Smoked Tri Tip, as seen on Food Network's Symon's Dinners Cooking Out, Season 5.
Recipe courtesy of Michael Symon

Smoked Tri Tip

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 1 hr 30 min
  • Active: 20 min
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Tri tip is a great inexpensive cut to smoke but hasn’t gotten the love it deserves outside of California. It’s a leaner cut, so I recommend cooking it to 125 to 130 degrees F at its thickest point and not past 135 degrees F. Then wrap it tightly in butcher paper to rest for 15 minutes. Make sure you slice the steak against the grain when serving.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Prepare a charcoal grill using the snake method: Stack the unlit charcoal briquettes around the perimeter of the grill, about halfway around, leaning each briquette on the next at a 45-degree angle. Light the first few briquettes at one end so the snake begins to burn slowly. This results in a controlled heat; aim to have it at 275 to 325 degrees F. If the temperature gets too hot, close the airflow of the grill; if the temperature cools down, open the airflow of the grill.
  2. Season the tri tip with the salt and black pepper, then lather the yellow mustard over it. Mix together the paprika, coriander and ground mustard in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the tri tip.
  3. Place the tri tip away from the coals and close the lid. Cook until the thickest part of the tri tip reaches an internal temperature of 125 to 135 degrees F, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the heat and wrap tightly in butcher paper to rest for 15 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve.

Cook’s Note

I like to serve this with a drizzle of the cranch (Caesar-ranch) dressing I make for my Grilled Avocado Salad with Cranch Dressing.