this point, directly above one of the burners. Running one burner on high instead of two burners on low might be better, as a burner on low might not burn the chips. Close the lid on the grill and cook. This is called "offset" or "indirect" cooking, and is similar to a convection oven.
Using either method: Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 135-140. Remove from heat and immediately wrap in foil. Use heavyweight foil so holes won't get poked in it, and make sure all seams are up high, since this tri-tip will make about 1/4 cup of au jus (drippings). You want to keep the au jus... it's like friggin' GOLD. Place the foil-wrapped tri-tip in a 6-pack ice chest (without ice... this is to keep it warm). You can put it in a ziploc bag after wrapping with foil if you'd like, to avoid spilling juice everywhere, but it's not necessary if you're careful. Draping a dish towel over the foil-wrapped roast is a good idea too, in order to keep more heat in. Of course, close the lid on the ice chest. Let the meat rest like this until you serve it... it'll stay plenty warm for at least 1.5 hours. During this time, the meat will be getting just a bit more tender as some of the proteins break down, and the juices will be redistributing throughout the meat.
Carving the Roast
When it's time to eat, take the foil-wrapped roast out of the cooler. Carefully peel back one corner of the foil to form a spout, and pour off the au jus into a small bowl. Be sure to get it all! Put the roast on a cutting board and get a very sharp, straight-edge chef knife. Find the grain direction of the roast by digging into it with a fork, and slice only ACROSS the grain, so you can see the ends of the grains in the slices, just like the end of a wooden log. This is essential, and is the best way to end up with tender meat! Holding the roast with a meat fork, slice the meat as thin as you can (1/8" is good). Be sure to keep track of the grain of the roast as you cut. A little planning goes a long way here.
After carving, put the slices on a serving plate and pour the au jus over the top. Sneak the best looking slice for yourself and eat it in one bite like a true carnivore, making sure to taunt the people around you.
Alternatively, if you let it rest for 1-1.5 hours and then put it in the refrigerator, you can slice it VERY thin after it's cooled. These slices can then be reheated very quickly by tossing them into a hot skillet for about 15 seconds... Just warm 'em up; don't over cook 'em! They taste great by themselves or on a sandwich, and are even really good cold, if you like that kind of thing (like I do).
Enjoy!
Recommended Equipment
I strongly recommend this thermometer:
http://www.yardandpool.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ET-73
It has dual probes: One that clamps to the cooking grate and one that goes into the food, and it has a wireless base unit that you can put inside the house and watch what's going on in the grill. This is a great way to ensure that your meat is seeing the right air temperatures around it, and lets you know when your meat is done. This thermometer (and the ET-7) have been incredibly useful for me.
I haven't been around here much over the last couple months, but I've been busy cookin'! It's time to share some pr0n...
Here's a tri-tip I cooked the other day, roughly "Santa Maria Style":
This one turned out so-so. I put the rub on it, froze it, thawed it, and left it in the fridge for about a day and a half before I got around to cooking it. The outer layer of meat had a pastrami-like, almost cured texture to it. The previous one, which I refrigerated for 24 hours with dry rub on it (and didn't freeze), was INCREDIBLE. I've got a good sense of how to season the beef without overpowering its flavor, so next time I'm gonna introduce some oak smoke.
Here's a recipe I posted on the "Notes" page on my Facebook profile. I'd like you guys to pick it apart and let me know where I've possibly gone astray, or how I'd get even better results. One thing to note is that I let the meat rest for at least an hour, as every tri-tip I've cooked has turned out better the longer I've let it rest. I foil it and put it in a 6-pack cooler with a towel over it so it stays hot.
"Santa Maria Tri-Tip" Recipe:
This is a great way to cook tri-tip if you want the seasonings on the meat to work with the beef flavor, enhancing it rather than dominating over it. It's not quite a perfectly authentic Santa Maria tri-tip recipe, but it's pretty close! In any case, it's really tasty.
Ingredients:
1 ~3 lb tri-tip roast (see below for selection tips)
1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or just shy of 1 teaspoon of table salt)
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder/granulated garlic (not garlic salt!)
(I found this rub recipe online, and I really like it!)
Selecting a Roast
A tri-tip is triangular in shape, and if the points are too long and thin, they cook much faster. I like a roast that has blunt, rounded points on it, with as consistent a thickness as possible. This way, all of the meat cooks more consistently. That said, those points will get well-done, and if you have someone around who likes their meat well-done (yuck!), there you go! It may make your life easier to get a roast with long, thin tips on it. Also, don't get a roast that is really lean... the marbling of fat makes it taste better. Be sure to get a USDA Choice grade roast, or if you're feeling spendy, get a Prime (likely gonna cost $10/lb, but may be worth it to you!) Whatever you do, don't get a "Select" grade roast... it's not worth cooking.
Preparing the Roast
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a small dish to make a "dry rub". Sprinkle the rub all over the roast and either rub in with your hand or the back of a large spoon. Don't forget the edges of the roast. Toss the roast in a gallon ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight. this is very important! The salt will dissolve and soak into the meat, flavoring it throughout.
