American · Dinner · All year
Smoked Tri-Tip
4.7 · community
10m
Prep
98m
Cook
Med
Level
440
Energy
The Santa Maria classic — a small triangular roast that eats like steak. Its grain changes direction mid-roast; slice accordingly. Here, low oak smoke to temperature, then a hard sear — barbecue meets steakhouse.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
Before you start
Mise en place
Equipment
Smoker or kettle grill
Oak or hickory chunks
Instant-read thermometer
Prep checklist
Tri-Tip — 900 g whole
Whole Black Peppercorns — coarsely cracked
Flaky Sea Salt — to finish
4 steps
Method
1
Season generously with kosher salt and cracked pepper (a 50/50 "Texas rub"). Set the smoker — or a kettle grill with coals banked far to one side and a chunk of oak or hickory — to hold 110–120°C.
2
Smoke until the center reads 46–48°C: roughly 60–90 minutes. Keep the lid closed; every peek costs 10 minutes.
80 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
Thin blue smoke is what you want — white billowing smoke turns meat acrid. Small fire, clean fuel.
3
Rest 10 minutes while you build the hottest direct fire you can (or heat a cast-iron pan to smoking).
10 min — timer available in cooking mode
4
Sear 60–90 seconds per side for the crust, then rest 5 more minutes. Slice against the grain — on this cut the grain shifts direction, so watch it as you carve.
8 min — timer available in cooking mode
From the pass
Chef's notes
The single most important sentence for tri-tip: slice thin, and slice against the grain. Try any of the marinades in this app — the loose grain drinks them in where tight-grained cuts only wear them.
When it goes sideways
Common mistakes
A thick grey band under the crust
The pan was too cool or the steak cooked too long over direct heat. Sear hotter and faster — or use the reverse sear, which nearly eliminates the band.
No crust, just grey
The surface was wet or the pan wasn't hot enough. Pat aggressively dry, salt ahead, and wait for the oil to shimmer before the steak touches metal.
Chewy even at medium-rare
Almost always a slicing error — cut thinner and strictly against the grain. On loose-grained cuts the grain direction is visible; follow it.
Smoke alarm going off
Normal for a hard sear. Open a window, use an oil with a high smoke point (avocado, grapeseed), and skip the butter until the final minutes.
Adapt it
Dietary swaps
Gluten-free
Naturally gluten-free as written.
Dairy-free
Naturally dairy-free (skip any butter finish).
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Leftover steak hates reheating. Slice it cold over salad, or warm gently in a 120°C oven to 45°C and flash in a hot pan for 30 seconds.
Make ahead
Salt up to 24 hours ahead, uncovered in the fridge — it seasons deeper and dries the surface for a better crust.
Wine pairing
A juicy Syrah or a good Merlot; leaner cuts don't need a tannin hammer.
Beer pairing
A malty amber ale or porter echoes the crust; keep hop bombs away from beef.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Steak frites or crispy roast potatoes
Creamed spinach
A sharp arugula salad to cut the richness
Garnish
Flaky sea salt
A pat of compound butter melting on top
Watercress
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
1
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
1
Per serving
Nutrition
440
kcal
45g
protein
1g
carbs
31g
fat
3g
fiber
0g
sugar
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
Questions
How do I hit the doneness I want?
Pull the steak 3°C below target — it climbs while resting. Rare: pull 47°C, serve 49–52°C (cool red center). Medium-rare: pull 51°C, serve 54–57°C (warm red — the steakhouse default). Medium: pull 57°C, serve 60–63°C (pink, firmer). Medium-well: pull 63°C, serve 65–68°C (a whisper of pink). Well-done: 71°C+ — cook it slower and gentler to keep any juice. An instant-read thermometer beats every finger trick ever invented.
Why rest the steak, and for how long?
Heat drives the juices toward the center; resting lets the muscle relax and reabsorb them. Cut too early and they flood the board instead of staying in the meat. Rest 5 minutes for a standard steak, 10+ for thick cuts and roasts — loosely covered, never wrapped tight (trapped steam softens your crust).
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