Long and lots of pics, but the generosity of a stranger...

[Gonna Smoke]

That is one amazing meal, you nailed it! It is so cool you get to spend so much time with your family members. And this forum is full if friends and family...we see it all the time, even if most we have never met.
That tri tip is some really good stuff isn't it? I finally found my first one a few months ago.

Ryan

Thank you, Ryan. Growing up, I just remember my parents always having family together, it was that important to them. They're gone now, but we've tried to keep it up and teach our children and now our grandchildren the importance and value of the family and to not take it for granted...

Man, you sure knocked that one out of the park, Charles!
Great looking meal!
Al

Thank you so much, Al...

Some fine work there on some great beef, shared with family, doesn't get better than that! RAY

Very kind of you, Ray...

That some seriously good looking food!

Thank you, Norman. For my first time cooking tri-tip, I think that it turned out OK...

Yup , nice cook . I've done one Tri-tip , and your right . They're fantastic .

Thanks, chop. This was my first, but hopefully won't be my last...

No strangers here. Just friends we might never meet.

Completely agree...

Awesome job and a great looking meal.

Warren

Warren, I appreciate the compliments...

All Looks Super Tasty!!!
Like.

Bear

Thank you, Bear...

Love tri tip in our house. You nailed it!

Jake, I think it it sure did turn out good. But we can't get too in love with it because we can't find it around here. May just have to start ordering it...

That meal was not a home run,....................it was a GRAND SLAM!!!

Epic post for sure. Thank you, Charles, for documenting the event so well and sharing it with us.

Colin, thank you...

Man that is a great write up. And the cook.....well, it is totally perfect. Great looking plate.

Jim

Jim, I try to tell folks exactly what I do in my cooks. The thread can be long, probably too long, but I've read cooks on here that leave me with a lot of questions and I try to eliminaye as much of that in mine as I can. Thank you...

Man that looks incredible.. Ive yet to do a tri tip...
And those cabage rolls look awesome!! Nice work on all of it!

Travis, when I first read Dave's thread about the cabbage rolls, I thought about what a great idea it would be to smoke them, and everything is better with bacon, so why not? They were a big hit, but not quite as big as the tri-tip, and I've been TOLD that I would have to do them again. So that is all on him...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Is that a puppy dog I see in the upper left corner of this pic? If so, I can totally relate. Ours will not leave the kitchen if I'm in there, especially when it comes time to get everything together for serving.

Robert

Yep, that's Bailey, our Cocker Spaniel, he just turned 9 in January. Lucy, or Lucille when she's bad, is our other Spaniel, the one in my avatar. She's a Springer/Boykin mix and she's 2. Whenever I'm at the cutting board preparing the food, they're both at my feet just in case I accidentally on purpose drop something. I was "accidentally" dropping Romaine lettuce and carrots just before I took that picture...

 

[crazymoon]

GS, Awesome gesture on someones part and an awesome spread you put up !!!!!!!!

 

[HalfSmoked]

GonnaSmoke thanks for the like I appreciate it.

Keep up the good smokes and ideas.

Warren

 

[Gonna Smoke]

GS, Awesome gesture on someones part and an awesome spread you put up !!!!!!!!

Thank you, crazy...

Keep up the good smokes and ideas.

I'm gonna try because I'm GonnaSmoke...

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

Awesome meal Charles! We rarely, if ever see tri tips around here. I too have been on the receiving end of a couple tri tip's from a generous forum member. They are hard to beat and you nailed it. LIKE!

 

[Sven Svensson]

Great post! Thanks so much for sharing this.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Awesome meal Charles! We rarely, if ever see tri tips around here. I too have been on the receiving end of a couple tri tip's from a generous forum member. They are hard to beat and you nailed it. LIKE!

Thank you for your compliments. I think that I did them justice or at least that's what my intention was with such a gift...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Great post! Thanks so much for sharing this.

Sven, the most important aspect of this thread was the generosity of someone I've never met and what it meant to me and my family...

 

[tx smoker]

Sven, the most important aspect of this thread was the generosity of someone I've never met and what it meant to me and my family...

No disrespect intended Charles but I believe the core root of this thread is the family values that you and yours have displayed. That's a very rare thing in this world today and it's refreshing to see that they still exist with some people. Kudos for raising your family to share those beliefs. Nothing is more important than family.

