Thanks. The only ingredients I don't have on hand are the tomatoes and the chop-o-matic and I suspect I can easily obtain the former and use modern technology for the latter. Thanks for the suggestion of making it earlier in the day, too, something that might not have occured to me. On the menu with the roast chicken tomorrow.

I don't have room in my freezer for the Costco size pack (too many Costco ribs in there already!) So, if anyone is in my boat, be advised that I picked up a tri-tip at Produce World on Cumberland and Lawrence for $3.75 lb. Cooked it last night in the oven, simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked with potatos, carrots, onions and fennel in the roasting pan. Fantastic--a great cut of beef at a great price. I pulled it from the oven when the temp hit 140, and let it rest for 10 minutes--still rare inside--without being bloody--and a nice crust on the outside.

Hi,

I was at Costco last night and kept remembering all the praises for the Tri-tip. I bought them fresh, not in the Cryovac for $4.79 per pound, which was 7 tips for almost 4 pounds. I have this feeling I made a mistake from reading earlier posts.

I think I have uncovered the reason for Gary always wearing black: you can grill or BBQ and still wear your clothes to the table. From my somewhat light activity today, I am already a bit sooty.

Regards,

The "fresh" cut, if I'm thinking correctly, is the same piece of meat cut into more of a steak shape, instead of the triangle or kidney shape you can see in my photo, for instance. (Note that the cryovac'd triangles are not frozen, they're fresh too, just packed differently.)

Considering that tri-tip aka London Broil was something like $9/lb. at Paulina, albeit trimmed a bit more carefully (indeed quite thoroughly), $4.79 is nothing to complain about. The only issue is that given the thinner shape, they will cook more like a steak, so be careful about that.

Cathy2 wrote:I was at Costco last night and kept remembering all the praises for the Tri-tip. I bought them fresh, not in the Cryovac for $4.79 per pound, which was 7 tips for almost 4 pounds. I have this feeling I made a mistake from reading earlier posts.

Cathy,

Were they strips about 12-inches long and (maybe) 1-inch in diameter? If so you bought tri-tip cut up, not exactly what we are talking about, but delicious nonetheless.

Cathy2 wrote:I think I have uncovered the reason for Gary always wearing black: you can grill or BBQ and still wear your clothes to the table. From my somewhat light activity today, I am already a bit sooty.

Geeesh, give away all my secrets why don't cha. Truth be told I usually take a shower anyway.

One thing I've learned over the years is after a long smoking session if I wish to actually taste the food, especially wood smoke in the meat, I need to change out of my smoke filled clothes, take a shower and blow my nose.

Even then smoke flavor in the meat is much clearer the next day. Or, best of all, when someone else is doing the BBQ cookery.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary wrote:Were they strips about 12-inches long and (maybe) 1-inch in diameter? If so you bought tri-tip cut up, not exactly what we are talking about, but delicious nonetheless.

Yes, that sounds about right. I guess from this size and shape, I sear them on the grill then put them on the side to finish cooking, right?

Do you want to have a Stupid-Cathy2-Trick for your collection? Last night, I marinaded salmon for a smoke cook today. I did everything right except put water into the pan. So just by proximity I had an indirect heat cook but not the low heat which the water pan filled helps regulate. So we had crunchy salmon with our salad today. As Gary has commented before, "In BBQ you eat your mistakes." Not surprisingly, my Dad who likes crunchy textures liked the salmon. Another plus by eating your mistakes, you are less likely to repeat.

Cathy2, those strips cook rather quick, I would say just cook them direct as any indirect time will probably just cook them to well-done. And well-done sucks.
Jamie

Mike G wrote:Considering that tri-tip aka London Broil was something like $9/lb. at Paulina, albeit trimmed a bit more carefully (indeed quite thoroughly), $4.79 is nothing to complain about. The only issue is that given the thinner shape, they will cook more like a steak, so be careful about that.

London Broil- In my Steven Raichlen book, he says London Broil is not a cut of meat, but a specific preparation that various cuts benefit from... fwiw.

Bought some tri-tips from costco last night, hope to give them some parallel marks tonight

ab

I think Paulina is selling "the piece of meat that you make a London Broil from" as "London broil." In any case, it was clearly the exact same cut.

Hi,

I found myself home alone for dinner this evening. I thought I would crack open the Tri-Tips to see what they were like. It was already after dark and grilling for one didn't seem very attractive. So I cooked the meat in my small 5-inch diameter cast iron pan.

