CALIFORNIA SANTA MARIA STYLE TRI-TIP

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



California Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip image

California Grill masters pride themselves in cooking tri-tip with oak wood. This takes a lot of time, and I don't have oak wood readily available. It's not cheap! When I found this recipe in an issue of Cook's Country Magazine (part of the Cook's Illustrated family) I knew I had to make this. Forget BBQ sauce... this is an amazing recipe! Cook's Illustrated adapted this recipe where you used wood chips, soaked in water. You grill the tri-tip, seasoned only with salt & pepper (the Santa Maria way) and-- towards the end-- you add the wet chips to the coals to give a smoky flavor to the meat. I'm telling you, if you love to eat red meat-- this is to die for! Seriously, it's worth trying.

Provided by FoodieWife

Categories     Roast Beef

Time 4h25m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 tri-tip roast, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups wood chips, preferably oak
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Steps:

  • Pat roast dry with paper towels. Using fork, prick roast about 20 times on each side. Combine garlic, oil, and salt and rub over roast. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
  • Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes.
  • Open bottom vents on grill.
  • Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 100 coals) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash.
  • Pour hot coals in even layer over one half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, open lid vents completely, and let grill heat for 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean.
  • Using paper towels, wipe garlic paste off roast.
  • Rub pepper and garlic salt all over meat.
  • Grill directly over coals until well browned, about 5 minutes per side.
  • Carefully remove roast and cooking grate from grill and scatter wood chips over coals.
  • Replace cooking grate and arrange roast on cooler side of grill.
  • Cover, positioning lid vents directly over meat, and cook until roast registers about 130 degrees (for medium-rare), about 20 minutes.
  • Transfer meat to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain. Serve.

Eri Chan
[email protected]

This recipe is amazing! The tri-tip was so flavorful and juicy. I will definitely be making this again and again.


Gull shaad Khan
[email protected]

I'm not sure what I did wrong, but the tri-tip was tough and chewy.


Assie Bah
[email protected]

The tri-tip was a bit dry, but the flavor was good.


Salakam Gk
[email protected]

This recipe was easy to follow and the tri-tip turned out great. I will definitely be making this again.


Mindu Sherpa
[email protected]

The tri-tip was delicious! I marinated it overnight and cooked it on the grill. It was so tender and flavorful.


Rifat Ahmed
[email protected]

This recipe is a keeper! The tri-tip was so flavorful and juicy. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. I will definitely be making this again.