20 All Time Favorite Tri-Tip Rub Recipes

So many have heard about this delicious, succulent and almost delicately flavorful tri tip roast or steaks.  For those who have not heard about tri tip we can help with a somewhat short explanation. Tri-Tip for the most part is a triangular section primarily located in the front quarters of a steer or cow.  The section resides primarily between the breast and the legs of the animal.  The tri-tip is sometimes known as the "Newport Steak" or "Santa Maria Steak".  The cut of meat is extremely popular in the Central California Coast region where Santa Maria Style barbecue has become synonymous.  We know that there are as many claims regarding how Santa Maria tri-tip came into being as there are recipes for making the desired cut of meat.  Most of the stories start with a butcher and an unwanted cut of meat sometime in the mid to late 1950s. In addition we've heard stories over the years about the cut of meat and it origins in foreign locations such as Germany, France and Spain.

While we believe that the initial idea for the cut of meat will always be in question we also believe that the results of grilling or roasting the cut will not be in question.  This is an amazing cut of meat that when properly grilled or roasted produces phenomenal results.  How often can a cut of meat produce the characteristics of a roast, a steak, a loin cut and more?  Tri-tip is that cut of meat that is so extremely versatile and yet the way in which it is cooked is among the most basic almost "caveman" styles of cooking.

For those who know tri-tip this may be merely a rehearsal of facts and information.  You've already had the pleasure of direct introductions and most likely have produced a few if not many tri-tip meals.  And as for cooking, whether it be grilling, roasting or barbecue there is not 100% correct format.  The format depends on your needs and the results you wish to capture.  If your limited by the confines of your space such as an apartment or shared living quarters then the outside grilling process may never enter into your discussions.  If your in cold or rainy confines then the same may be said of your location. However, if you have access to some method of cooking external to your kitchen stove then the results you produce will be just as good if not better than what everyone else can produce.  I myself have tried oven roasting, direct grilling, barbecue, and smoking.  The primary difference in the cooking methods is "time and heat source".

Oven roasting will produce wonderful results but searing of the meat may not be as easily done unless a secondary grill plate is introduced.  Smoking is a wonderful format that produces incredible results however, one must have time and the correct amount of heat to produce those cherished results.  The beauty of smoking is the introduction of woods and the richness that each type of wood produces.  Keep in mind that the smoke is not cooking the meat, rather the smoke is flavoring the meat for the end result which of course is eating the results.

PURPOSEFUL TRI-TIP RUB RECIPES

Our purpose here in this post is to provide a new listing of tri-tip rub recipes that one can use to produce exceptional results.  We've tried every recipe we list here and can easily tell if the results were decent or epic.  The recipes for tri-tip rubs are not listed in degrees of preference one over another.  The tri-tip rub recipes are listed similar by form.

A word about the true nature of a decent tri-tip rub.  Tri-Tip Rub Recipes are meant to enhance the final taste of the meat.  All that means is that when you bite into the cut portion you are able to taste the beef and the flavoring that you've added.  Now, since tri-tip is a fairly thick cut of meat it can be hard to introduce flavor directly in the center portion.  We know this because over the years we've tried many different ways to achieve internal flavoring.

The most basic method we used to enhance the internal flavor was by direct injection.  We took our tri-tip rub recipe and mixed that in with some liquid ingredients like Apple or Guava juice concentrate then directly injected the mixture into the meat.  In addition the external part of the meat was coated with a basic yellow mustard to assist in the microscopic level of tissue breakdown while also acting as a carrier for the seasoning.  But first we allowed the injected and coated tri-tip to marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour.  Afterward we applied our tri-tip rub generously then put the meat in a container and continued resting the meat for an additional two hours.  After a total of 4 hours of marinating the meat was brought out at least 1/2 hour in advance and allowed to rest in the container on the kitchen counter to achieve room temperature.  Following that marinating and resting effort we prepared our grill and began the process of producing an exceptional tri-tip.

For those of you who don't know we prefer the sear first then roast method.  This method is easy to do and produces exceptional results.  Just sear your marinate tri-tip on each side for about 4 to 6 minutes then move the seared meat to receive indirect heat.  More simply said, move the seared meat away from the primary heat source either to a cooler section of the grill or a section in which one of your burners is turned off if barbecuing outside.   For those who are roasting their tri-tip after searing simply moderate your temperature to around 225 degrees.

