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sliced tri tip

Hot Honey Marinated Tri-Tip

Two whole tri-tips submerged in one gallon raw honey mixed with red chili flakes, marinated for five days with daily turning, then scraped clean, salted, and seared over high heat until medium-rare with caramelized honey crust Prep Time: 15 min | Marinate Time: 5 days | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 5 days 45 min | Servings: 8-10 Ingredients
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole tri-tips 2½-3 lbs each, silver skin removed
  • 1 gallon raw honey
  • 1 cup red chili flakes
  • Kosher salt for seasoning

Method
 

  1. Trim all silver skin and excess fat from both tri-tips using sharp knife. Pat dry with paper towels.
  2. In large container, combine 1 gallon raw honey with 1 cup red chili flakes. Stir thoroughly to distribute flakes evenly throughout honey.
  3. Submerge both tri-tips completely in honey mixture, ensuring they're fully covered. Weigh down if needed to keep submerged. Cover container tightly and refrigerate.
  4. Turn tri-tips once daily for 5 consecutive days, checking that they remain fully submerged. Add more honey if level drops.
  5. After 5 days, remove tri-tips from honey. Scrape off excess honey, leaving thin sticky coating. Season generously with kosher salt. Rest 15-30 minutes at room temperature.
  6. Preheat grill to 450-500°F for high direct heat on one side, indirect heat on other side. Clean and oil grates.
  7. Sear tri-tips over high direct heat 2-3 minutes per side on all surfaces until honey caramelizes into dark crust. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
  8. Move tri-tips to indirect heat side. Close lid and cook until internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium-rare or 140-145°F for medium, about 15-25 minutes.
  9. Remove from grill and rest 10-15 minutes tented with foil. Slice against the grain in quarter-inch slices, adjusting cutting angle when grain direction changes.

Notes

Use raw honey specifically - it contains natural enzymes that processed honey lacks
Don't rinse tri-tips after marinating - scrape only
The honey coating burns easily, so watch carefully during searing
Tri-tip has two grain directions - rotate slicing angle partway through
Leftover marinade honey can be strained and used for glazing other meats
For more heat, increase chili flakes to 1½ cups
For less heat, reduce to ½ cup chili flakes
Can marinate 4-6 days but not longer or meat becomes too soft

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