5 Starter Tips Before You Grill Your Tri Tip

Here’s some great tips for before and after you grill your tri tip…

1) Start with a great cut of tri tip beef.  If you can’t get USDA Choice or Select, you are taking a risk by purchasing a lower grade.  Don’t sacrifice quality and taste by choosing a lower grade…or what is on sale at the lower end grocery stores.

2)  You only need 3 tools to grill up your tri tip…

  • Stainless steel tongs – get ones that are extra long in order to reach across a hot grill safely.
  • Meat thermometer – the only time you should pierce the meat is to check the temperature when it’s done cooking.
  • A carving knife – whether it has a straight-edge or it is serrated, choose one that is sharp and cuts clean lines
  • AND…BBQ forks are stupid.

3)  Trim any excess fat off the tri tip.  Some cuts of beef need that fat for flavor, but a good cut of tri tip has great marbling (the muscle fat running through the cut).  We will have a how-to video online soon to help you to effectively trim the roast.

4)  Keep the grill clean.  Use a brass wire brush and go one way with the cleaning (many grillers and BBQ makers believe that going back and forth will strip away the protective coating on the grates – and hey…better safe than sorry).

5)  Pull the tri tip roast off when it reaches 130-135 degrees and let it rest for 10 minutes; as it does, it will continue to cook and distribute the juices throughout the roast.  Furthermore, the meat’s temperature will rise 10 degrees while resting.  The meat will be medium to medium rare when you serve it and juicy throughout.