There are two schools of thought regarding searing of Tri-tip.  The first says one should sear the meat prior to grilling, barbecue.  The second school of thought says that one should sear the meat after the roasting process.  Searing is the direct effect of the Maillard process and is intended to create a texture differential between the outer surface of the meat and the inner softer material.  Direct searing will produce a brown or brownish crust sometimes known as caramelization and will as many call it "lock in" or "seal in the juices" of the meat.  Reverse or the second form of searing is intended to all the roasting of the meat first so that the internal meat is balanced in cooking.  Afterward the reverse searing method is applied and the is cooked at a high temperature to achieve caramelization.  We opt for the first method because as a practical matter the charcoals may have burned down to such a level that little if any charcoal is left to produce the high heat required.  In fact to get the level of heat necessary you may have to add additional segments of charcoals which after the sear process will be wasted and unused.  Your choice of searing method is dependent on how evenly you want to achieve the doneness of the inner roast.

How to know if you're using the right amount of wood for smoke.  The use of wood and the amount of wood related to smoking tri-tip is critical. Over the years we've used all kinds of wood and wood types.  We've used red oak, and hickory, along with pecan, and alder and peach, apple and various other wood types.  The one thing we've come to know is just how much wood to use and when to introduce wood into the barbecue process.  The average person may get their charcoal source going then immediately add wood into the process.  There are a couple of reasons that you may not want to do that.  First, wood smoke is a coating, it does not cook the meat.  Only heat from the burning of wood or charcoal or other product will cook the meat.  So, when it comes to wood one must first determine what they want the end result meat to taste like.  You must also realize that all woods are not the same, especially in the rate of their burning and also the amount of wood smoke they can impart.

The simplest way to manage wood smoke is just by using a very small amount until your personal confidence rises.  Meaning, after two or three barbecues you will begin to learn just what it takes to properly use wood smoke.  We've found that using too much wood can produce an extremely strong almost acidic taste in the meat, so strong that it almost cannot be eaten.  And over time we learned that a very light use of wood produced the best results.  To help with smoke management and for those that are smoking at home the soaking of woods is a very good way to slow down the burning process and thus truly manage wood smoke.  If this was a commercial operation then by no means would it be possible to soak the wood beforehand.  But for those working out of their homes it may be possible to soak the wood in a container or kitchen sink.

As for the amount of wood we've found that 5 - 6 Ounces and no more is the right amount of wood.  If you should use 1 lb or more then you will most certainly over smoke the meat.  As for placement we've found that smoking will depend on the length of cooking time prescribed for the meat.  If you intend to cook the meat for 5 hours as in a set of baby back ribs then within the first three hours of the 3-2-1 cooking process is the best time for smoking.  We will arrange our soaked 5 Ounces of wood such that as the charcoal burns somewhere just after the first half hour our wood will begin to smoke.  The wood source will continue to smoke when soaked for about 40 minutes to an hour.  We've found that the application of smoke over that period will deliver the best natural wood smoke flavor to the meat. 

So, let's get to the tri-tip rub recipes we believe will produce some awesome results for you.

Brown Sugar Tri Tip Rub Recipe

• teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Herb Grilled Flattened Rolled Tri Tip

• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups herb seasoned croutons
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons hot vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons Jake's Tri-Tip, Steak and Rib Dry Rub
• Olive Oil

Mustard Glaze

• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Red Wine
• 3 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Rosemary chopped
• 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 2 Garlic Cloves diced
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 3 Tablespoons Jake's Tri Tip, Steak and Rib Rub

Citrus Style Tri Tip, Dry Rub Recipe

• 4 teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 2 teaspoons Dried Orange Peel
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

 Santa Maria Tri Tip Rub Recipe

• 3 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Coarse Ground Black Pepper

Spicy Sweet Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon dark or light brown sugar
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

Homemade Cajun Tri Tip Dry Rub Recipe

• 8 Tablespoons paprika
• 3 Tablespoons cayenne
• 6 Tablespoons ground black pepper
• 4 Tablespoons garlic ground
• 3 Tablespoons onion ground
• 6 Tablespoons sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 4 Tablespoons dried oregano
• 4 Tablespoons dried thyme

Chili Cumin Tri Tip Recipe

• 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tablespoons black pepper
• 3 Tablespoons salt
• 3 Tablespoons garlic
• 3 Tablespoons chili pepper
• 3 Tablespoons onion salt
• 3 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 3 Tablespoons ground cilantro

Red Wine Vinegar Tri Tip Recipe

• 2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

Spicy Grilled Tri Tip Recipe

• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne powder
• 1 whole tri-tip roast, about 2 pounds
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Rosemary Garlic Tri-tip Rub Recipe

