Marinated Tri-Tip Sandwiches

Finished tri-tip sandwich

This delicious dish is something of a west-coast specialty. It's nearly impossible to find a tri-tip roast on the east coast or in the Midwest. Boy, are they missing out! Plus, tri-tip is surprisingly easy to make. The meat requires very little seasoning to taste amazing -- just let the natural flavor of beef shine through.

I've had good luck with marinated tri-tip roasts in the past, so I went back to Winco and purchased about a 3 pound "garlic herb" marinated tri-tip. Last time I made one, my friends devoured it despite the fact that I had charred it too heavily.

Seasoned tri-tip, ready to grill

Once I cut the meat out of the wrapping, I applied a small amount of dry rub to it (just a personal preference). If you really wanted to go with a minimalist approach, you could just pat in a little McCormicks steak seasoning (available at pretty much any chain grocery store). But I digress...

Fire! Fire!

Rather than toss this lovely piece of meat on the smoker (usually reserved for less-than-ideal cuts), I decided to fire up the old-school Weber charcoal grill. But, instead of the usual "hot coals everywhere" setup, I rigged it for indirect heat -- basically hot coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other half as a cool-zone. When the coals had turned gray, I added the tri-tip to the cool zone and closed up the lid. My thermometer was registering about 325 degrees at grill level on the cooler side.

After 15 minutes I flipped the tri-tip over, keeping it on the cooler side. My Weber was still maintaining around 325 degrees, which seemed just right to me. All totaled, the meat got 30 minutes of grill-time at 325 degrees. Then, before I seared the meat, I checked the internal temperature and found it was about 130 degrees at the thickest point -- just about medium-rare.

Searing in the flavor and juices

I opened the grill up to let in some oxygen and really get the coals burning hot for my sear. It took just a few minutes, but the grill temperature kicked up to around 550 degrees. I moved the tri-tip over the hot-coal-side of the grill and let the meat sear for 3 minutes on each side to give it a nice char which is characteristic of any good tri-tip roast. After pulling the meat off of the grill, I checked the internal temperature and found it had climbed to 142 degrees -- just below medium, right where I wanted it.

Seared, sliced, and ready to rock!

So, inside I went to foil wrap the meat. I let it rest for about 10 minutes and began making thin slices across the grain. It was very juicy, tender, and very flavorful (any real BBQ aficionado can't help but taste test, and often). Then I grabbed the French sandwich buns I bought, added a few slices of provolone cheese, packed it full of tri-tip, and added a bit of my homemade BBQ sauce across the top. It was delicious and a total cinch to make! My folks said they wouldn't change a thing, and I have to agree. I would eat those sandwiches every day if I could afford it.