Robert

 

[bauchjw]

Truly awesome thread. You definitely did justice to the generous gift gift in all the right ways. A great meal to share with the most important people. I think that's why this forum is a special place, it encourages those values.

 

[larroyo101]

...has amazed and surprised me, but reinforces my belief that there are still a lot of really good people in this world. I have been the undeserving recipient of the generosity of a member here. He is someone that I’ve never met or ever even spoken to, a stranger, but his amazing gift is something that I just can’t describe what it means to me.

I have read so many threads about cooking tri-tip and have been on a fruitless mission for a long time to find some locally, but they just don’t sell them around me. Well I received a PM from a member here offering to send me a couple to try. Reluctantly I accepted his amazing gift and have been waiting on the right day when I could get the gang here to try my hand at cooking them. He was so generous so I really wanted to share his gift with my family. After all, it’s all about family around my house and yesterday was the day, I was just hoping that I wouldn't mess it up...

For starters, I got some inspiration from @daveomak and his stuffed cabbage rolls, this thread. I got to thinking that I could make something very similar, wrap them in bacon, and smoke them. So 1 lb. of Jimmy Dean hot sausage went in a bowl. I added 1 egg, about 1 cup of cooked rice, 1 chopped onion, 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 2 tbsp of salt & pepper, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, and some of the extra cabbage chopped up. All mixed up to make the stuffing. The extra stuffing was made into balls, placed in an aluminum pan on a bed of cabbage, covered with the rest of the tomato sauce, some of the fire roasted crushed tomatoes and smoked until bubbly and the internal temp of the sausage was in the 185℉ range...
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Meanwhile, a head of cabbage was in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes to make the leaves pliable and easy to separate. After draining and separating, I dried the leaves with a paper towel and rolled up a heaping spoonful into each. Wrapped with a slice of bacon, dusted with a BBQ rub, and they're ready for the smoker. Fired up my old Oklahoma Joe with some maple. Smoked them to an internal temp of about 185℉. Never mind the chuck, it's for chili next week...
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Now for the stars of the show. Here are 2 Certified Piedmontese Beef tri-tips just over 2 lbs. each. Trimmed and simply seasoned with SPOG as I didn't want much to interfere with the taste of the beef...
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They went on the smoker to an internal temp. of about 105℉...
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I had a Weber on the side getting hot with some lump and moved the tri-tips over for a sear on each side until they reached an internal temp. of about 125℉. Pulled to rest...
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5 lbs. of gold potatoes had been boiled just until fork tender. Place on a cookie sheet and slightly smash with a potato masher. Brush with melted butter and season with coarse salt & pepper. They went into a 450℉ oven to get brown and crispy...
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Everything is coming together now. Time to slice the tri-tip...
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...and the cabbage rolls...
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Made a simple salad. Tomatoes on the side because we have one that doesn't eat them...
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It's time to eat...
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Sometimes when we want something so much and then finally get it, it can be a let down when it doesn't live up to our expectations. The Certified Piedmontese Beef tri-tips were everything that I had hoped for and so much more. Beefy, tender and just outstanding.

There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to the SMF member who sent these, and some other goodies, to me.
Thank you Robert, my friend...
Everyone in my clan really enjoyed them and wants to say THANK YOU!!, as well.

And Thank You @daveomak for the cabbage roll inspiration, they were a real hit, too and definitely a keeper.

The after dinner show was perfect for a chilly evening...
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Great story and the food looks great also

 

[DRKsmoking]

Great spread Charles , and nice to share with family. You put on a great feast
Thank god we have family over every second weekend . More reason to smoke extra food. Instead for just the 2 of us.

And nice of the very giving member here for your tri-tip, well done

David

 

[OldSmoke]

Thank you for sharing such a warming story. And the pictures!

I was just at the butcher's shop drooling over the trip-tips while picking up a butt and some jerky meat.

 

[edmonds]

Man, that looks great.
And inspirational. I got a tri tip in the freezer, potatoes in the pantry, and a nice weather forecast.

 

[jcam222]

You nailed it! Excellent meal start to finish. That CPB is very fine beef for sure.

 

[olecrosseyes]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
Drop the mic, Elvis has left the building!

I'm passing on my gratitude to the UN-named member who is known!
Very nice gesture, Chef!

 

[civilsmoker]

Dang that looks really really good. I'm a cabbage liker so I'm going to have to try the bacon wrap for sure!