• 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 Tablespoon onion salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt

Smoked Paprika Garlic Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tsp smoked salt

Chipotle Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 1 Tablespoon coarse salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Coffee and Clove Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 2 Tablespoon finely ground coffee
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Spicy Coffee Tri-tip Rub Recipe

• 2 Tablespoon finely ground coffee
• 1 ½ Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 Tablespoonn brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Lime Citrus Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Splash apple juice

Rosemary Sage Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 1/4 cup Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup finely ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 cup baker's sugar
• 1/4 cup dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon dry rosemary
• 1 1/2 tsp dry sage

Brown Sugar Lemon Pepper Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

1. 1/4 cup brown sugar
2. 1/4 cup paprika
3. 3 Tablespoons cracked black pepper
4. 3 Tablespoons sea salt
5. 2 Tablespoons lemon pepper
6. 2 teaspoons chili powder
7. 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
8. 2 Tablespoons onion powder
9. 2 teaspoons celery seeds
10. 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Simple Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
•  2 tsp. white pepper
•  2 tsp. cayenne pepper
•  1 tsp. onion powder
•  4 Tablespoon. granulated garlic
•  5 Tablespoon. salt
•  1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika

Rosemary Dill Tri-Tip Rub Recipe

• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Dill
• 1/4 teaspoon Sage
• 1/4 teaspoon Rosemary

Fantastic Santa Maria Tri Tip Rub Recipe cooking video

Our Tri Tip Rub Recipes for sale

Tri Tip Steak and Rib Rub
Santa Barbara Rub
San Ysidro Rub Natural Sugar Free
Santa Maria Dry Rub
Memphis Dry Rub Full Flavored and Sugar Free

Should you have questions regarding how we manage Privacy assets please consult our Privacy Page

See GREAT DEALS on our BBQ Sauce, Dry Rubs and Condiments, Use code: Barbecue10 on our Specials Page now and take 10% off any Jake's product.

Balsamic Tri Tip with Red Wine Mustard Glaze

Balsamic Red Wine Mustard Glaze

While making various Tri Tip marinated roasts we set out to create an entirely new version of our famous balsamic tri tip grill.  In this version we take the essence of red wine and pair that with tart, savory mustard to create a world beaters recipe called Balsamic Tri Tip with Red Wine Mustard Glaze.  This is an awesome combination of all the great things meat lovers love.  The salty acidic flavors of balsamic vinegar combined with the round body of red wine topped off with subtle but tart mustard all reduced down to a luscious coat worthy glaze.

Let's get down to making this wonderful treat using our spices and seasonings along with some everyday combinations of ingredients.

Ingredients Balsamic Tri Tip with Red Wine Mustard Glaze

1 Tri Tip Roast approximately 2 lbs
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Honey
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Cup Red Wine
3 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
1 Tablespoon Rosemary chopped
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
2 Garlic Cloves diced
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
3 Tablespoons Jake's Tri Tip, Steak and Rib Rub

Directions to cook Tri Tip:

1. Thoroughly wash and clean the tri tip roast.
2. Pat dry with paper towels or lint free towel.
3.  Rub Tri tip with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4. Coat and Rub Tri tip with Jake's Tri Tip, Steak and Rib Rub.
5. Set seasoned roast aside in refrigerator to marinate.
6. Collect a medium sized bowl and combine all ingredients including the Balsamic Vinegar, Honey, Mustard, Red Wine, Kosher Salt, Rosemary, Garlic, Black Pepper, and Orange Juice.
7. Mix all ingredients thoroughly until blended.
8. Place blended ingredients in a pot on medium high heat.
9. Bring the ingredients to boil stirring continuously as material will stick to pot if not stirred.
10. Once boiling reduce heat to medium low and allow ingredients to reduce for 15 minutes until syrupy glaze forms on a large spoon.
11.  Once glaze is formed remove from heat and allow glaze to rest in pot.

Directions to Grill Tri Tip

We prefer the Santa Maria Style grilling method when making tri tip.  Having made hundreds of tri tips we find that this method is the easiest and best way to ensure the tri tip is grilled uniformly and the flavor delivered in a perfect way.

To get started with the grilling process first ensure that you've got two cooking zones on your bbq grill.  The grill should have a medium high to high heat zone as if you were going to grill a steak.  This will be the sear zone.  The second zone will be the indirect cooking or roasting zone.  In addition the grill must be able to have a lid that can close for the roasting effect.  If you want to use a smoking wood during the grilling process you can as a bit of red oak, hickory, pecan or mesquite will certainly enhance the flavor of your Balsamic Tri Tip with Red Wine Mustard Glaze.

