Tri Tip The Best & the Worst

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Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
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Sep 12, 2009
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Macungie, PA
Tri Tip The Best & the Worst


I just had what might have been the tastiest piece of meat I ever had.
I got a small Tri Tip from Wild Fork---- The first Tri Tip I ever had.
It was pretty small (2.5 lbs), but thicker than we usually get.
It was prime, so even though I didn't see much marbling, I didn't SV it---I just went right to the Ninja.
So since we don't eat much lately I cut it in two pieces first, for 2 different days’ Suppers.
I Marinated one, and Fridged the other one, for the next night.
Then I went through my normal Ninja Smart Steak grilling process. It tasted Great, but was super lean. No gristle, but very hard to chew. Linda even complained, and that takes a lot.
So I told her, I should have Sous Vide' it, but I never used SV on a Prime Steak before.
I took my first couple slices across grain (easy to figure out), and they were all tough.
Then I took slices from about 6 different angles, and it didn’t matter. I had to slice it real thin, just like I slice Beef Eye Round. Real thin was the only way I could eat this.
So I bagged the second half of the Tri Tip, & set my Sous Vide Supreme @ 132°, and gave it a 22 hour bath. I used 132° because above 130° is where it is safe without any other calculations. I used 22 hours, because that was how many hours there were between then & time to eat on the next day.
We had that today, and it was Awesome. I think I just had my worst steak & the best steak I ever had in my life all from the same piece of meat.
Again "Sous Vide" proves it's Value!!!

Thanks For Looking, Guys!!

Bear

One 2.5 lb Prime Tri Tip (Wild Fork):
IMG_9026.JPG


Split in half for 2 Suppers for each of us (Me & Mrs Bear):
IMG_9027.JPG


1st Big Half Grilling in the Ninja:
IMG_9029.JPG


Bear's Half of the First Half for the first Night, with Ninja Roasted Taters & Cranberry Sauce:
IMG_9032.JPG


Second Half of the Trip Tip in Sous Vide bag, after 22 hours @ 132°:
IMG_9034.JPG


Finishing 2nd Smaller Half in Ninja a couple minutes on each side:
IMG_9037.JPG


Inside Just Right:
IMG_9038.JPG


Bear's 2nd Supper, with Half of the Smaller second half, with Ninja Roasted Taters & Cranberry Sauce:
IMG_9039.JPG
 
Yeah that does look lean, it also looks like the first one was a little over cooked for a TT, they don't like that..ask me how I know. I know smoke mine to about 110, vac pack and freeze, when I want it I SV like you did.

I just found out my local butcher carries them @$7.99/lb and he only carries great cuts of beef. I know the West Coast guys cringe at that price but considering the cost of beef I think it is quite reasonable.
 
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It's a great cut when it comes out . I'm with you on the taste . Fantastic .
Good lookin char . Looks like the grain ran funny on that on . No 2 slices the same .
I bet the SV one was awesome .
 
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Nice looking plate there Bear
Tri tips are awesome. Lean and tender at the same time. The catch is they cannot be overcooked. Anything above med rare or ~ 135-140 gets them into the tough zone. Another extremely important step is to rest them as long as you can stand it. I personally let them sit in foil for a min of 30 minutes. It makes a world of difference in the texture. Slicing is the next thing to consider. Tri tips have three grain directions so it's best to start at the apex of the "boomerang" and adjust as the grain changes.
I could get tri tips at the drop of a hat in Arizona but out here in South Carolina they are mostly found in the high end markets.
 
Bear, in my 40+ years of grilling, roasting, smoking, and braising tri tips, that ain't a tri tip. Not sure what it is.

I've seen brisket points cut in a triangle and labeled as tri tips, but never anything that lean.

Fake tri tips were never an issue until the cut found popularity beyond California and the price increased 3-4x.
 
Bear, in my 40+ years of grilling, roasting, smoking, and braising tri tips, that ain't a tri tip. Not sure what it is.

I've seen brisket points cut in a triangle and labeled as tri tips, but never anything that lean.

Fake tri tips were never an issue until the cut found popularity beyond California and the price increased 3-4x.
Interesting. I have not seen a fake tri tip but I was on the west coast. This is something to look out for as they are a very distinctive cut of meat.
I have seen them both lean and fatty though. I had one so marbly I ended up making pastrami out of it. Most are pretty lean in my experience though.
These are the best examples I can find to compare.
 

