Speckle Park Cook Book Glossary

Sirloin

Tri-tip

Tri-tip is a triangular roast from the bottom sirloin, usually weighing 700 g to 1.2 kg (1½ to 2½ lb). It is lean but deeply flavoured and tender when cooked to medium-rare and sliced properly.

It is closely associated with Santa Maria, California, where it is cooked over red oak and served with pinto beans and salsa. Outside the American West it can be hard to find, so ask a butcher for the bottom sirloin triangle, sometimes labelled a triangle roast.

Leave a thin layer of fat on one side, and trim any silvery membrane from the surface so the seasoning can reach the meat.

Techniques

Tri-tip can be grilled whole over indirect heat, smoked at 120°C (250°F) or roasted in an oven. A good plan is the reverse sear: cook gently until 50°C (120°F) in the centre, then sear on all sides for crust.

The tricky part is carving. Two muscles with different fibre directions meet in this cut, and the grain changes about midway along the roast. Cut the roast in half where the fibres change, then slice each half against the grain in thin pieces.

Rest it for ten minutes first. A simple rub of salt, black pepper and garlic is traditional, and a dry brine the day before improves both flavour and juiciness.

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