I make these tacos whenever I have leftover steak and especially tri tip. The salsa is very easy to make – use my Perfect Grilled Corn technique, dice up an avocado and a few other ingredients and let the flavors come together in the refrigerator.
This is an easy to prepare recipe for a party as well. The tri tip here is marinated with lime and cilantro and the seared on the grill and finished with indirect heat. Tri tip is big in rich beefy flavor that pairs really well with the charred sweet corn and creamy avocado. It is best if cooked rare to mid-rare and not cooked past medium. If no pink meat is your jam, you might want to select a different cut.
I generally will marinate the meat overnight and then pull it out of the fridge and season it an hour before I grill it. While the meat de-chillifying, I make the salsa so the flavors have a chance to meld. After grilling the tri tip, toast a bunch of tortillas while the meat rests and wrap them in foil to keep warm. Then slice up the meat, put out a bowl of the salsa, unwrap the tortillas and have at it!
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- Large handful cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, serrano, or fresno chile, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + more for grilling
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt + more for grilling
- 2 pounds tri tip trimmed
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- Corn or flour tortillas, for serving
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- For the salsa:
- 2 ears grilled yellow corn
- 1 Haas avocado, ½ inch dice
- 1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced (can us jarred)
- 1 jalapeño, serrano, or fresno chile, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- Juice from ½ to 1 lime
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Add the garlic, cilantro, chile, lime juice, oil, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt to a food processor and blitz to form a loose paste. Place the tri tip in a large zip-top bag and pour in the marinade; make sure the meat is completely coated. Squeeze the excess air from the bag, seal and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and as long as overnight.
- For the salsa: With a sharp knife cut the corn kernels off the cob and transfer to a bowl. Add the avocado, chilies, scallions, cilantro, and the juice of half a lime. Stir, taste and finish seasoning with salt, pepper and more lime juice, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and scrape away excess marinade. Season liberally with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for an hour to take the chill off the meat.
- Set up grill for both direct grilling over medium-high heat and also a zone for indirect heat. 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 grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 125°F to 130°F, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer meat to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile toast tortillas on the grill. Slice across the grain and then into strips. Serve immediately with a generous helping of salsa.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
