Yea I agree with you on the stick burners having a hard time keeping even temps. But if your goal is even temps you would love the stoker box I have. It will cycle the fan on and off controlling the pit temp to within a 1/10th of a degree. You can set your low alarm as tight as you want to your desired pit temp (I cook at 250 for ribs, butts, and brisket, and 275-300 for tri tips and chicken) and it will let you know if the fan can't keep up with the fuel. And the best part is if you hook it up to a Ethernet connection you can look at the data of you cook, and set Twitter alarms that will come to your phone so you can be far away fom the pit (hell even at the store, you could just call back to somebody to throw another log on, lol).

It really makes life easy for watching football or even really long cooks like butts and brisket.

 

It's almost a mortal sin against god to cook a tri-tip in anything but direct heat


I grew up in Santa Barbara/Santa Maria, home of the tri-tip so I am kinda spoiled.

 

this is so cool! where can i get more info on this piece? wonder if it would work with some generic bbq grill you get like from home depot or something...

i don't have anything fancy like you guys... just this little thing...

 

I'm confused, how is that different than the 3 legged traditional grill?

We have a gas and a charcoal, but I only use the gas because I hate starting coals for one burger or a couple of hot dogs.

 

Well that's where we will have to agree to disagree, lol I think the only way to cook. Tritip is indirect heat with a quick sear at the end. Here is my way to cook a tritip that gives me the best results after cooking a tritip for years over direct heat. This method will have a nice smoke ring and VERY tender (basically fork tender) and very juicey.

I start with a tritip untrimmed and literally look for the most fat styrations on the non fat cap side. I then inject the tri tip with Cajun injectors terriaki honey injecion every 1/4" or so. Then I rub it with butchers BBQ honey rub (has won several awards) and let the rub sweat into the meat in the fridge. I get the smoker ready with a mix of coal, oak, and apple wood to 275*. I put the tritip on near the temp sensor fat cap up and cook it to a internal temp of 140* and put it right next to the firebox and let the roaring flame hit it on each side for. Minute. Then I wrap it in foil and let it sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes but it will hold hot for an hour or so. I usually let it sit till I'm ready to cut it and I cut it against the grain (usually at the point towards to main cut).

Next one I do I'll take pics and post them.

 

The stoker will work with any coal pit. My buddy has the same pit as you and has great results as well. He uses the two metal coal holders to the side and it smokes ribs and everything very well. Do you use the metal seperator things?

http://www.rocksbarbque.com/ here is the stoker website check it out.

 

Mine goes a lot different...

First I only buy untrimmed tri-tip with all the fat on it still, it MUST have the the thick fat along one side. Next it goes into a vacuum seal bag along with my special marinade for 4-12 hours, this helps break down the connective tissues without violating the meat with a injector. Once it comes out, it sits on a rack over the sink for one hour to come up to room temp, First blip it hit a hyper hot grill as low to the flames as possible on the fat side for 60 seconds, then flip it, and let it sear hot for another 60 seconds. Up it comes as high from the flames/coals as you can get, for the rest of its cook time. Always pull it bloody, and let it rest for 20 minutes with its brothers in a steel tub covered with three(3) layers of foil.

anyone who wants their meat anything but pink and good, can go slap their slices on the grill for a bit, but, IMHO anything but rare/medium rare, is ruined meat.

 

WOW almost exactly the way I do mine only reversed. I cross sear first for a minute each side, the theory is locking in the juices. then put it away from the heat for the smoke at about 275. let it cook untill I get internals of 140 to 150 then I take off and let it sit. I never cut the meat while its on the grill and only cut right before consumption.

I like your idea for the marinade/rub.

I might try your way see how it comes out, but deffinately agree never direct heat on a tri tip.

Thats the difference between BBQ and grilling, and tri tip should always be BBQ'd

 

it just has a table, and charcoal pin, and a gas starter thing to make things much easier. my in-law has the traditional 3 legged one... i have to say, i LOVE mine...

 

i have them but have never used them... i am your lite the thing and slap some meat on kinda guy... I don't know jack about bbq other than charcoal, fire, meat.... LOL!

thanks for the link, i'll check it out!

 

Yea I like your attention to detail Overbear, and I'm sure yours turns out with very good results. I might try and do it that way to change it up sometime.

But shayhan, If you have a Kinders near you they carry the Cajun Injector marrinades. I have experimented with making my own and I really like the consistency of the purchased marrinades.

I really like doing tritips, they are fast (even at low temps) and they feed allot of people for the price. I see you have taken it off at 150, and I have tried experimenting with that too with pretty good results but most of the folks like the meat a little pink. And at 150+ resting it wasn't very pink when sliced. Hell I have even tried cooking one like a brisket, till 195 internal temp and let me tell you, it was horrible, lol. I geuss there is just not enough fat to make it tender like a brisket. And while we are talking about brisket, if you haven't tried doing one you need to try. Keeping the same kind of principals as you already use on the tritips and cooking it till 195-205 internal temp. It's the BBQ gods gift to us, lol.

 

I actually have not mastered the brisket yet I think im too inpatient. I did however get someone from kinders to give me the ball tip recipie and have done that with great success. I think im definately going to have to look into this whole convection wizardry with the twitter update on how my meat is doing.

I want to do a turkey this thanksgiving. LOL we should run a tri tip stand at BAM. eff the chili cookoff do a tri tip cook off.....