Cooking the Roast
The traditional way to cook Santa Maria-style is to use Santa Maria red oak wood as fuel. I don't have any, so I used charcoal instead. I may try to get my hands on some and see how big a difference it makes. I just use charcoal. ;-) You're also supposed to serve it with pinquito beans and salsa, but I don't do that either.
Start the cooking process about 2 hours before you plan to serve the meat. Giving the meat plenty of time to rest has really worked well for me!
If cooking over coals: I recommend Kingsford Competition briquettes, because they're 100% natural and don't add extra flavors. They also burn hot and don't leave much ash behind. Fire up some coals (~3/4 chimney, if you have a chimney starter) and take the meat out of the fridge. When the coals are just ashed over, lay them in a single layer, concentrated into about 1/3 of the charcoal grate. Sear the meat directly above the coals, cooking all sides of the meat until brown and crunchy. Use a long pair of metal tongs (nice, sturdy ones) and a heavy leather glove to stand the meat on edge to sear the edges as well. The hotter the fire, the better. If you can lower your cooking grate to just over the coals, it'll work even better. When the meat is seared, put it on the cooking grate on the opposite side of the grill from the coals, so it doesn't see any direct heat. If you want some smoke flavor, toss in some water-soaked smoking chips of your choice at this point. Put the lid on the grill, and open the dampers so that the air temperature near the meat is about 300-350 degrees. This is called "offset" or "indirect" cooking, and is similar to a convection oven.
If cooking on a gas grill: Crank up the grill to high on all burners, making sure the drip pan of your grill isn't full of drippings and grime or it may catch on fire. Take the meat out of the fridge. When the grill is rippin' hot, after about 10 minutes of preheating, sear the meat directly above the fire, cooking all sides of the meat until brown and crunchy. Use a long pair of metal tongs (nice, sturdy ones) and a heavy leather glove to stand the meat on edge to sear the edges as well. The hotter the fire, the better. When the meat is seared, put it at one end of the top rack and turn off the burner below it so it doesn't see any direct heat, then turn the other burners to low (or whatever gets you a temperature near the meat of 300-350 degrees). If you want some smoke flavor, toss in some water-soaked smoking chips of your choice at this point, directly above one of the burners. Running one burner on high instead of two burners on low might be better, as a burner on low might not burn the chips. Close the lid on the grill and cook. This is called "offset" or "indirect" cooking, and is similar to a convection oven.
Using either method: Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 135-140. Remove from heat and immediately wrap in foil. Use heavyweight foil so holes won't get poked in it, and make sure all seams are up high, since this tri-tip will make about 1/4 cup of au jus (drippings). You want to keep the au jus... it's like friggin' GOLD. Place the foil-wrapped tri-tip in a 6-pack ice chest (without ice... this is to keep it warm). You can put it in a ziploc bag after wrapping with foil if you'd like, to avoid spilling juice everywhere, but it's not necessary if you're careful. Draping a dish towel over the foil-wrapped roast is a good idea too, in order to keep more heat in. Of course, close the lid on the ice chest. Let the meat rest like this until you serve it... it'll stay plenty warm for at least 1.5 hours. During this time, the meat will be getting just a bit more tender as some of the proteins break down, and the juices will be redistributing throughout the meat.
Carving the Roast
When it's time to eat, take the foil-wrapped roast out of the cooler. Carefully peel back one corner of the foil to form a spout, and pour off the au jus into a small bowl. Be sure to get it all! Put the roast on a cutting board and get a very sharp, straight-edge chef knife. Find the grain direction of the roast by digging into it with a fork, and slice only ACROSS the grain, so you can see the ends of the grains in the slices, just like the end of a wooden log. This is essential, and is the best way to end up with tender meat! Holding the roast with a meat fork, slice the meat as thin as you can (1/8" is good). Be sure to keep track of the grain of the roast as you cut. A little planning goes a long way here.
After carving, put the slices on a serving plate and pour the au jus over the top. Sneak the best looking slice for yourself and eat it in one bite like a true carnivore, making sure to taunt the people around you.
Alternatively, if you let it rest for 1-1.5 hours and then put it in the refrigerator, you can slice it VERY thin after it's cooled. These slices can then be reheated very quickly by tossing them into a hot skillet for about 15 seconds... Just warm 'em up; don't over cook 'em! They taste great by themselves or on a sandwich, and are even really good cold, if you like that kind of thing (like I do).
Enjoy!
Recommended Equipment
I strongly recommend this thermometer:
http://www.yardandpool.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ET-73
It has dual probes: One that clamps to the cooking grate and one that goes into the food, and it has a wireless base unit that you can put inside the house and watch what's going on in the grill. This is a great way to ensure that your meat is seeing the right air temperatures around it, and lets you know when your meat is done. This thermometer (and the ET-7) have been incredibly useful for me.
