Ground coffee, Ancho chile powder and spices not only give this juicy tri tip amazing flavor, but also a wonderfully dark crust that contrasts beautifully with the bright pink center. Set this down on the table, buffet, or in a sandwich and watch it disappear!
Tri tip is truly an original southern California cut of beef and up until recently, it was hard to find outside of SoCal. Luckily, the popularity of the cut has made it available pretty much everywhere. Tri-tip is a fairly lean cut and perfect for the Primal/Paleo crowd. It is best when cooked to rare to medium, so if you like your beef cooked any more than that, this probably isn’t the cut for you. Try not to cook beyond 135°F to 140°F or the meat becomes a little tough and unappetizing. If properly cooked, it is a succulent, juicy piece of beefy deliciousness. It can be roasted in the oven or broiled, but like so many foods, it really shines when grilled.
- For the rub:
- 2 tablespoons coffee
- 2 tablespoons Ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground allspice
- :
- 2½ to 3½ pound tri tip roast
- :
- Extras:
- Instant read thermometer
- Drip pan
- Mix together dry rub spices until combined. Rub with dry rub mixture completely coating the roast. Let set at room temperature for an hour (or two) until ready to grill or loosely cover with plastic wrap to cure in the refrigerator overnight.
- Set up grill for both direct grilling over medium-high heat and also a zone for indirect heat with a drip pan below the grate. Sear meat fat side up until well-marked and a little charred. Turn and repeat on the other side. Move to the indirect area, cover grill and and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130°F, about 30 minutes. Tri tip is best served rare to medium rare… medium should be your upper most limit of doneness; overcooking can dry the meat, leaving it tough and unappetizing.
- Transfer meat to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Thinly slice on the bias and across the grain. Serve immediately as is or make some amazing sandwiches!
Here are a couple other popular tri tip recipes:
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
Jeff
Sounds great and I love tri-tip! It’s gotten easier to find (or maybe we just have a good butcher).
Thanks, Anne! The spiced coffee rub has a nice little kick to it – perfect to warm up a snowy day! I hope all is well with you.
Cheers –
Jeff