Beef Tri-Tip and Baked Potato on the Big Green Egg

This is Santa Maria (Calif.) Style tri-tip. The crust is salty and smoky and peppery and garlicky. The technique is shared by Rich Miller, aka "Morrow Bay Rich," here is the original posting.

The rub is enough to make two three lb./ 1.4 kg tri-tip roasts.

Feeds four to six people.

Method
Indirect grilling, 350F to 400F / 177C to 204C

Ingredients

I adjusted some of the ingredients to tone the pepper heat down a bit, and I use a different mop sauce. Here's my version of the rub.

The Rub
1 teaspoon (5g) freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon (5g) cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon (5g) onion powder

4 tablespoons granulated garlic

1 tablespoon salt

Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl with your fingers, adjust to taste. . .

Basting Sauce (Mop Sauce)
The original recipe uses vinegar and oil, but since the oil can cause significant flashbacks when opening the lid, I do not use any oil in my mop sauces. Instead, I use the following:

Half can of root beer, non-diet. You can use any non-diet juice or soda you like

1 tablespoon tri-tip rub

Small splash of red wine vinegar, to taste

Mix the above for basting the meat.

Directions
Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the tri-tip roasts. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Meanwhile, set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to 350F to 400F / 177C to 204C. This will take between 30 and 45 minutes, enough time for the rub to infuse the meat.

Place the roasts on the grill. Start basting after about 20 to 30 minutes, and then every 10 or so minutes.

Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the roast at about 45 minutes. Aim for 126F to 130F / 52C to 54C degrees for medium-rare. This will take about one and a half hours or so. Actual times will vary depending on your cooking setup.

Remove tri-tip from the grill, cover it with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. Cut into thin strips against the grain.

In these pictures, I was working on a Maker Faire project and I missed the target temperature, so my roasts came out a little more well done than I like it. However, you can see a small smoke ring and it was delicious.

The Baked Potato
Baking potatoes on a barbecue is very easy, as the Naked Whiz, one of my BBQ heores, shares with us. The potatoes come out with a unique taste and texture. The baked potato is first brined, then rubbed with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with the tri-tip rub or your favorite spices.

Notice the new adapter I made for the grill. The grill grate is raised above the fire box, about five inches. It is a simple modification, using stainless steel bolts, fender washers and nuts. I cannot take credit for the raised grid, it also comes from the Naked Whiz.

Method
Indirect grilling with raised grid and pizza stone, 350F to 400F / 177C to 204C

Ingredients

Baking potatoes (I use Russet)

1/2 cup Kosher or sea salt

4 quarts / 3.8 l water

Extra virgin olive oil

Tri-tip rub or your favorite seasoning (you may want to start with nothing, see below)

Your favorite baked potato toppings. I like sour cream and salsa.

Directions
Dissolve the salt in a clean bucket of water, enough to cover your potatoes. I made five in this batch, this required about a gallon of water. Wash and scrub the potatoes, and dump them into the brine. Since I love to eat the potato skin, I make sure all traces of dirt are removed. Soak them for at least four hours.

Prepare the grill for indirect grilling, place the pizza stone onto the raised grate and preheat to 350F to 400F / 177C to 204C.

Remove the potatoes from the brine. Using a fork, poke some holes into each potato. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle them with the tri-tip rub, or your favorite seasonings. If you are making more than one or two, try several different flavorings, including nothing at all.

Place the potatoes onto the pizza stone. Roast them for about one and a half hours. Poke them with a skewer to check for doneness. Almost as easy as roasting corn on the cob!

I love having two cookers -- it increases the fun and efficiency!

About Wayne Yoshida
Wayne Yoshida is a technical writer and education advocate with sales management experience. Wayne currently works in the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) industry and has worked for a wide variety of high technology companies, including aerospace and defense,photonics, lasers and opto-mechanics, two-way radio,telecommunications and a non-profit, educational organization. His personal passion for electronics and Amateur Radio opened many doors to some very interesting personal and professional experiences. Working as a ham radio consultant for the NASA Johnson Space Center during Space Shuttle mission STS-9 is his most memorable experience. Connect with him on LinkedInandbeBee, and for a look into his personal passions, follow his blog.