After the grill is started and especially if you're using a charcoal or lump charcoal to grill the roast remove the tri tip from the refrigerator and place on a container on the kitchen counter.  This will allow the roast to bring itself as close to room temperature as possible.  It's best not to cook with a cold tri tip which will take longer to finish in the process.

With the tri tip relaxed and the grill ready, bring the tri tip first placing it on the medium high to high heat zone.  Allow the tri tip to sear on the zone for at least 5-6 minutes.  Rotate the tri tip and sear the opposite side for an addition 5-6 minutes.  Then rotate the tri tip again to sear until all sides are seared.  At this stage you can leave the lid open as the searing does not require the fully enclosed state.

Once the tri tip is seared move the roast onto the medium heat zone.  Close the lid and allow the tri tip to grill for 15 minutes.  Check the roast with a meat thermometer.  When checking the temperature always insert the thermometer from the side and never from the top.  Insert the gauge at least half way into the roast to get the most accurate reading.

See our range chart below to help you determine if you're roast is cooking too fast or too slow.  Now each time you check for temperature you will turn the roast on the opposite side until you've roasted the tri tip all the way around.  Pay special attention to the lid ensuring that the lid is closed after each measurement.

Once the tri tip roasted is grilled to the temperature you want remove the roast and place in a covered container.  DO NOT serve or cut the roast right away.  Allow the juices of the tri tip to reabsorb into the meat to increase the overall tenderness of the roast.  Allow the roast to rest for at least 15 minutes then serve.

To properly cut the tri tip ALWAYS cut across or perpendicular to the grain.  Cut segments at least a 1/4 inch thick.  Cutting in this fashion will ensure that the tender tri tip does not become chewy or stringy.

**Special tip: Before grilling cut off a 1-2 inch portion of the roast and cook in the same process as the larger roast.  This smaller portion will be a gauge as to how will the larger portion is grilling.  It's important to NOT cut into the larger portion during grilling.  If cut the moisture will drain out of the meat and the roast will become dry.

Using the Balsamic, Red Wine, Mustard Glaze

Once the tri tip roast is completed and rested and sliced take a medium size ladle and pour the glaze over the slice portions.  As an option you can coat the entire uncompleted roast about 5 degrees before finishing then simply roast the tri tip with the glaze on the meat.  If this method is chosen you will still need to REST the tri tip after grilling.  You can then ladle on as much Balsamic Tri Tip with Red Wine Mustard Glaze as you desire.


TEMPERATURE CHART FOR OUR MEATS

BEEF STEAKS	GOURMET	USDA
Rare	125-130ºF	140ºF
Medium Rare	130-140ºF	150ºF
Medium	140-150ºF	160ºF
Medium Well	155-165ºF	170ºF
Well Done	N/A

Faux Brisket Tri-Tip, Is it Really Possible?

Faux Brisket Recipe Tri-Tip

I'd often wonder about the many ways and uses for Tri-Tip.  I knew basically, that Tri-Tip could be smoked, roasted or grilled until medium or medium well then turned into some of the best tasting meat possible.  And with living on the Central Coast of California we are all familiar with the much regaled Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip Roast.  For those who don't know that's when seasoned Tri-Tip is seared and roasted over large barbecue grates then pulled off about medium rare and served with large slices of garlic bread and pinquito beans.  Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

But with the Brisket being such a large part of the current barbecue scene we thought we'd take a look at making brisket.  Now we don't have to tell you that it's literally impossible to get a small sized brisket.  But if you have access to an old fashioned butcher location then you may be able to get your hands on a Brisket point or flat which shouldn't be too much for one person.  The other side of the equation is the cost of Brisket.  Brisket is not a cheap item and if you're not familiar with the barbecue or cooking process you could end up with about 10 pounds of completely worthless, tough meat.

That's about the time I thought what if you could make a Tri-Tip just like a brisket.  Essentially they are both beef and come somewhat near to each other on the animal.  But unlike Brisket, Tri-Tip doesn't have the high collagen content which is why it does so well after two on three hours on the grill.  And that's why the best Tri-Tip cooking results come when the meat is barbecued to about medium well.  The meat ends up just juicy enough but also tender enough for sandwiches or main table dishes.

So, if we were really serious about grilling or barbecuing a Tri-Tip like a Brisket what then would we need to do?  Having worked through this process many times before with steaks that were not exactly top of the line it became obvious....tenderizing is required.

