Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Smoke
- Trim off any loose pieces from the tri-tip. Do not remove the fat cap. Leave it intact, because it protects the meat while it cooks and renders down during the charcoal sear.
- Season the tri-tip generously on all sides with your favorite steak seasoning.
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F. Place the tri-tip on and cook until the internal temperature reaches 110°F.
Caveman Sear
- While the tri-tip smokes, get your lump charcoal going for a high heat direct sear. Once the coals are hot, use a piece of cardboard or a small fan to blow all the loose ash off the top. Ash sticks to the meat and will not burn off.
- At 110°F, place the tri-tip directly on the hot lump charcoal. Sear approximately 60 seconds per side until you have a crust all around. Do not go longer, the inside is already at 110°F.
Finish and Rest
- Return the tri-tip to the smoker at 250°F and cook until the internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium rare.
- Remove and let it rest approximately 10 minutes before slicing. Slice against the grain, and change direction when the grain does, since tri-tip has grain running two ways.
Roasted Lemon Pepper Potatoes
- While the tri-tip finishes, boil the baby potatoes until fully cooked and tender. Drain and let them cool slightly.
- Slice the potatoes in half, put them in a bowl and toss with a little avocado or olive oil as a binder. Season generously with lemon pepper.
- Heat a skillet over high heat with a little more oil and roast the potatoes until golden brown and crispy all over.
Serve
- Plate the sliced tri-tip with the roasted potatoes and finish with garlic herb butter, chimichurri, or your favorite steak sauce.
Notes
Doneness: Miguel pulls this at 135°F for medium rare. The USDA recommends 145°F for whole cuts of beef. Cook to the temperature you are comfortable with, and remember it keeps climbing a few degrees while it rests, landing around 140°F once sliced.
Fan the ash first: Loose ash on top of the coals will stick to the meat and it does not burn off. Thirty seconds with a piece of cardboard fixes it.
Why directly on the coals: A grate touches roughly 20 percent of the surface. Straight on the charcoal, all of it is in contact, so the crust forms in seconds. That speed matters on a reverse sear because the inside is already at 110°F.
Leave the fat cap on: It protects the meat through the smoke and renders crispy over the coals. Most of the bark flavor comes from it.
Timing: Prep and cook times and servings are estimates and will vary with the size of your tri-tip. The 250°F, 110°F, 60 seconds per side, 135°F and 10 minute rest are as given.