I first heated up my pan, then put in some oil and a bit of butter for flavor. I seared it on both sides, then turned off the heat and walked away for a few minutes to allow the residual heat to finish cooking. When I returned, I had a medium rare steak swimming in more fat than I had started originally.

This was really quite a full flavored steak, which I now understand all the raves. Thanks again for all the enthusiastic comments as Tri Tip was never really on my steak radar before.

Regards,

Cathy2,
I never knew tri tips as a steak , I always thought it was a roast. it sounds great. Was it tender and what type of steak would you compare it to, flank, strip,? I see more restaurants have hanger steak on there menu, maybe now will be seeing grilled tri tip.

Hi Kim,

I wasn't sure of the answer until consulting just now Texas Beef website. Tri-Tip Steak is considered a form of Sirloin Steak.

And two months later I answer...

Regards,

The tri-tips that I have always had at BBQs in SoCal have always looked like a 2-3# roasts. It is part of the bottom sirloin. I have rarely seen this cut in the midwest, except at Costco and Trader Joe's both of which have significant presence in SoCal.

Look below for a reliable recipe from Melinda Lee of KNX-AM Los Angeles.

http://www.melindalee.com/tritiproast.html

Hope this untimely answer helps.

jlawrence01 wrote:The tri-tips that I have always had at BBQs in SoCal have always looked like a 2-3# roasts. It is part of the bottom sirloin. I have rarely seen this cut in the midwest, except at Costco and Trader Joe's both of which have significant presence in SoCal.

I purchased a pre-marinated cryovac'd tri-tip from devon ave meats for about $6/lb a few days ago. Haven't cooked it up yet.

Expect to see tri tip showing up more and more in the area, I'd say. It's a good way for a butcher to get rid of a cut of meat (bottom sirloin) that is falling out of favor.

Butt steaks, one of my favorite cuts, are cut from the top sirloin. You can cut them such that you get a big 3" cube of meat, perfect for crust formation with a medium rare center. But it's rare that you'll see this..

anyway.

-ed

$6/lb, that seems pretty steep.

I think that most stores are trying to simplify the types of cuts tehy have in their case as people generally are pretty limited in their knowledge of the various cuts. I will admit that until I relocated here, I had never experienced a skirt steak.

Top butt steaks were on my menu all teh time twenty years ago. It can be a nice cut if prepared properly.

jlawrence01 wrote:$6/lb, that seems pretty steep.

I think that most stores are trying to simplify the types of cuts tehy have in their case as people generally are pretty limited in their knowledge of the various cuts. I will admit that until I relocated here, I had never experienced a skirt steak.

Top butt steaks were on my menu all teh time twenty years ago. It can be a nice cut if prepared properly.

Oh, it was steep indeed, but less than the $9 at paulina, and I was picking up some prime bone-in ribeye for $10/lb, so I think it balanced out.

My general steak for a weekday quick meal is skirt steak, which goes for $2.69/lb when it's not on sale ($1.89 when it is) at my local carniceria, USDA choice. Season it and cook it quickly on each side in a very hot cast iron pan, serve with a salsa of some sort, and I'm extremely happy.

-ed

$9 a lb?!?!?

What do they do, message the steers?? Feed them by hand.

When I see the disconnect between CONSUMER prices and the PRODUCER prices (which happens when I complete the farm's income tax returns), I start to wonder why there is not more direct marketing between producers to the consumers.

When I lived in the Elyria/Lorain, OH area, a lot of my employees' kids raised 4-H. Since my company was committed to buying five or six hoofed animals and a flock of chickens, we would get together with 4-H kids to raise their beef to our specifications (all grain, etc.) and we would get a lot of good beef. (or in reality, the execs would take the better cuts and I would buy much of the braising parts and the bones for stock.

Of course, we had relationships with the meat processors and all that good stuff.

jlawrence01 wrote:$9 a lb?!?!?

What do they do, message the steers?? Feed them by hand.

I didn't personally witness the $9/lb, that's the figure mike reported:

Mike G wrote:Considering that tri-tip aka London Broil was something like $9/lb. at Paulina, albeit trimmed a bit more carefully (indeed quite thoroughly), $4.79 is nothing to complain about. The only issue is that given the thinner shape, they will cook more like a steak, so be careful about that.

Today, I was checking out rib roasts for Christmas and noticed the cryovac label indicated it expired today. I inquired with the butcher what do they do with expiring meat. I learned they usually pull the cryovac meat one day before it expires. They break open the pack, then cut it up into smaller roasts or ribeye steaks, where they are laid out for 3 days. If not sold by day 3, they will then grind this meat into hamburger.

