Smoking Tri-Tip
Smoking Tri-Tip, also known as Newport Steak, Santa Maria Steak, Triangle Tip, or Triangle steak, is a simple and most satisfying steak in American West Coast Region. It is so juicy and flavorful that it becomes your favorite food once you try it. Smoked Trip Tip must be cooked perfectly to make it delicious and tender.
What is Smoked Tri-Tip?
Tri-Tip became known to the world after Rondo Brough (a butcher from Southern California who worked for the U.S. Army in World War 2) claimed that he created the “triangle tip.” Ron set his heart on procuring extra meat for the Soldiers by revamping nearby chunks and quashing flesh.
The Practice became popular among his army colleagues after the war, and many popular restaurants and butcher shops began cutting and serving Tri-Tip to their customers in California.
Tri-Tip is a Triangular piece of beef from the bottom sirloin consisting of thigh muscles. Initially, it was introduced for hamburgers. However, it soon became trendy in California and West Coast.
You can categorize Tri-Tip as a juicy and incredibly tender food sliced to Perfection. Cooks can also use it in Santa Maria B.B.Q. with a pinch of salt, vinegar, and Garlic.
All in all, it is a versatile piece of beef cooked in various ways. Today Smoked Tri-tip is equally famous in France, Germany, Austria, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.A.
Let’s start cooking Smoked Tri-Tip with a secret recipe to get it to Perfection.
Learn about the Beefy Battle between tri-tip and Brisket.
Smoked Tri-Tip Recipe ingredients
The smoked Tri-Tip Recipe is simple and easy to cook. You can buy its ingredients from a local grocery store or order them online. There are the following ingredients in Smoked Tri-Tip Recipe.
- One Tri-Tip Roast:Â Â Â Â 2-3 Pounds
- Extra Virgin Oil:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1 Table Spoon
- Salt:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1 Table Spoon
- Grounded Pepper     1 Table Spoon
- Extra Virgin oil: 1 Table Spoon
How to Trim a Tri-Tip?
When buying a Tri-Tip, remember that it should be perfectly trimmed and ready for cooking. Even if you buy an already trimmed Tri-Tip, you may need to slice it again for Perfection. You can use a boning knife for additional trimming to your Tri-Tip.
You can start cleaning a Tri-Tip by trimming off the silver skin and fat parts. You may see some fat chunks with a sinewy layer of fat on the bottom. You need to remove this thick layer as it won’t get tender; you will get a chewing
taste after you have cooked it.
How long to smoke Tri-Tip?
The average time to smoke tri-tip is 60 minutes for a 2 lbs. Tri-tip. However, you must always cook it to the recommended temperature for the best results.
You can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the tri-tip after you have pulled it off from the smoker. If it is less than 125 degrees, you may need a second stage of smoking the tri-tip.
You can pull off Your Tri-Tip at the following temperatures.
- Rare: 115 degrees F
- Medium Rare: 125 degrees F
- Medium: 135 degrees F
- Medium Well: 145 degrees F
- Well Done: 150-155 degrees F
How to slice a Tri-Tip?
A butchered Tri-Tip will always have two sides of grains to it. You can start slicing the tri-tip from grain to the end. Slowly you will reach the thicker side. You can then rotate the Tri-Tip and start cutting again.
It is essential to follow the slicing rule from grain to the end. Because cellular tissues have good connectivity and slicing from grain to the back gives it a tender and moist texture. Cutting it with the grains will have a chewy texture and won’t taste good.
Smoked Tri-Tip Recipe
Smoked Tri-Tip is very simple and easy to cook. You can use the following recipe to prepare a perfect smoked Tri-Tip for yourself.
- Preheating Smoker: Preheat your smoker between 180 and 225 degrees Farehenites. You can use some apple wood or oak wood for preheating. However, the smoker’s internal temperature should be at moderate levels for cooking.
- Seasoning: Gently coat the Tri-Tip with a layer of extra virgin olive oil. You can later season it with one tablespoon of salt and ground pepper. You can also rub the Tri-Tip with salt and grounded pepper if you want a nice thick crust.
