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Tri Tip
(Barbequed) &
Salad |
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Tri Tip is an excellent piece of beef for the
barbecue. It is very lean, has lots of flavor, and when prepared properly, is
very tender as well.
I've noticed that many times, you won't find Tri
Tip on the shelf, and you'll have to ask the butcher for it. Sometimes they'll
have it in the case, but only as little strips... ask them for the whole
roast.
They'll ask you if you want it trimmed. The choice is yours. Some
people like to leave the layer of fat on until after its cooked, so that the
fat will drip down into the meat as it cooks, and others prefer to leave the
fat with the butcher. I usually have them trim it
off for me because I would rather not pay for the extra weight, and with the
marinade process, it comes out plenty juicy and tender.
The secret to a
great Tri Tip is to marinate it for a whole day.
Marinate it with what?
You might be asking...well
I'm gonna tell ya.
This is my own
marinade, that I came up with myself, and have, until now, only shared with two
other people on the planet. Many people have said that I should bottle this and
put it on the market.
OK, here goes.
First, cover both sides of
the Tri Tip with Lawrey's seasoned salt, garlic powder, and coarse ground black
pepper.
Then, take a whole bottle, just a small one, of the cheapest bbq
sauce that you can find, and pour it all over the Tri Tip.
Then, take
worchestershire sauce, and dribble it all over the top of that.
Next,
add about half of a bottle of Kikomans Teriyaki baste and glaze. (that's the
thick stuff)
After that, dribble some soy sauce all over the
top.
Finally, add in about 1/4 cup of zesty Italian
dressing.
Take a large fork, I use the one that is supposed to be for
serving salads, and stab the Tri Tip all over both sides. (don't get overly
zealous with the stabbing part... someone might see you, and think you have an
issue.)
Then, just cover that bad boy, and stick it in the refrigerator
overnight, until about 1/2 hour before you intend to put it on the
grill.
About 1/2 hour or so before you are going to fire up the grill,
take out the Tri Tip, and let it warm up and sweat a bit. This is important. Do
this with steaks too. I don't know exactly why, but the meat comes out more
tender, and more flavorful. Try it with a ribeye sometime.
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| When you cook this on the grill, make sure that the
grill is nice and hot when you first put the Tri Tip on so it sears the juices
in. Do this to both sides of the tri tip, and then turn the flame down to a
little less than medium, and only close the grill lid part way. Don't worry
about the blackened part... when its all said and done, this is going to be
perfect... all kinds of ooohs, ahhhs, and yumms coming from around the dinner
table. (Note: the blackened part is considered bad for you. While it is
extremely tasty, you may want to skip that part). |
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You can see below that I took a piece of copper
that's for grounding a home's electrical panel, and made a nifty little gadget
that I use to keep the lid from fully closing.
This allows the meat to
continue cooking on a low heat, and doesn't burn the meat by having the lid
completely closed.
A couple of times toward the end of the cooking
process, pull the Tri Tip from the grill, and lay it back in the marinade, so
that you cover both sides, and then put it back on the grill. This will give it
a really nice glaze. I say to wait until the end of the cooking process,
because if you do it too soon, it will just turn totally black, and that's not
your goal here. |
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You can see here, that I've cut the Tri Tip into
quarters. I do this simply to speed up the glazing process at the end... Let
the Tri Tips cook for a few minutes, roll them over, and re-dip them in the
marinade until you like the way they look.
Tri Tip should still be
plenty pink in the center when you pull it from the grill. It will keep cooking
for a while even when removed from the heat. These are looking like they're
just about ready, so I'll take the marinade inside, and cook it so I can use it
on the meat when I serve it. You have to cook it since it had raw meat in
it. |
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| I just pour it into a sauce pan, using a spatula
to make sure I get it all, and bring it to a boil for a few minutes. Any of the
marinade that is left-over, will go back into the empty bbq sauce bottle for
use with any left-over Tri Tip. |
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| Since I was out of dinner rolls or sourdough bread, I
made garlic bread with hot dog buns (made from potato flour). Spread butter on
them, and then sprinkle them with garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Put them
in the oven on broil. This doesn't take very long, so pay
attention. |
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| Well, here's the final product... lean, tasty meat,
garlic bread, and a healthy salad. Is there anything better? |
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Search the web for
more nutrition information
and healthy recipes:
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