Newbie With A Tri Tip Question.

chuck t · May 22, 2016

Hi all. My name is Chuck and I live in Oakdale CA. I've been BBQing for awhile, but I want to try and get some experience with smoking. I have a Traeger Lil Tex and a Big Green Egg. As I'm typing this, I have a Tri Tip in the fridge and plan on smoking it tomorrow. I put a rub on it yesterday and It's in a marinade now. (This is an experiment; hence the marinade).

I want to try smoking it tomorrow on the Traeger and cook at around 200 degrees. My thinking is, if I keep the heat below boiling, (212 degrees), It wouldn't lose too much moisture. Have any of you folks done this and if so, how did it turn out? Also, is there anything I can do to get more of a smoky flavor? I love the Traeger for its ease of use, but it's not known for imparting great smoke.

Thanks for any and all answers and I plan on spending a lot of time on this Forum.

worktogthr · May 23, 2016

You can cook a tri tip anyway you'd like to and it will turn out good. But moisture loss shouldn't be an issue regardless of how you cook it. Some guys make them low and slow around 225 and other guys do it around 350. They can also be directly grilled. It is a juicy piece of meat as long as you don't overcook it. One of my favorite ways that might work for you is to smoke it on your traeger at 225 or so until it is 10 degrees shy of your desired internal temperature and then sear it on both sides on a hot grill or in a pan. That way it has a good deal of time in the smoke but also that crispy exterior that everyone loves. Let us all know how it goes!

-Chris

schlotz · May 23, 2016

^^ +1 on the reverse sear method. Low and slow until 115-120° then sear it on a hot grill. Obviously you can vary the temp to end up where you like it.

SmokinAl · May 23, 2016

I agree with the above.

Great cut of meat, but keep it rare to med/rare.

Al

chuck t · May 24, 2016

Well, I underestimated the cook time and I pulled it at 143 degrees. Pretty tender, but not juicy...and grey. It did have a nice smoke ring though. Maybe next time I'll lay off the marinade. A bit salty.

schlotz · May 24, 2016

143° is a bit late in my opinion. Tri-tip is best served med-rare. I usually smoke at 220°, pull somewhere close to 120°, then sear both sides for 3-4 min on a hot grill over 400°. IT usually at this point is approx 133° and I let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

chuck t · May 24, 2016

That was my intention, but time just got away from me. Because it was so done, I bypassed the reverse sear. Maybe next time.

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