Grilled Tri Tip Roast - The Poor Man's Prime Rib

Tri tip roast, like most good cuts of beef, doesn't require a lot of fancy seasoning. It does work well with a good marinade. And the meat can stand-up to exotic blends of herbs and spices, if you wish. However, a salt and pepper rub with maybe another ingredient or two is really all you need to complement this cut's rich beef flavor.

Below are two simple but very important tips to help you select and cook the perfect tri tip roast -- also known as the poor man's prime rib. (Note: Just search Google images if you need to see a picture of a raw tri tip roast. I'm always forgetting to take pictures of my meats before I cook 'em!)

Select the Right Grade

To really enjoy tri tip you want to select a piece that is of good quality. This means USDA Choice. Of course, if you can find and afford Prime grade, be my guest. Just don't buy tri tip that is graded "USDA Select" or is an ungraded store brand. In terms of quality, Select and ungraded store brands are your cheapest cuts of beef with less marbling than Choice grade (or Prime). Less marbling means the meat is less moist, less tender, with less flavor. In a nut shell, you get what you pay for.

Don't Overcook It!

Next, you want to be sure you don't over-cook your roast. Some people like their beef well-done. I'm certainly not going to knock anyone's personal preference. However, beef is most tender when cooked rare to medium-rare. That's just a fact. The closer you get to well-done, the less tender and juicy the meat will be. Translated, that means the meat will be tougher and drier.

Also keep in mind that you really shouldn't try to cook tri tip (or any other thick or large cut of meat) solely based on what the clock says. Time is just one variable and there are many others.

For example, the size and thickness of each piece of meat varies and impacts cooking time. The starting temperature of the meat when you began cooking it is another factor (e.g. was the meat at room temperature or taken straight from the refrigerator?). Even how each BBQ grill/smoker heats-up and holds heat affects the end result.

So really, any stated length of time for cooking meat is actually just a general guideline, but still a helpful one for use as a point of reference. For fail-safe results, though, use the meat's internal temperature as your guide:

• Rare: 120-125F
• Medium Rare: 130-135F
• Medium: 140-145F
• Medium Well: 150-155F
• Well Done: 160-165

This is why a good instant read food thermometer is such an important tool to have for indoor and outdoor cooking alike.

Anyway. Here's a great recipe I use for grilled tri tip roast that's really simple.

Grilled Tri Tip Roast Recipe

Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 35 min

Total Time: 1 hour and 20 min

Ingredients:

• 2.5 - 3 lbs Tri Tip Roast
For Rub:
• 1 Tbls Koster Salt
• 1 Tbls Granulated Garlic
• 1 Tsp Granulated Onion
• 1 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tsp Oregano (optional)
• 1/4 Tsp Cumin (optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse your roast in cold water and season it generously with all of your rub.
2. Cover the roast and let it come to room temperature (approximately 35-45 minutes).
3. Next, get your grill ready by setting it up for 2 heat zones -- one side with charcoal for direct heat/searing and one side without charcoal for indirect heat/cooking.
4. On the side of your grill with charcoal, get the temperature up to about 425 degrees.
5. Sear your tri tip roast for about 3-5 minutes per side.
6. Next, place the roast on the side of your grill with the indirect heat and continue grilling it until it reaches your desired internal temperature.

I strongly suggest grilling your roast to medium rare. That means taking it off the grill when it reaches 130F. As it rests, the carry-over heat will cause the internal temperature of the roast to rise another 5F for the final temperature of 135F, which is medium rare perfection.

Important: Before cutting into your tri tip, be sure you've let it rest for a total of 10 minutes. This will allow the meat fibers to relax a bit and its juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more moist and tender. ALSO, when you do slice your roast, make sure to cut against the grain of the meat which will make it easier to chew.

Top of Tri Tip Roast

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Grilling pork chops is really quite simple - just follow a few basic steps

Asian-Style Pork Chops

Grilling pork chops that are moist, tender and delicious is a really simple and straightforward process. In fact, it's one of the easiest things you can do on a grill.

Unfortunately, many of us were taught that pork was safe to eat only if it was very well-done else you risked getting intestinal worms/trichinosis.

However, pork production has greatly improved over the decades and trichinosis has nearly been eliminated in domestic pigs. Hence, the USDA has lowered the recommended internal temperature of cooked pork from 160F to 145F. That's a big difference.

In fact, the National Pork Board states, "Because pork can often be overcooked, checking the internal temperature often will help prevent dry pork. Cook pork until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a three-minute rest time, and is a little pink inside."

Yes, "a little pink inside." For a lot of folks, that's gonna be hard to swallow - literally. I served smoked spare ribs at one backyard BBQ and a guy saw the pink smoke ring of the ribs and freaked out. "Are these ribs done?? I don't wanna get sick!", he exclaimed. I had to assure him that the ribs were thoroughly cooked. In hindsight I think I was a bit too convincing. Once he got that first rib under his belt he started inhaling them by the slab, it seemed. Any way...

