The smaller beef tri-tip — it’s what’s for holiday dinner

Smoked California Tri-Tip with Chimichurri

For us beef-loving Texans, in a year of holiday crowd downsizing, firing up that gigantic primerib roast or smoking a low-andslow brisket is meat overload.

And a steak? Well, that’s just so summer.

But a great middle-of-the-road cut of meat called tri-tip helps bridge the gap. At 2 to 4 pounds, it still brings plenty of beef to the table.

The versatile cut, more popular and better known in California, can be cooked like a large steak or a roast with a flavor, and its flavor leans more toward steak than brisket. It’s from the bottom portion of the sirloin, and gets its name because it looks like a large, slightly warped triangle.

Here’s the really good news about tri-tip: There aren’t any rules compared to the Texas Church of Brisket. Sure, you can treat it like one, and it will come out delicious with a similar “smoke ring” effect. You can also cook it hot and fast on the grill, or even throw it in the oven or a slow cooker.

It takes well to overnight marinades, can be used for a variety of other dishes such as fajitas or pulled beef, and can be topped with an avalanche of ingredients from pico de gallo to a good chimicurri and everything in between.

“The size of tri-tip and where it’s cut from makes it versatile,” said Danielle Bennett, television personality and author of “Diva Q’s Barbecue.” “I can probably rip off a list of 100 different ways to make it, and it will all turn out good. You are dealing with something that is perfect for a small family, and there is an economic element because it’s not as costly as a rib-eye or a strip steak. It might be my favorite piece of meat.”

Bennett, who used a photo of a seared tri-tip on the cover of her book, said the way she prepares it depends on her mood. Some

days she will marinate the tri-tip; others, she will stick to a basic dry rub of salt, pepper and garlic. Sometimes she will mop it with barbecue sauce. She will even slice it super thin and use it as sandwich meat or cure it for pastrami.

It’s now commonly found in area grocery stores and meat markets, but if you don’t see it, ask any butcher and they will know how to cut one for you.

“It is definitely something that more people are asking for,” said Arnold Fernandez, owner of Arnold’s Butcher Shop on the North Side. “People are always looking for something new to cook. It’s a great piece of meat.”

Like all beef, the better the grade, the better the result. Make sure you use at least choice-grade tri-tip; it’s is a fairly lean cut to begin with, so the fat marbling boost will serve you well.

When Brandon Peterson opened his Bandit BBQ restaurant in May in the Lone Star District after moving here from California, he was among the first known area pitmasters to put it on his menu. He said San Antonio was still a little apprehensive about the cut, but those who tried it liked it.

Now, he runs it as an occasional special at market pricing. He can finish a tri-tip in about two hours.

“This is Texas, so brisket is always going to be No. 1, and I’ll put my brisket up against anybody,” Peterson said. “Tri-tip is very close in flavor, though. You can take it up to 200 degrees if you want (like brisket), but you can also hit those medium-rare to medium temperatures, and it will be good.”

Peterson treats his with a mixed marriage of fire and smoke. After applying a mixture of dry rubs (he experiments with three different varieties), he gives the meat a smoke bath for up to two hours at around 225 degrees. And once the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees, he tosses it directly onto the piping hot coals to sear and crust the outside of the meat.

Searing meat after cooking it is called a reverse sear, and it’s a fantastic way to handle large cuts of meat. Peterson’s finished tri-tip checks in between medium-rare and medium with a distinct, inner pink hue. If you like your beef at more of a rare or welldone texture, you can adjust those cooking times up or down a few minutes.

A caveat about tri-tip: It can be a little tricky to slice. Meat should almost always be cut against the grain, but tri-tip has two different muscles in it, so the grain can change on you midway through. Just make sure your knife isn’t going in the same direction as the meat’s striations.

“That’s an incredibly important step, and the difference between a chewy and tender piece of meat,” said Bennett, who posted a video on her Facebook page of how she slices tri-tip. “I’m incredibly OCD about that when I see meat cut the wrong way.

Finished tri-tip doesn’t need a lot of help, and a typical cut can easily feed four people. But chimichurri, with notes of garlic, parsley and cilantro mixed in with the olive oils, is always a good steak topper.

This recipe combines the flavors of smoke and fire for a cut of beef that bridges the gap between steak and brisket.

1 (2-pound) trip-tip

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons coarse ground black

pepper

1 tablespoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Chimichurri

1⁄2 cup parsley

1⁄4 cup cilantro

1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon coarse ground black

pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1⁄4 cup olive oil

Instructions: Heat smoker to 225-250 degrees using preferred wood (oak, pecan and cherry are good options).

Allow tri-tip to come to room temperature, and trim off any excess or hardened fat (this is an inexact science, so use your judgment). Rub entirely with olive oil. In a small bowl, add and mix the salt, pepper, garlic and brown sugar for the rub. Apply rub all over the meat.

Place the tri-tip in the smoker for 1 hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees.

Rake down and spread the hot coals from the wood in the smoker to form a bed. Either place the tri-tip directly on the coals and cook each side for 2 minutes, or place in a castiron pan on top of the coals and cook for 3 minutes per side (see Note).

Remove tri-tip from fire and wrap in aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, make the chimichurri. Finely chop the parsley and cilantro by hand or in a food processor. Add salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and mix.

Slice the tri-tip against the grain of the meat, and top with chimchurri.

Note: If you choose to place the tri-tip directly on the coals, make sure the coals are either from the wood itself or hardwood lump charcoal. If you are using briquettes, sear the tri-tip in a cast-iron pan.

Makes 4 servings

Kin Man Hui / Staff photographer Flames ignite as Bandit BBQ owner and pitmaster Brandon Peterson places a cut of beef tri-tip on top of hot coals. “Tri-tip is very close in flavor” to brisket, he says.

Photos by Kin Man Hui / Staff photographer Bandit BBQ owner-pitmaster Brandon Peterson cuts into tritips. Because the grain of the meat can change, slicing is tricky.