We like to grill tri-tip beef roasts for an unbeatable smoky flavor. Here's our best method. What's your favorite cut of beef to grill? My favorite is the triangle-shaped tri-tip, from the bottom sirloin.
It's also called a Santa Maria steak because Santa Maria, California is where it first became popular. Typically tri-tip is rubbed first with a mixture of salt, black pepper, and garlic salt, and then whatever other seasonings you want before getting barbecued over red oak wood.
I love this cut because it's just a fat, juicy steak that cooks up beautifully on the grill, as detailed in the method below. You can marinate it, or use a classic Santa Maria rub. In this recipe, we are starting with the basic rub and adding some herbs and a little cayenne.
Some recipes will have you cut the layer of fat off the roast, I prefer to keep it on, and grill it fat-side up so that the steak is bathed in the juiciness of the fat as it grills. Now, the only problem with tri-tip is that it can be hard to find outside of California, though I understand Costco does carry it. If you can't find it, you can still use this approach and the Santa Maria rub with a thick look for a two-inch thick or greater well-marbled sirloin steak or London broil.
Follow these tips to get the best results when cooking your steak. It's best to slice tri-tip thinly against the grain, which shortens the muscle fibers and makes them easier to chew. Heads up: tri-tip actually has two different grain directions which intersect near the top point of the "triangle. To prepare tri-tip in the oven, start in the same way as you would with the grilling methodβassemble your seasoning rub, massage it into the roast, and allow the seasoned meat to come to room temperature.
