Smoked Tri Tip
A simple recipe for the best Smoked Tri Tip. Easy, quick, and delicious. Learn how to make the perfect Smoked Tri Tip, with wine pairing ideas for this flavorful cut of beef.
Servings: 6 servings
Cost: $25.00
Ingredients
- 2 pound Tri-Tip beef roast
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Smoker: Preheat smoker to 225 degrees using a fruit wood like apple or consider oak.
- Season: Cover the tri tip in olive oil. Combine the salt and pepper and sprinkle over tri tip liberally. Don't be afraid to get a nice crust on there with a liberal coating of the rub.
- Smoke: Place tri tip on the smoker, unwrapped, for 60-90 minutes. Cook until internal temperature reaches 125 - 130 degrees F for rare and remove.
- Wrap and Rest: Wrap the tri tip in foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Optional: place in a cooler (with NO ice) to keep warm for anywhere from 30-60 minutes. This will continue the cooking process for another 5 degrees. Further, I have found that it makes the cut extremely tender as the juices slowly redistribute into the meat.
- Serve: Slice across the grains in thin strips and serve with favorite sides, like smoked collard greens, or top with chimichurri sauce. See notes for slicing.
Notes
Trimming Tri-Tip: There may be some silver skin that needs to be removed with a sharp filet or boning knife. That will help with texture when it is done.
Slicing: When slicing any cut of beef, it's important to slice against, or perpendicular, to the grains. This helps keep the structure of the beef intact for good texture. Look at the lines of the cut. Start with the thin end and cut. As you get to the thicker side, rotate roughly 45 degrees and finish slicing. You will have thin small slices from the thinner and and longer slices for the thicker side. That is normal.
Internal Temperature of Beef: Cook to your desired internal temperature, we like rare at 125, but adjust the time of the smoking process if you want to go higher. If you do hold it in the cooler (if it's done too early), know that it will continue to cook, so take into consideration the additional 5 degrees the roast will cook as it rests.
- Rare: 120-130 degrees F
- Medium Rare: 130-140 degrees F
- Medium: 140-150 degrees F
- Medium Well: 150-160 degrees F
- Well Done: 160 degrees F (and not recommended)
Nutrition
Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1243mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
