Acclaimed Oakland pitmaster Matt Horn is sharing his secret for juicy tri-tip: Treat it like brisket.
The chef-owner behind West Oakland’s Horn Barbecue, a 2022 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant, suggests using a rub made of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano and a clean, oxygen-rich fire to elevate the lean, chewy cut.
This recipe, featured in Horn’s new cookbook, “Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ” (Harvard Common Press, $30), calls for a 3- to 5-pound tri-tip steak that is smoked for 20 to 25 minutes then wrapped in aluminum foil and left to rest for another 20 minutes.
The result is a tender, smoked steak that Horn likes to slice and serve on a family-style platter.
Smoked Tri Tip
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 (3- to 5-pound) tri-tip steak
Olive oil, for the steak
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the smoker to 300 degrees. Make sure you are burning a clean oxygen-rich fire.
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano until well blended.
Trim any loose fat from the tri-tip. Rub the meat with olive oil and evenly apply the rub on all sides.
Place the tri-tip in the smoker and smoke for 20 to 25 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees, checking it periodically. Once done, remove the meat from the smoker, wrap it in aluminum foil and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Unwrap the meat and slice it against the grain to serve.
— From Matt Horn’s “Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ” (Harvard Common Press; $30)
