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We know Guy Fieri loves to grill. So when we asked the cooking superstar to name his favorite budget-friendly cut for grilling, his answer was instant: tri-tip.
“We’re known for it in California, especially — it’s called Santa Maria barbecue down in the central area of California,” says Fieri. “If you get a chance to do a tri-tip and you can cook it and you can get it to a nice medium-rare and cut it on the bias against the grain, I think it’s one of the best pieces of meat you could ever get. Go to your specialty butcher shop. Ask them for a piece of tri-tip. I promise you will wow everybody on your invite list.”
What is tri-tip?
As Fieri notes, tri-tip is sometimes called California cut or Santa Maria steak. The name refers to the triangular “tip” of beef that comes from the bottom of the sirloin (the top of the sirloin is known as top sirloin). This boneless cut is sold as a small roast (about 1½ to 2½ pounds), which includes the entire triangular cut, or it can be sliced for a tri-tip steak.
Where to buy tri-tip and good substitutes
Tri-tip is widely available on the West Coast, but harder to source elsewhere. “On a national scale, tri-tip is a fairly limited cut,” notes Josh Turka, owner of 5th Quarter Butcher Shop in Waitsfield, Vermont.
“Our beef tends to be a little bit smaller than a lot of the big Texas cattle that goes out — a cow that we bring in is usually about 700 pounds of meat and bones,” he explains. “Off of that, we will get maybe six or seven pounds of tri-tip. What happens nationally is a lot of that stuff just gets shipped out to California because there’s such a big demand for it [there].”
That’s the case only for grocery stores, however. “I’d encourage you to find your local whole animal butcher shop because they’ll be able to find anything you’re looking for,” says Turka.
If you’re on the East Coast, Turka suggests asking for steak tips, which are a term for the bottom part of the sirloin and may be sold as bavette steak or sirloin flap. These are usually sliced into individual steaks rather than sold whole as a roast. “I would say these are maybe even slightly more tender and may have a touch less fat marbled in,” he says. And if you’d prefer to grill a whole roast, picanha is also a great alternative, he adds.
How to cut tri-tip correctly
You can slice tri-tip into individual steaks before cooking, or cook it whole and slice afterwards. The grain runs in different directions, so it can be a little tricky to get it right. “Find those linear patterns that you see on the tri-tip and align your knife perpendicular to that,” says Turka. “You might find yourself rotating your knife at a 30 to 40 degree angle as you move from the middle towards the tail end [shown below].”
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How to grill tri-tip
“Tri-tip is incredibly versatile,” says Turka. “My personal favorite [method] is to grill it whole over indirect heat for about 30 minutes. When it hits a nice mid-rare (about 125°F) I move it directly over the coals to get a final browning. After a five to 10-minute rest, slice and serve.”
Fieri suggests seasoning tri-tip simply. “The great thing about tri-tip, it’s got so much great fat and connective tissue. Just the way the piece of meat is, salt and pepper will do great,” he says. “Liberally seasoning it with salt and really good fresh cracked black pepper, [but] you’ve got to get that salt right. I’m a Diamond Crystal guy. Not all salts are created equal. Some have a real high sodium level in ‘em, so you can’t go use table salt to do this. You’ll kill people,” he jokes. “It smokes really well. It’s served great cold in a sandwich. It served great hot, sliced thin. It plays well with others,” he adds.