I've spent considerable time working with various marinades to break down meat tissues towards making steaks and roasts more tender.  A really simple combination I've been working with lately has been a citrus blend of Guava and Apple Juice.  Guava alone is an excellent marinade and certainly apple has been known for many years to have excellent marinating properties.  So rather than placing the meat in a container then following up by submerging the meat I thought we would focus injection.  We've been using injection for the last year or so and have been able to capture some pretty decent results.  So, we'll start by blending our marinade in a 70/30 mixture of Guava to Apple Juice.  I find that when there is more Guava in the blend than Apple Juice the results tend to improve in flavor as well as shortened time for marination.

Now with our 70/30 marinade blend we'll inject that along three grids of the tri-tip about 1 inch apart.  We want to inject somewhere near the middle of the tri-tip leaving about and ounce of the marinade in each injection.  We won't need to turn the tri-tip over but instead will inject the upper facing side.

Trimming the tri-tip is not as necessary as the standard Santa Maria process.  We will keep most of the fat cap on the bottom of the tri-tip.  You can trim off just enough to give yourself a clean surface area.  But make sure you don't take off any more than 1/3 of the available fat cap.  We keep the fat cap to aid in the retention of moisture.  As mentioned earlier Tri-Tip doesn't have the same level of collagen as Brisket so to return moisture we'll use the fat cap as sort of a guard as we'll be indirectly roasting the tri-tip on the cap. It's also a good time to think about seasoning the tri-tip with your favorite dry rub.  We like using Jake's Famous Pure Santa Maria Dry Rub.  Jake's Pure Santa Maria dry rub besides being a dry rub for sale is a simple yet elegant blend of coarse ground black pepper, smoked kosher salt, granulated garlic, parsley and two key ingredients that act to build flavor both in tartness and in flavor enhancement.  The Santa Maria Dry rub is a natural dry rub without any MSG or artificial flavor enhancers.  You may have your own homemade version or store bought favorite.  For those who don't we've added in a link at the bottom of this post to help you get the dry rub you want.

Now with the tri-tip injected and with limited trimming you'll want to allow the marinade to do it's job.  Let's place the meat in a sealing container.  Allow the marinade to work on the tri-tip for a minimum of 4 hours, more if you can allow it to rest.  In fact if you can marinate the tri-tip overnight that would even be better.  It shouldn't have to be said but let's say it anyway...make sure the meat is refrigerated during the marinating process.

Now comes the setup process to begin smoking the tri-tip to turn it into the faux brisket that you desire.  What's important here is the temperature and time available.  Also, the type of wood that should be used during the smoking process.  So many people now have those completely electronic smoking systems that can be adjusted or dialed in right to the temperature they want.  It kinda takes the fun out of the process but it does deliver even results.  Now if you're an Old School griller like me then you'll need to begin arranging your charcoal for a long cook cycle.  Expect that this process will take about 7 hours.  You can expect about 1-1/2 hours per pound of meat so if you have a 3 pound Tri-Tip then you'll be grilling for about 4-1/2 hours not including the resting time of an additional 1 hour for a total of 5 hours.  But this process will also require some adjusting and use of foil so that additional time will put you closer to 5-1/2 hours depending on the heat produced by the grill and the outside temperature.

Now if using charcoal heat you'll need at least an hour to get your desired cooking temperature dialed in.  We like using the Snake Method which lays out two or three briquettes next to each other in a ring that follows around the grill.  We can pretty much get to the cooking temperature with this method.  Now for charcoal, or gas, or pellet systems we'll want to dial in a cook temperature of 225 degrees.  Pellet smokers already have their smoking woods as part of the cooking process. For gas grill adding smoke may be a bit tougher but there are smoke boxes you can buy or if you have a small metal pie pan you can add smoking chips to the pan and place them on the grill over a low burner which will start the smoke process. Keep an eye on the smoke chips to ensure that they burn normally.  For those with charcoal add wood chips along side the briquettes.  As the briquettes burn we'll want the lit charcoals to ignite the wood chips.  Since dry chips will raise the temperature of a charcoal grill in an unbalanced way I suggest you soak the wood chips for at least an hour before use.  Soak the chips in water which will slow down the burning process and will allow a nicer pattern of wood smoke.

Wood types we like to use for this Faux Brisket are Red Oak, Cherry Wood, Hickory and Mesquite.  We find that Red Oak works best as it pairs nicely with the flavors of the meat.  The other woods will also deliver a nice level of smoke so it's really up to you to decide.

