1st shot at a Tri Tip

J

JimmyDings

New member
Greetings all:

Planning on cooking two 2 1/2 lb tri tips on sunday.

Going to cook on the Mak 2 star at 250 for a desired "it" of 135
Using TentHunters idea of Oak/Mesquite pellet mix till my BPS order of Black Walnut order arrives.
(also ordered my marinade express from BPS today..gotta try that) TY BP for making your site so easy to order from!

Any ideas on how long I might expect the cook time to be?

Additionally, would an hour or 2 of cold smoking make it better before I run the temp up to 250?

Thanks in advance, Jim aka JimmyDings
 
Last edited:
S

So Cal Smoker

New member
Jimmy you're going to have a blast with that Marinade Express. You can marinade just about any meat or foul, ribs, shrimp, anything you want to impart more flavor to. Have fun.
 
smoker pete

smoker pete

New member
It takes me 2½ hours to do a Tri-Tip when I SMOKE (180º) for an hour and then bump the temp to 225ºF till I hit an IT of 145ºF. I then rest it under a foil tent for 20 minutes before slicing. So for me it's a total of 3 hours from start to finish ... An hour of Smoke, 1½ hours @ 225ºF and 20 minutes foil tent. My guess is that @ 250º you'll cut that time down a bit plus you'll pulling it at an IT of 135º. Here's what it might looks like :D

FagundesTriTip3.jpg
 
S

So Cal Smoker

New member
You can buy marinades but half the fun is mixing your own. Experiment with different flavor profiles and keep a book on the mixes you make. Good luck and good mixing Jimmy. Oh, try marinading a Tri-Tip I thing you'll like it.
 
CarterQ

CarterQ

Moderator
What BP said you can't go wrong going that route, and remember to slice against the grain. Good luck and take pics.
 
J

JimmyDings

New member
ok crazy question.....on the shelf?....does that mean the upper rack?
and 145?...wouldnt that be more med than med. rare?

For future reference........when people say smoke for an hour? is that in the main chamber on a 2 star? or in the warming box?

one last ?.....why against the grain?....that one I am really curious about...should all meats be cut that way?

thanks in advance, jimmydings
 
Last edited:
CarterQ

CarterQ

Moderator
JimmyDings said:
ok crazy question.....on the shelf?....does that mean the upper rack?
and 145?...wouldnt that be more med than med. rare?
Click to expand...

Yes the upper rack, or shelf, is what they are referring to. At 145 it is leaning more towards the medium side. Tri tips have more connective tissues than your more premium cuts so a tri tip at 130 will be red inside but it will also be chewy, taking it to medium will give a pink color but it will be super tender. Same reason you may take a brisket all the way to 205.

For future reference........when people say smoke for an hour? is that in the main chamber on a 2 star? or in the warming box?
Click to expand...

Main chamber with the grill set to "SMOKE"

one last ?.....why against the grain?....that one I am really curious about...should all meats be cut that way?
Click to expand...

The more muscular cuts like tri tip, brisket, flank steak etc. have thicker fibers. Cutting across the fibers (grain) shortens them minimizing their toughness. Cutting with the grain yields long tough fibers. Cuts like new yorks and filets have very fine fibers so cutting across the grain really doesn't matter much.

Here is a great discussion on why to cut across the grain-

The Food Lab: Slicing Meat Against the Grain | Serious Eats

Hope that helps, can't wait to see how they come out!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom