tri tip help

[masssmoke]

so I have never been able to find tri-tip in my area (new england) but today I went to the store and they had it, so I bought a bunch (it was $$). I got it home and went to put some marinade on it and when I got it out of the package it was cut up into pieces. It was only a 1.6 pound steak to start with and they cut it into four pieces. It doesn't look like the tri-tip roasts I see posted. Any help on what I should do? Maybe just smoke for a bit then finish hot and fast on the grill?

 

[noboundaries]

Pics would help.

 

[mojavejoe]

A trimmed tri tip should be a single piece of meat and generally look like this picture. Never heard of tri tip that is 1) as small as you have indicated LBS-wise and 2) cut into pieces.

It may be tri tip per se, but not in the traditional sense. Maybe grill the pieces up until 130-ish?

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

If it were me I would take it back to the store and ask for one that wasn't cut up.

 

[WaterRat]

If you got it at Big Y, ask for a non-cut up, the butchers are usually happy help. For what you have, treat it like any other lean steak, don't go past med-rare. You could smoke to ~115-120°F then reverse sear.

 

[masssmoke]

Thanks for all the help. I will try it.

 

[masssmoke]

Pics would help.

so here are pics, keep in mind this is a pound and a half

 

[noboundaries]

There's nothing about those pieces that look like tri tip. Out here, if the tri tip isn't intact, it is sold as tri tip steak. It is sliced against the grain and the steaks are about that thick and 6-8 inches long. Those don't even look like the tips.

I just took a tri tip out of the freezer for a quick defrost in the microwave. Will be grilling it soon. I've passed on some recent sales for tri tip because they just didn't look right. The grain should start in the bend of the boomerang like the picture above. I've seen tri tips this year that have grains running in the wrong direction. Some looked like brisket points that have been cut in the shape of a tri tip. And I swear I've seen meat glued "tri tips" that had grain running in too many directions to count.

Know what you're buying.

 

[forktender]

Weird, I'd bring it back personally.
Although I've had tri tip that were cut across the grain that were about 2'' wide, and they were fantastic cooked hot and fast over lump oak wood. It all depends on how you were planning on cooking them.

 

[masssmoke]

There's nothing about those pieces that look like tri tip. Out here, if the tri tip isn't intact, it is sold as tri tip steak. It is sliced against the grain and the steaks are about that thick and 6-8 inches long. Those don't even look like the tips.

I just took a tri tip out of the freezer for a quick defrost in the microwave. Will be grilling it soon. I've passed on some recent sales for tri tip because they just didn't look right. The grain should start in the bend of the boomerang like the picture above. I've seen tri tips this year that have grains running in the wrong direction. Some looked like brisket points that have been cut in the shape of a tri tip. And I swear I've seen meat glued "tri tips" that had grain running in too many directions to count.

Know what you're buying.

HI, look at the packaging a bit more, they are labeled as "tri-tip steak". Thanks for the info, sounds like I didn't get what I thought.

I do try to know what i am buying but as I posted the cut is very rare here and I have never had or even really seen tri-tip.

Anyway, some of it is already marinating so I am going to give it a go on the smoker for a reverse sear and see what happens.

 

[b-one]

Any updates?

 

[masssmoke]

I smoked it for a few hours at low temp then rested it a bit, then threw it on a hot grill to finish with a sear. They weren't bad, didn't bother with pictures. Search for real tri-tip in NE continues!

 

[ofelles]

Try online Snake River Farms sell very good Tri Tip $$ or $$$
choice or higher https://www.snakeriverfarms.com/northwest-beef/roasts/tri-tip-roast.html
or Waygu Black grade https://www.snakeriverfarms.com/american-kobe-beef/roasts/tri-tip-roast/american-kobe-tri-tip-1.html

 

[b-one]

I smoked it for a few hours at low temp then rested it a bit, then threw it on a hot grill to finish with a sear. They weren't bad, didn't bother with pictures. Search for real tri-tip in NE continues!

Good luck, it’s a great cut!