After many years of failing to find tri tip anywhere in the Northeast, I added one to a Porter Road order using one of the gift certificates I'd won in a Throwdown. Yesterday it was time to cookI
I trimmed it, yielding maybe 1.25 lbs of beef, and dry brined with a light coating of kosher salt for 2.5. hours in the fridge, then dusted it with Montreal Seasoning. I brought the WSM to 225F, using the water pan and hickory chunks for smoke. I prepared a big batch of bacon-wrapped and brown-sugar glazed sausage chunks for an appetizer, following this recipe, although we did half with kielbasa, and half with andouille (which we actually preferred).
https://www.smoking-meat.com/march-8-2018-bacon-wrapped-kielbasa-brown-sugar-and-beer-glazed.
I planned to serve the tri tip sliced on Kaiser rolls, with au jus to top. I poured about 12 oz beef broth into an aluminum pan, and cut up a small carrot, half a red onion, half a jalapeño, a dried hatch chili, and two garlic cloves to add to the pan. When everything went on the smoker, the pan went on the rack under the tri tip, to catch the meat drippings and simmer in the veggie flavors.
I put everything on the smoker at the same time, and was a bit surprised when the tri tip hit 120F internal in under an hour. I'd planned to sear before serving, so that was when I moved it to a preheated, very hot grill, along with some of the sausage appetizers since the bacon hadn't yet crisped up. After flipping everything a couple of times, I brought in everything, served the apps, and let the tri tip rest for about 10 minutes while I strained the veggies out of the pan broth to yield the au jus. The appetizers I had left on the smoker took another 45 minutes for the bacon to be suitably cooked, but bringing them in after the entree didn't stop folks from gobbling them down.
We were very happy with how everything turned out. I meant to document the whole process with pics, but as so often happens I got a few early on, then as the guests arrived the photos were largely forgotten. So, in order below, is the trimmed tri tip dry brining with kosher salt, the bacon wrapped appetizers ready to go on the smoker, a shot of the beef and some of the appetizers on the top rack, with the broth pan and the remaining appetizers mostly invisible on the lower rack, a plate of the apps I brought in to serve (I'd also smoked a few sausage chunks without the bacon wrap), and as an afterthought while I was cleaning up, a shot of the only slice of tri tip left over from the meal.
I trimmed it, yielding maybe 1.25 lbs of beef, and dry brined with a light coating of kosher salt for 2.5. hours in the fridge, then dusted it with Montreal Seasoning. I brought the WSM to 225F, using the water pan and hickory chunks for smoke. I prepared a big batch of bacon-wrapped and brown-sugar glazed sausage chunks for an appetizer, following this recipe, although we did half with kielbasa, and half with andouille (which we actually preferred).
https://www.smoking-meat.com/march-8-2018-bacon-wrapped-kielbasa-brown-sugar-and-beer-glazed.
I planned to serve the tri tip sliced on Kaiser rolls, with au jus to top. I poured about 12 oz beef broth into an aluminum pan, and cut up a small carrot, half a red onion, half a jalapeño, a dried hatch chili, and two garlic cloves to add to the pan. When everything went on the smoker, the pan went on the rack under the tri tip, to catch the meat drippings and simmer in the veggie flavors.
I put everything on the smoker at the same time, and was a bit surprised when the tri tip hit 120F internal in under an hour. I'd planned to sear before serving, so that was when I moved it to a preheated, very hot grill, along with some of the sausage appetizers since the bacon hadn't yet crisped up. After flipping everything a couple of times, I brought in everything, served the apps, and let the tri tip rest for about 10 minutes while I strained the veggies out of the pan broth to yield the au jus. The appetizers I had left on the smoker took another 45 minutes for the bacon to be suitably cooked, but bringing them in after the entree didn't stop folks from gobbling them down.
We were very happy with how everything turned out. I meant to document the whole process with pics, but as so often happens I got a few early on, then as the guests arrived the photos were largely forgotten. So, in order below, is the trimmed tri tip dry brining with kosher salt, the bacon wrapped appetizers ready to go on the smoker, a shot of the beef and some of the appetizers on the top rack, with the broth pan and the remaining appetizers mostly invisible on the lower rack, a plate of the apps I brought in to serve (I'd also smoked a few sausage chunks without the bacon wrap), and as an afterthought while I was cleaning up, a shot of the only slice of tri tip left over from the meal.
