Nick-Inspired Hunk of Beef

The Tri-Tip. This one goes out to Nick, who started making this during undergrad on our improvised charcoal grill (this was somewhere near the chicken coop, I believe). The cooking method doesn't seem to matter so much — it need only provide something close to charring on the outside. If the interior fails to scare off squeamish friends it has probably been overcooked. I couldn't exactly remember what went in the marinade and hence decided that I should simply preserve the general theme.

This large hunk of meat was supposed to have come from the grass-fed beef guy at the farmers' market, but there was a slight mix-up with procurement. Being up until 2:00 the previous morning feverishly trying to brew an all-grain batch of IPA (subject of another post), I begged Gael to snatch the roast early on before they were all accounted for. Beef transfer failed to occur in time, so I ended up picking up a surrogate. Staging a comparison between the two seems almost required: I can't wait to see how the pretentious beef fares.

I've opted to roast to an internal temperature of 135F in the oven — this can obviously be adapted to personal preference. A good cut should be fairly tender even at this level of done-ness. Letting the roast rest for a good 10 minutes or more before cutting can help it hold onto some of the extra juices instead of spewing them all over the cutting surface. Grilling would be preferable, but it was unseasonably cold in Southern California this week (read: 63).

I served this with some roasted pepper and quinoa, just because I had both of them lying around in fairly large quantities.

Marinated Tri-Tip

For the Roast

• 2-3 Lb. Tri-Tip Roast
• 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbs Sesame Oil
• 3 Bunches Scallions, Sliced Thin
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Smashed
• Several Grinds Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Chile Powder
• Water to Increase Marinade Volume

For the Roast Peppers

• Few Anaheim Peppers
• Few Bell Peppers

For the Quinoa

• 1 or So Cups Quinoa
• Twice as Much Water
• 1 Tbs-ish Butter
• 1/2 Tsp. Turmeric
• Seasoning

1. Add all of the ingredients but water to a large zip-top bag and insert the roast, work the marinade around and add enough water to ensure most of the meat is covered at all times. Massaging at this stage is suggested. Leave in fridge for at least an hour.
2. Broil peppers in oven, turning to all sides until skin is almost entirely blackened. Remove from oven and cover in a bowl to let steam for a few minutes. Skins and other undesirable parts should be easily removed. Slice for serving.
3. Set temp to 400F. Shake off excess marinade and place roast on rack in roasting pan to elevate. Cook for maybe 30-45 minutes, depending on desired done-ness. I chose 135F for the final internal temperature, ostensibly this is medium-rare.
4. Meanwhile, saute the quinoa in butter briefly until it gives off a faintly nutty smell. Add the water and season with turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes until water is gone.
5. Let the roast rest under foil tent for at least 10 or 15 minutes, then slice to serve.

NB: A digital thermometer is really indispensable here, especially one with a temperature alarm.

Tri-Tips come with a natural gradient in cross-sectional area, and as a result tend to range from medium-well to medium-rare as one progresses from the thinner to the thicker side. This is useful for the aforementioned skittish guest, though said guest should probably be kept away from the site of slicing just to be sure.

Thanks again to Nick for the inspiration — a good tri-tip can be found at Trader Joe's.