until medium-rare No low-and-slow smoking, no breakdown of connective tissue (which, actually, tri-tip is very low in), no fancy barbecue sauces Just seasoned beef, grilled, sliced, and served with a bowl of native pinquito beans, a tomato salsa, and buttery garlic bread Sounds pretty darn good to me Also sold as: Santa Maria steak; Newport steak (when cut into individual steaks); aguillote baronne (France); punta de anca, punta de Solomo, or colita de cuadril (Latin America); maminha (Brazil) Where it’s cut from : The bottom sirloin, from the muscle group that controls the steer’s back legs (it is the muscle that applies force to the steer’s kneecaps) Shopping: There’s not much to watch out for here—tri-tips are pretty consistent If you have a choice between Prime and Choice grades, I’d go with Prime—this is a case where you’re going to want all the fat you can get, because tri-tip is a generally lean cut that is prone to drying out Trimming: A tri-tip should need no trimming, but if there is any silverskin on the surface, use a thin sharp knife to remove it Cooking: Tri-tip is not huge on beef flavor or fat, so it’s a generally good idea to season it generously or serve it with a flavorful sauce It has a tapered shape that makes it cook unevenly If you have diners who prefer more-well-done meat, give them slices from the thinner, tapered end Traditional Santa Maria–style barbecue calls for salt, black pepper, and perhaps a bit of garlic rubbed onto the meat before cooking Personally, I like a somewhat heartier spice rub with paprika, a bit of cumin, cayenne, and some brown sugar The flavor really helps boost the meat when sliced and served Just as when cooking a big fat steak, the key to even cooking, juicy meat, and a nice crust is to start the sucker over the cooler side of the grill with the lid on (you can add some soaked wood chunks to the coals—tri-tip takes well to smoke) and cook it to within to 10 degrees of its target pull temperature (which is degrees lower than its target final temperature) For medium-rare, that’s about 115° to 120°F After that, slide it on over to the hot side and cook it until nicely charred all around ... sliced and served Just as when cooking a big fat steak, the key to even cooking, juicy meat, and a nice crust is to start the sucker over the cooler side of the grill with the lid on (you can add some soaked wood chunks to the coals—tri-tip takes well to... garlic rubbed onto the meat before cooking Personally, I like a somewhat heartier spice rub with paprika, a bit of cumin, cayenne, and some brown sugar The flavor really helps boost the meat when... over the cooler side of the grill with the lid on (you can add some soaked wood chunks to the coals—tri-tip takes well to smoke) and cook it to within to 10 degrees of its target pull temperature (which is degrees lower than its target final