Wednesday Summer Grilling: Tri~Tip

Someone once told me that Tri~Tip is a California thing...is that right?  I couldn't imagine living in some other state and not having it....It is soooo flavorful, and tender....as long as you cut it right!  I have had some bad Tri~Tip before (of course, not hubmeister's) and believe me, you wouldn't even wanna mop the floor with it.  It so easy to do right and we're gonna show you....

Follow along if you wanna die of happiness...

You will need:

1 Tri~Tip

Dry rub consisting of:
1/2 C. Paprika
1/4 C. Kosher salt
1 tsp. MSG (optional)
1 T. granulated garlic
1 T. black pepper
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. dried rosemary
1/2 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. celery seed
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. dried mustard
(This mixture will season 4 tri tips, so store the leftover in a container)

Mix the dry rub ingredients and rub the Tri~Tip all over.  Place in a Ziploc baggie and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours. 

Meanwhile, have you seen one of these?  Its a BBQ Chimney.  It totally eliminates the need for lighter fluid and gets the briquettes more evenly hot (Is evenly a word?  It looks weird)  Anyway, go buy one.... it will rock your world. 

This is what your meat will look like after its been basking in the marinade for a few

Slap that big dude on the HOT grill and throw on the cover.  Keep it on and don't touch it for 10 minutes

We have varying preferences in meat done-ness in our family, so total cook time will depend, but for a medium finish, cook another 8-10 minutes on this side

Now, here is the important part....Don't let your tri-tip rest.  Cut right into it. Make sure to use a plate so you can capture all the juices.  Start on an end, and cut across the grain at a sharp angle in verrrry thin slices

Look at the angle...Pay very close attention to the angle...

The angle is where it's at...Did I tell you the angle was important?

Thin, Thin, Thin...the meat, not your waistline

Now take all your thin, angled slices and throw them into a container that has a lid, like Tupperware, making sure to include all the juices. Cover with the lid and let it set for a few minutes.  Shake it up after a few minutes and then open up and serve

Enjoy!

I've gotten a few requests for the yummy looking side dish that goes along with this meal.  It is a broccoli casserole that I got out of a 30 year old local cookbook.  It is unbelievably good and I'm sure if your kids don't eat broccoli, they will eat this:

2 heads of broccoli, cut into little trees :)

1c. cream of mushroom soup (cup, not can)

1/2 c. mayo

1 T. lemon juice

1 cup  shredded cheddar cheese

1 c. crushed cheese crackers (I use cheezeits)

1/3c. sliced almonds

After cutting the broccoli, cook until just tender.  While that is cooking, combine all the other ingredients in a bowl.  Add the broccoli and incorporate in.  Pour into a greased 9x11 inch casserole dish.  Sprinkle with additional grated cheese to your liking.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  EAT!

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