Although “tri tip” is the most popular name for this cut, there are many other names for tri tip. The tri tip cut used to be available on the West Coast only, but it has grown in popularity over the past few years and can be found in many membership stores across the United States. Tri tip can be called by different names; if you have a hard time locating it, ask your butcher to hook you up (any butcher worth his salt knows about this cut).
Some of the other names for tri tip are:
- The California cut
- Bottom sirloin tip
- Triangle cut
- Bottom sirloin primal cut
- Santa Maria cut
- Newport steak
- Bottom sirloin butt (but it’s NOT called a rump roast – totally different!)
And if you are traveling worldwide:
- Aiguillette baronne (France)
- Rabillo de cadera (Spain)
- Punta de Solomo (Central American countries)
- Punta de picaña (Argentina)
- Picaña (Mexico)
- UPDATE We received this email from Chris in Germany: I was puzzled by a cut here called Bürgermeisterstück, which is defined as the town mayor’s cut. I asked my slaughterhouse with a photo, and they told me it’s Tri-Tip…it seems it could have been called the mayor’s cut not just because of it’s supreme taste, but actually because the mayor used to wear a triangluar hat!
If anything, show your butcher the diagram above and DEMAND that he or she cut a few of these for you! Thanks to the online tri tip community for helping compile this list.