The current recommended internal cooking temperature for pork is great for us consumers, especially when it comes to grilling pork chops. It helps ensure that our chops will be moist and tender.

Selecting Your Pork Chops

Pork is not graded the same as beef -- there are no Select, Choice and Prime grades. However, there are several different cuts of pork chops: sirloin chops, rib chops, blade chops, top loin chops, etc. All of these cuts can be cooked the same way. Your main concern would be if the pork chop is thick cut (3/4 inch or thicker) or thin cut (less than 3/4 inch), bone-in or boneless.

Grilling pork chops that are thick cut require more time on the grill over slightly less intense heat so that they can cook to the proper internal temperature without drying out. Thin cut pork chops are cooked quickly over high heat.

When it comes to grilling pork chops that are either bone-in or boneless, you retain a bit more moisture and gain some flavor with bone-in pork chops when compared to boneless.

Of course, not to be overlooked are stuffed pork chops, which are absolutely delicious. But we'll discuss those at another time.

Seasoning Your Pork Chops

Before grilling pork chops, there are basically three ways to enhance their flavor:

Dry Rub. A dry rub can be something as simple as salt and pepper or it can be a complex, custom blend of your own special herbs and spices.

Marinade. Grilling pork chops after a good marinade is another option. Marinating meat tenderizes it and adds flavor. And since marinades do not penetrate much below the surface of the meat, it is especially effective for flat and relatively thin cuts like pork chops.

Generally speaking, the longer you marinate something, the more pronounced the flavor. That's why most recipes suggest marinating your chops from several hours to overnight.

Brining. Brining helps meats draw in moisture and retain that moisture when cooked. Your most basic brine consists of water, salt and sugar. However, things like herbs, spices, onion and garlic or some other water soluble ingredients can be added to the brine for additional flavoring.

Like marinating, though, the effects of brining intensify with time. So while salt is a necessary component in the brining process, it's important not to over-brine your chops so that they aren't too salty. With a solution of 1 quart water, 3 tablespoons of Morton kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar, you can brine chops for 6 to 8 hours. Depending on your personal taste, you could brine your pork chops for up to 24 hours but definitely not beyond that.

In my experience, thick-cut pork chops benefit most from brining. You can certainly brine thin-cut chops as well, but I find them better suited for a good marinade since they can be cooked quickly, lessoning the chance of drying them out.

Really, though, the most important thing to remember when it comes to grilling pork chops is: Don't overcook 'em.

Grilling Pork Chops

As I mentioned earlier, grilling pork chops is very simple. The first thing you do is take your chops out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. This helps ensure your chops will cook evenly, especially if they're bone-in.

During this time, set-up your grill for two heat zones. This simply means having your hot coals in two layers on one side of your grill and a single layer on the other side. If you have a really small grill, you may want to have no coals at all on one side of your grill since the side without coals is still likely to be very hot.

Once the hot side of your grill reaches 450F, sear your chops directly over the coals for 2 minutes on each side. Next, move your coals to the other side of your grill and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 145F. This will take about another 3-4 minutes per side.

Once your chops are done, take them off the grill, cover them with aluminum foil and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Why? Well, when you first take meat off the grill the temperature continues to rise several degrees. But as it begins to cool a bit, the moisture in the meat begins to redistribute throughout the meat, making it juicier.

Below is a recipe for Asian-style pork chops. They have a sweet flavor similar to Chinese char siu.

Recipe for Asian-Style Pork Chops

Ingredients:
(Servings: 6 pork chops)

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4cup Mirin (Sweet rice wine)
2 tbls sesame oil
1 tbls Hoisin sauce
1 tbls kosher salt
1 tbls Siracha Hot Sauce
5 garlic cloves minced
2 tbls minced ginger
3 tbls sugar
1/3 cup onion minced
1/2 cup scallions

As you can see in the picture above, the pork chops are peppered with bits of ginger and garlic so we don't want the grill flaming hot, as this would burn the garlic bits and make them bitter. Also, the sugar in the marinade would cause the meat to burn.

Therefore, when grilling pork chops using this recipe you want about a 400F grill temperature. If your coals are at least 12-14 inches below your meat (my smoker has an adjustable charcoal grate) you can cook your chops directly above the coals. Otherwise, set-up your grill for two heat zones just as a precaution.

Next, just grill your chops for about 5-7 minutes per side. Once they're done, let them rest for another 5 minutes and you're ready to dig-in.

For a side dish (in addition to steamed rice), I took my wok and placed it over really hot coals in the firebox of my smoker and stir-fried some fresh vegetables. Awesome!

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