Tri-tip is the cut for a crowd that wants steak without a grill full of steaks. One 2½-pound roast feeds five, cooks in under an hour, and slices into enough for a stack of sandwiches. The Santa Maria way, from California's Central Coast, keeps it to salt, pepper and garlic so the beef and the smoke do the work. Cook it on the cool side of the grill until the center reads 125°F, sear it over the hot side, and let it rest while you get the rolls out. If your lot doesn't allow grills, cook it the night before and slice it cold.
At the lot: Rub it at home, ride it in the cooler, cook it two-zone with the lid down and slice it at the tent. Cook ahead: Grill it the night before, chill it whole, and slice it thin and cold on game morning for sandwiches. Homegating: Same cook in the backyard, carved on the counter.
Home gear: a zip-top bag or plastic wrap for the rubbed roasts, and a cooler with ice for the ride
125°F
Off the cool side, then sear
10 MIN
Rest before slicing
2 GRAINS
Cut it in two at the bend
10
Serves
Ingredients
Tri-tip
- 2 tri-tip roasts, about 2½ lb each, fat cap trimmed to ¼ inch
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; 2 tsp if Morton)
- 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
To serve
- 12 soft rolls or 1 loaf garlic bread
- 1 cup salsa or chimichurri
Steps
At home
- Up to a day ahead, mix the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pat the roasts dry, rub them with the oil, then the seasoning, all sides.
- Wrap them or seal them in a zip-top bag and keep them in the fridge. They ride at the bottom of the cooler at 40°F or below, below anything ready to eat.
At the lot
- Set the grill up two-zone: one side on medium-high, the other side off or on low. The cool side should sit around 250°F to 275°F with the lid down.
- Set the roasts on the cool side, thick end toward the heat. Close the lid and cook until the center of the thickest part reads 125°F, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Move them to the hot side and sear 2 to 3 minutes a side, lid open, until they're well charred.
- Pull them at 135°F and rest them 10 minutes on a board, loosely tented with foil. Check that the center reads 145°F before you slice; if it doesn't, give it a few more minutes on the cool side.
- Find the bend where the grain changes direction and cut each roast in two there. Slice each piece thin, against its own grain.
- Serve on rolls with salsa. Sliced beef sits out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Cook ahead
- Grill it the night before through the rest and the 145°F check, then cool it and chill it whole within 2 hours.
- On game morning, slice it cold, thin, against the grain. Pack it in a lidded container in the cooler at 40°F or below and serve it cold on rolls.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Two-zone on any grill: on a two-burner tabletop, run one burner on medium-high and leave the other off, lid down. The roasts cook on the off side and only move over the flame for the sear.
- Raw beef rides low: keep the rubbed roasts sealed at the bottom of the cooler, under anything ready to eat, at 40°F or below. Use a clean board and knife for the cooked meat.
- Slice at the tent: it stays juicier carved to order. Sliced beef sits out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
What is Santa Maria-style tri-tip?
A barbecue tradition from California's Central Coast: tri-tip seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic and grilled over red oak on an adjustable grate, served with pinquito beans and salsa. We cook it two-zone because that's the grill most tailgates have.
What temperature do you pull tri-tip?
At 135°F, then rest it 10 minutes and check that it reads 145°F, the USDA safe temperature for whole cuts of beef.
Which way do you slice tri-tip?
Against the grain, and the grain changes direction at the bend. Cut the roast in two there and slice each half across its own grain.
Can you cook tri-tip ahead for a tailgate?
Yes. Grill it the night before, chill it whole, and slice it cold on game morning for sandwiches.
How much tri-tip per person?
About ½ lb raw per person, so a 2½-lb roast feeds about 5.
More for the grill: green chile cheeseburgers, with cola baked beans and Texas caviar on the side. Cold-weather tips are in our cold-weather tailgating guide.