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Yeah that does look lean, it also looks like the first one was a little over cooked for a TT, they don't like that..ask me how I know. I know smoke mine to about 110, vac pack and freeze, when I want it I SV like you did.

I just found out my local butcher carries them @$7.99/lb and he only carries great cuts of beef. I know the West Coast guys cringe at that price but considering the cost of beef I think it is quite reasonable.

Thank You Cliff!!
I go by the steak when I choose my internal temp, like Prime Rib 142°, Strip 137°. Anything as lean as this Tri Tip was I would go about 135°. This one got up to about 147° (Too High), but that wasn't the main problem.

Bear
your plate looks great, glad second one was more tender!
Thank You tbern!!
That second one was a Big Winner!!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear
 
It's a great cut when it comes out . I'm with you on the taste . Fantastic .
Good lookin char . Looks like the grain ran funny on that on . No 2 slices the same .
I bet the SV one was awesome .
Yes, I'm not going to judge all Tri Tips on the results of my first one.
This one had very little marbling, and was very dense, but the grain wasn't any more confusing than the thousands of feet of Red Oak I've dealt with in my lifetime. The flavor made up for the toughness.
My plan is to get more Tri Tips, Sous Vide them, take them only to about 135° IT, which is our absolute low, and give them longer than our usual 5 minutes of rest, after the Ninja. That should work just fine.

Bear
 
Yes, I'm not going to judge all Tri Tips on the results of my first one.
Bear, it is entirely possible someone mixed up your tri tip order with another one. I know Wild Fork offers a money back guarantee if you send back the meat. Too late for that. You could send a nice email with a link to this thread. They might offer you a discount on your next order.

Just a thought

Ray
 
Nice looking plate there Bear
Tri tips are awesome. Lean and tender at the same time. The catch is they cannot be overcooked. Anything above med rare or ~ 135-140 gets them into the tough zone. Another extremely important step is to rest them as long as you can stand it. I personally let them sit in foil for a min of 30 minutes. It makes a world of difference in the texture. Slicing is the next thing to consider. Tri tips have three grain directions so it's best to start at the apex of the "boomerang" and adjust as the grain changes.
I could get tri tips at the drop of a hat in Arizona but out here in South Carolina they are mostly found in the high end markets.
Thank You Pete!!
I'll take care of these things on my next one, and see what happens.
I should have Sous Vide this one right up front, just because of the lack of marbling, but it took me by surprise. Like we used to say after the ballgame "We'll get the next one!"

Bear
 
Both of those look great. Your descriptions make it easy to understand. Same piece of meat cut in half and cooked 2 different ways, with the SV being head and shoulders above the other one. I'd eat either one or both, lol. nice work on all.
 
Hey Bear, Looks like SV one is the one to repeat next time. I'd still chow down on the first one either way.

Stu
Yup, I think you're right, Stu!!
That's what I should have done right away, when I saw the marbling was next to none. However, since it was my first one, I wanted to give it a chance on it's own, like I do my Ribeyes. It failed that test, and it was great tasting, but not really worth $10 per pound.

Bear

Bear, in my 40+ years of grilling, roasting, smoking, and braising tri tips, that ain't a tri tip. Not sure what it is.

I've seen brisket points cut in a triangle and labeled as tri tips, but never anything that lean.

Fake tri tips were never an issue until the cut found popularity beyond California and the price increased 3-4x.

This one not only had the shape of a Tri Tip, it also had the same strange directions of graining from each area.
Depending on future prices, I may get more of them, but they will get introduced to my Sous Vide Supreme at the start.

Bear
 
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I think you are on the right track Bear, in the sous vide pot at 135º should work about perfect. Being a native of CA I've been doing tri's for around 40 years, used to grind them for burgers. Still a reasonable price here in AZ. RAY
 
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I think you are on the right track Bear, in the sous vide pot at 135º should work about perfect. Being a native of CA I've been doing tri's for around 40 years, used to grind them for burgers. Still a reasonable price here in AZ. RAY
Thank You Ray!!
I think I didn't explain my plans right:
I believe if I sous vide the next one, it will be @ 132°.
But if I go directly to my Ninja Grill, I will go for an IT of 135°.
I'm now sure it will be the SV @ 132°. I'll figure the time later.
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear
 
Both of those look great. Your descriptions make it easy to understand. Same piece of meat cut in half and cooked 2 different ways, with the SV being head and shoulders above the other one. I'd eat either one or both, lol. nice work on all.
You hit the nail right on the head, Mike!!
Thanks a Bunch!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear
 
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