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Per serving
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- 1
Trim and season
Trim the tri-tip down to a thin cap of fat, no more than an eighth of an inch, and take off the silverskin. Combine the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika, then coat the whole roast hard on every side. This is a Santa Maria cut and it wants a heavy, peppery bark, so don't be shy. Let it sit at room temperature while the smoker comes up.
- 2
Fire the smoker
Get your smoker steady at 225 degrees. Red oak is the classic pairing here and it's what I run, but a mix of oak and pecan is excellent. Skip mesquite unless you like it aggressive. You want real wood smoke, not liquid smoke, not a fast grill.
- 3
Smoke low and slow
Lay the tri-tip straight on the grate and run a probe into the thickest part. Smoke until the internal hits 128 to 130 degrees, roughly an hour and a half to two hours on a 3-pound roast. Cook to temperature, never to the clock. A thicker roast takes longer and that's fine.
- 4
Reverse sear
Pull the roast and crank a cast iron skillet or your grill grate as hot as it will go. Sear the tri-tip about 45 seconds a side to build a dark crust, then swipe the butter across both faces and let it melt in. The sear brings you up to a true medium-rare of 130 to 135.
- 5
Rest and slice
Tent it loosely with foil and rest a full 15 to 20 minutes. Don't skip this, it's where the juice settles back in. When you slice, notice the grain runs two directions on a tri-tip. Cut the roast apart where the grains meet, then slice each piece against its own grain, thin. Cut with the grain and you've wasted a good roast.
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Smoked Tri-Tip
Created by: SmokeRingSteve
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef tri-tip roast
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Trim and seasonTrim the tri-tip down to a thin cap of fat, no more than an eighth of an inch, and take off the silverskin. Combine the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika, then coat the whole roast hard on every side. This is a Santa Maria cut and it wants a heavy, peppery bark, so don't be shy. Let it sit at room temperature while the smoker comes up.
- Fire the smokerGet your smoker steady at 225 degrees. Red oak is the classic pairing here and it's what I run, but a mix of oak and pecan is excellent. Skip mesquite unless you like it aggressive. You want real wood smoke, not liquid smoke, not a fast grill.
- Smoke low and slowLay the tri-tip straight on the grate and run a probe into the thickest part. Smoke until the internal hits 128 to 130 degrees, roughly an hour and a half to two hours on a 3-pound roast. Cook to temperature, never to the clock. A thicker roast takes longer and that's fine.
- Reverse searPull the roast and crank a cast iron skillet or your grill grate as hot as it will go. Sear the tri-tip about 45 seconds a side to build a dark crust, then swipe the butter across both faces and let it melt in. The sear brings you up to a true medium-rare of 130 to 135.
- Rest and sliceTent it loosely with foil and rest a full 15 to 20 minutes. Don't skip this, it's where the juice settles back in. When you slice, notice the grain runs two directions on a tri-tip. Cut the roast apart where the grains meet, then slice each piece against its own grain, thin. Cut with the grain and you've wasted a good roast.