Time for the meat.  About 30 minutes before putting the meat on the grill pull it out of the fridge and let rest on the kitchen counter.  This will warm up the meat and will require less heat energy to drive the meat to the desired cooking temperature.

Place the meat on the grill opposite the primary flame no matter if you're using gas, pellet or charcoal we'll be focusing on indirect grilling.  If you have an electronic thermometer insert the probe now.  Place the lid on the grill with the vents either over the meat or as near to the meat as possible.  Ensure that the grill vents are wide open on the top and bottom of the grill.

After about 30 minutes monitor the temperature of the grill.  Either through your readable thermometer or a manual thermometer we want to be as close to the 225 to 250 degree range as possible.  Resist removing the barbecue lid if at all possible.  Each time the lid is removed you will lose all that stored heat and essentially you restart the cooking process which takes time driving the finish process from 5 to 7 hours.

We'll be using the 3-2-1 method with our Faux Brisket.  After 3 hours we'll take the brisket off the grill and will double wrap it in two sheets of aluminum foil. Heat tip: After the meat is removed make sure you place the lid back on the grill.  When we bring the meat back we'll want to be as close to the cooking temperature as possible.  As for the aluminum foil we use aluminum foil because the wrap process will produce excess moisture.  If you were to use Butcher paper the paper would become completely soaked and would tear through with movement.  Leaking from the butcher paper would actually put out your charcoals so let's wrap in aluminum foil and the same goes for gas or pellet grills.

When wrapping let's add about 3/4 cup of beef broth with a sliced apple around the tri-tip.  Now carefully wrap the tri-tip and place it back on the grill.  Insert your temperature probe through the aluminum foil into the meat.  Get the lid closed as soon as possible and begin reading the temperature measurements once the heat has been restored which usually takes about 8-10 minutes for a charcoal grill.  If the temperature is closer to 250 degrees that's fine we've got the layers of aluminum foil to act as a barrier to excessive heat.  But keep an eye on the heat to make sure it doesn't get over 275 degrees, if so then start adjusting the airflow on the bottom vent first.  Monitor the bottom vent checking in 5 minute intervals to see if your manual adjustments have had the desired effect and if so by how much.  If you notice the temperature drops quickly by 10 degrees or more then adjust the vent open by one quarter open to get more air in.

After 1-1/2 hours start paying close attention to the meat.  We want the internal temperature to reach 203 degrees.  Once reached remove the meat in foil into a pan or dish.  Place the meat in foil in the oven and let rest for a minimum 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes remove the Tri-Tip and open the foil.  You'll immediately notice at least three times the amount of liquid surrounding the tri-tip.  This is moisture loss and also moisture transfer from the apples and the added marinade liquid.  Place the meat on a cutting board and make two cuts across the differing grained sections of the tri-tip to produce three individual sections of tri-tip.  Now cut directly across the grain or as we say perpendicular to the grain to produce 1/4 inch segments of sliced meat.

Making Faux Brisket Tri Tip Recipe

Right away you'll notice just how tender and juicy the tri-tip will be.  The cooked meat has magically taken on the appearance of Brisket.  The resulting taste and chew is eerily similar to that of Brisket.  And with the addition the Guava and Apple marinade the meat has a really fresh taste.  The end result a wonderful taste treat the easily comes within 95% of the texture of brisket at about 20% of the cost of brisket.

To get you on your way to making this wonderful treat I've added in a couple of our seasoning blends that we use when making tri-tip and our Faux Brisket.  We add the seasoning onto the meat and allow it to rest for about an hour or more before the marinade and grilling process.   To help you get a leg up on the process we're offering a 10% discount on these and all of our other products. Use code: 1707200910 at checkout to take your discount now.

When properly paired with wood smoke a dry rub can impart a sense of luxury and extravagance to the meat.  We've paired our best dry rubs for sale with some key wood types to help you in your decision making.  See our listing below as a guide.

Tri Tip Steak and Rib Rub  (Almond, Red Oak, Cherry, Peach, Plum, Maple)

Santa Maria Dry Rub (Almond, Peach, Red Oak, Mesquite, Hickory, Lemon)

California Chipotle Dry Rub (Peach, Plum, Cherry, Apple, Grapevine, Red Oak, Almond)

California Chicken Dry Rub (Almond, Red Oak, Mesquite, Cherry, Apple, Grapevine, Maple, Mulberry)


Of course these dry rubs are designed to impart just the right amount of flavor at just the right time. But the real test is in the results you will receive.

Thanks for reading,

Jake's Famous Foods