- Smoking the Trip Tip: Place your unwrapped Tri-Tip into the smoker for 60 to 90 minutes. Cook it for some time until its internal temperature reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wrapping: After taking out your Tri-Tip from the smoker, wrap it with foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also put it in a cooler with no ice for cooling. The Cooking process will continue for another 5 degrees. It makes your Tri-Tip a little more tender as juices are evenly distributed to all of its parts.
- Serving: Cut it into slices and serve it with other dishes to your friends and family. A perfect meal is ready and served.
Preparing the Tri-Tip
It may not be perfectly sliced if you have bought your Tri-Tip from a butcher shop. There could be some unwanted chunks of beef with it. Therefore, you must neatly trim it again with a sharp knife to clean the extra parts. It will add a nice texture to the tri-tip as well.
After you have cleaned the tri-tip, it is time to coat it with extra virgin oil. Now it is time to season it with salt and butter. You can also season it with sauces as well.
Preheating the Smoker
Your smoker needs to be preheated at a perfect temperature to get a tender and delicious smoked Tri-tip. You can choose some fruit wood such as apple or oak wood for preheating your smoker. The fire from the wood will provide the necessary warmth to heat the smoker.
Once your smoker achieves a temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit, it is ready to smoke your Tri-Tip.
Seasoning the Tri-Tip
You need one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of grounded pepper to season your tri-tip. After coating the tri-tip, you can season it with salt and grounded pepper. If you want a crusty texture, you can also rub it with these ingredients.
Seasoning is essential for the tri-tip, as the liquid fluids from it need to be extracted. It gives it a favorable, tender, and delicious taste as well.
Serving the Tri-Tip
Smoked Tri-Tip is full of protein and other nutrients. You can serve it with Santa Maria Style Salsa, Salad, Garlic Bread, and small beans stewed with Onions and Tomatoes. It can be presented with wine as well.
How Nutritious is smoked Tri Tip?
A 100 gram of smoked Trip Tip contains 261 kcal, 1 gram of Carbohydrates, 31 grams of Proteins, 14 grams of Fat, 5 grams of Saturated Fat, 98 mgs of Cholesterol, 1243 mg of Sodium, 499 mg of Potassium, 1 gram of Fiber: 1 gram of Sugar, 5IU of Vitamin A, 41 mg of Calcium: 41mg and 2mgs of Iron.
Therefore, you can say that smoked Tri-Tip is one of the most nutritious food.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to smoke tri-tip at 225?
Smoked Tri-Tip is usually cooked at 225 Degree Farenhites until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees of moderate levels. Usually, it takes 30 minutes for a pound of Tri-Tip. If you have 2 pounds of Tri-Tip, it will take 60 minutes to cook. And so on.
Do you Flip Tri-Tip when smoking?
You must flip the Tri-Tip once an hour for each side of the Tri-Tip to be perfectly cooked. If you do not reverse the Tri-Tip during the smoking process, one side of the TriTip may not get evenly smoked. So, it is crucial to Flip the Tri-Tip when you are smoking it.
When to Pull Smoked Tri-Tip?
When the internal temperature of smoked tri-tip reaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit to moderate levels, it is time to pull it out from the smoker. It will take 90 minutes for 3-pound tri-tip to achieve an intermediate level from inside. Therefore, you can take it out after 90 minutes. Usually, it’s 30 minutes per pound. But it can vary as per Tri-tip weight.
What temperature is smoked tri-tip done?
Smoked Tri-Tip is done at 225 Degrees. If you are cooking two-pound Tri-Tip at this temperature, it will take 60 minutes for the Tr-Tip to get an internal temperature of 130 degrees. After that, you can take it out, leave it to cool, and serve it to your guests.
Final Words
Smoked Tri-Tip is one of the most popular foods on the West Coast and in California. A Triangular beef Cut from the bottom sirloin consisting of thigh tissues is used to make smoked TriTip. It is a juicy, tender, and most delicious part of beef, also used in other bbq dishes.
To get the best results, you must use a perfectly sliced Tri-Tip for cooking smoked Tri-Tip. Also, you will need a few ingredients for seasoning and cooking TriTip. We have provided the smoked Tri-Tip recipe above; after reading this recipe, you can easily smoke Trip Tip.
If you still have questions about Smoked Tri-Tip Recipe, ingredients, or cooking, you can ask us in the comment box. We will be happy to answer.
