Tri tip steaks

[ForceTen]

I'm originally from California, and being a transplant to the Midwest, I miss having tri tip steaks. In searching for it around here, none of the local butchers or meat markets know about it as it's mostly a left coast cut as I understand it.

Is anyone familiar enough with it on where it's from on the cow, how to cut it and any other pertinent info I can give to a local butcher? Last time I was out in CA (2008 when my aunt passed away), was the last time I've had it. Now, I'm starting to crave one again...


I posted here as I've only known it to be a grilled cut. not something one would bake or broil in a conventional oven.


Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[rkalem]

You made me very curious so I looked it up on ABOUT.COM.Search beef tri tip and there is a detailed article on it and where can you buy it.I think I will ask my butcher to cut me some.Sounds very interesting....Thanks.

[ForceTen]

Excellent! Thanks for tracking the information down for me.

Here's some key information for those who are interested:

• It is the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of meat that sits at the bottom of the sirloin
• The tri-tip steak is cut from the tri-tip roast. The tri-tip roast is a triangular section of the sirloin primal and comes from the point where the sirloin meets the round and flank primals
• It is a very lean cut of beef. Leaner than most others.
• Extremely flavorful.
  

One of the pages that came up in the search was a recipe on how to cook it:
Grilled Santa Maria Tri-Tip Recipe


Next time we put our order in for a 1/4 cow, I'll pass the cut information along to the butcher.

[Dirk2112]

A butcher that doesn't know what a tri tip is ?????????????????????????????????

not my kinda butcher.....

Dirk

[Chase David]

It has an appearance of a rib-eye. Looks tastey and juicy.

[dkoozie]

I believe that tri-tips are also called "bottom sirloins". Sort of like a flank steak in taste, but more tender and without the cross-grain.

[Flazer]

Yeah, tri-tip is more of a West Coast thing, but damn delicious. LIke people said above, it's the bottom of the sirloin cut, which is not considered very good, but hey...it's usually cheap and it's tasty...also try London Broil

[HardwareGrl]

(04-24-2010 06:05 AM)ForceTen Wrote:  Excellent! Thanks for tracking the information down for me.

Here's some key information for those who are interested:

• It is the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of meat that sits at the bottom of the sirloin
• The tri-tip steak is cut from the tri-tip roast. The tri-tip roast is a triangular section of the sirloin primal and comes from the point where the sirloin meets the round and flank primals
• It is a very lean cut of beef. Leaner than most others.
• Extremely flavorful.
  

One of the pages that came up in the search was a recipe on how to cook it:
Grilled Santa Maria Tri-Tip Recipe


Next time we put our order in for a 1/4 cow, I'll pass the cut information along to the butcher.

I wanted to knock this thread back up to the top for a 2 great reasons...
1. Summer isn't over yet, so you still have time to try to grill a tri-tip if you can find one.
2. The Santa Maria recipe is WONDERFUL! Do yourself a favor and try it! If not on Tri-tip another cut of beef, but do try it!

[JrGtr42]

When my brother lived outside Chicago (southwest, near joliet) we used to get the tri-tips when we were out there. I do occasionally see them here in Massachusetts, but only at a real butcher shop, not the supermarket.
I do remeber it being a very good cut, though I normally prefer well-marinated sirloin tips.

[knitterbookbinder]

Bottom sirloin is pretty common in western Canadian grocery stores: never knew it had another name!