He did indicate I could buy the cryovac rib roast and despite the expiration being today, it would be still good for another 2 weeks.

A quick video lesson on cooking tri-tip in the Santa Maria-style, with professional barbecue chef, Billy Ruiz*.

Erik M.


* Sheesh. What a corn ball.

HI,

Check out Billy Ruiz website where he begins with the obvious question:

Billy Ruiz wrote:"I will answer your first three questions:

Yes it is real.
It is 22 inches long.
I don't know what it does when I'm asleep."

What a guy!

Tri-tip alert... after a tri-tip drought of some weeks I saw them at the Damen/Clybourn Costco today... pick a package up and then get your vacuum sealer and you're all set...

You know where you can always find fresh tri-tips? Treasure Island - they had a whole herd at the Wilmette store today. I pick one up at least once a month, and more often during the summer, as they are so fast to grill up....over mesquite....to be sliced up and served with pico de gallo and frijoles borrachos and flour tortillas....mmmmmmmmmmm....

They are usually about eight bucks a pound for choice (TI doesn't sell "select," go bless them), but I've gotten them on sale for as little as four bucks. Remember is there no waste at all on these things - no bones, no chunks of extaneous fat, nothing. The leftovers, should there be any, are good sliced up while warm and added to a marinade comprising lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, garlic chile paste to taste, a little palm sugar, and some really finely minced shallot. Stick in the frige, and you have tomorrow's lunch on ice: am instant Thai beef salad that will really get your motor running. Much, MUCH better than leftover steak.

*writes "tri-tip" on TI grocery list*

Well, I guess on sale then that would compare well to the Costco ones, which are around $4/lb. and only semi-trimmed (not that there's too much waste on 'em). But at full price it would still be significantly more than the Costco ones. Anyway, Costco's convenient if you have access to the vacuum sealer (thanks Gary!) and it's nice to keep 3-4 sealed in the freezer, and be able to readily pull one out the day before to thaw for cooking.

I know we're all afraid to refer to Voldimort -- sorry, I meant -- fla* meat -- by its name, lest anyone in the Chicago area actually find it and buy it all up...

But here's the thing: some website searching persuades me that what we're calling fla* meat is what French butchers call a coulette cut ..

Which is what west-of-the-Mississippians call.. a tri-tip?

Do you think this is true? Can I just pay a visit to a Western state and drive home with a giant cooler full of tri-tip and drive you all crazy with fla*-meat-envy?

And by the way, why can't we get tri-tip here? Okay, so our grilling season is shorter, but we do grill...

Katie wrote:Okay, so our grilling season is shorter, but we do grill...

I don't know about you, but my grilling season is 365 days a year. I had to clear almost a foot of snow off the thing a couple days ago, but was grilling a couple steaks the day after Christmas.

Katie wrote:Which is what west-of-the-Mississippians call.. a tri-tip?

Do you think this is true? Can I just pay a visit to a Western state and drive home with a giant cooler full of tri-tip and drive you all crazy with fla*-meat-envy?

And by the way, why can't we get tri-tip here? Okay, so our grilling season is shorter, but we do grill...

French cuts and american cuts are different, so it's possible that the french cut contains either pieces or all of both tri-tip and flap meat. Tri-tip and flap are next to each other, both part of the bottom sirloin, but are separate cuts.

Here's an image from the internets showing the cuts relative to each other:



Anyway, you can get tri-tip at Costco in cryovac. The non-cryovac'd has been cut up already, and isn't quite the same. The tri-tip in cryovac at costco, though, is the same as what you'd get on the west coast. It just needs a trim and you're ready to go.

I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to find whole tri tip at Costco, and haven't been able to at either Niles or Lincoln Park. Is there a ideal time to go when they have it out? Is there any other places where I can find tri tip? I was visiting friends in SF this past weekend and grill/roasted a tri tip roast purchased at their nearby Safeway. The store had quite a bunch out in stock.

Thanks!!

Trader Joe's has a pre marinated tri-tip. I grill it and it is used for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. It is one of the favorite meals for myteen boys

JoelM wrote:I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to find whole tri tip at Costco, and haven't been able to at either Niles or Lincoln Park. Is there a ideal time to go when they have it out? Is there any other places where I can find tri tip? I was visiting friends in SF this past weekend and grill/roasted a tri tip roast purchased at their nearby Safeway. The store had quite a bunch out in stock.

Thanks!!

Have you asked the guys in the back? If I don't see it I usually just ask them. Most times they bring one out for me, though there are times when they just don't have any. I need a refill so call the Clybourn store and report back please