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Man!!!!!!!
If you ever want to start controversy, just smoke a tri tip like a brisket. Smack was thrown my way, but that’s okay. “I” am the one who got the last laugh and first bite of another delicious way enjoy tri tip. Adventurous – I am that!
Step out of your comfort zone and just do it already. Think outside the box. Here’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
Did you know you can smoke a tri tip like a brisket and the result is a tender, intensely flavored, meaty bite? I live and cook here in Texas and we love to cook AND SMOKE MEAT!
What is a tri tip anyway?
The TRI TIP name comes from its triangle shape from the very tip of the sirloin. It’s rich in meaty flavor and lower in fat than other cuts.
(By the way, it’s NOT the same cut as a Picanha. It’s from a different part of the sirloin. Look it up)
If you’ve eaten a tri tip you’ve most likely had it cooked like a steak, seasoned and seared to around 130-135 degrees, rested then sliced. Typically a tri tip can be seared and cooked in a cast iron skillet, over charcoal or the most traditional is on a Santa Maria Grill.
But……wait for it…..YES! YOU CAN smoke a tri tip low and slow with amazing results!
I affectionately called this style this a Trisket: Tri tip + Brisket = Trisket
I love tri tip cooked to 130-135 degrees on my Santa Maria Grill and served with Chimichurri. It’s quick, easy, tasty and the more common method of cooking and serving.
Then why cook it like a brisket at all?
First of all, it’s easy to do. The whole process does not take as long a smoking a brisket because it’s a smaller piece of meat and not as tough. Smoky flavors and slow cooking impart a deep, rich, meaty, beefy flavors and tender texture.
Second, WHY? Because you can! and it’s A-MAZING!
Sometimes you want a brisket but don’t have the time it takes to cook one and or you are cooking for just a few people. Either way, it’s a fun and delicious alternative to the traditional cook.
My passion for smoking and grilling has been ignited after moving to Texas (again) and going to and getting involved with smoking and grilling to the point of now adding lots of fun items to my “outdoor cooking area.”
While I am waiting on my Lonestarz Off Set smoker/stick burner to be custom made and delivered this fall, I have several fun “toys” to cook on including a custom-made Lonestarz Santa Maria Grill, an Aaron Franklin Series PK 300 Grill with a Santa Maria attachement, Traeger Pellet Smoker, Blackstone Flat Top, Ooni Pizza Oven, SmokinTex Smoker and many paella pans for catering events.
I’ve been watching lots of YouTubes daily/weekly on different methods of grilling and smoking following many pit masters and grill masters on Instagram and have joined forums on Facebook including How to BBQ Right – Malcom Reed, Derrick Riches, Hey Grill Hey! Susie Bullock, Hardcore Carnivore – Jess Pryles and many more.
I respect immensely each pit master I watch and learn from and have thoroughly enjoyed focusing in on what they have to teach me and I believe I’m a better and growing backyard grill master because of it. Learning to smoke and grill from the best is a long process – I’m in it for the long haul.
In particular, these YouTubes I’ve linked are four methods of brisket style tri tip. Each are slightly different methods but all get to the same ending; tender, flavor-filled slow cooked/smoked tri tip.
The Controversy: is it over cooked and tough. The answer is NO!
BUT……
To ensure the best outcome, it’s best to do this method with tri tip that is larger than what you would normally put on the grill and a fat cap or Waygu. I don’t recommend trimming. The fat will render with the slow smoke method keeping it tender. Wrapping it at 160 degrees – just like a brisket -then taking it to 200 – is magical.
I smoked a close to 4lb Waygu tri tip which came from a local butcher Goodstock by Nolan Ryan. I did not trim it therefore leaving a nice luscious fat cap to render.
After watching each video and reading about this method, I incorporated a combo of all that I watched.
You can see by the photos step by step.
- Heavily season both sides of the tri tip. I used a combo of Malcom Reed’s Killer Hogs Brisket Rub plus Hardcore Carnivore Red by Jess Pryles.
- The Traeger Pellet smoker was set to 275 and used Traeger pecan pellets. I decided to use this temp based on watching the YouTubes linked above.
- Using the temperature probe, watch for the tri tip to reach 160 degrees. Wrap for remainder of cook.
- Wrap the tri tip in pink butcher paper leaving the temperature probe in place.
- When the temperature reaches 203 (200-ish) remove from smoker and place wrapped tri tip in a cooler for 30 min to 1 hr to rest.
- Remove from butcher paper, slice and enjoy!
4 + – lb untrimmed Waygu tri tip from my local butcher Goodstock by Nolan Ryan.
Place seasoned tri tip on Traeger OR an offset smoker- your choice – because you are cooking by temperature not by time. Be sure to use a probe or your favorite reliable meat thermometer.
Traeger Pecan Pellets
Once it hits 160, wrap in pink butcher paper leaving in the probe.
Once wrapped, smoke until the probe is at 200 (-ish degrees ~203)
Remove from smoker and rest the meat for 30 minutes to a hour.
This is the finished product. It smells soooo delicious !
Slice and enjoy just like a brisket. Serve with your favorite bbq sauce or whatever you like.
The money shot. Look at how luscious it is!
