Santa Maria Tri Tip

1. Gather all the ingredients.

Prepare Sous Vide Method:

1. Preheat water to your desired temperature. For medium-rare, set to 135°F (57°C).

Prepare Grilling Method:

1. Stab the tri-tip with fork multiple times all over so the seasoning will be absorbed, you can skip this step for Sous Vide method.

Seasoning For Both Grilling & Sous Vide Method:

1. Freshly grind black pepper. Combine the garlic salt and black pepper (and parsley) in a small bowl.
2. Generously sprinkle the seasonings all over the tri-tip on both sides.

For Grilling Method:

1. Put the meat in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 10-12 hours. Preheat the grill to medium-high (400ºF/205ºC).
2. Remove the steak from the refrigerator until it’s room temperature. Grill each side over direct heat for 2 min to sear the steak, then move to indirect heat and grill for 10-15 min for each side depending on how thick the steak is. I recommend keeping the lid of the grill on during grilling to maintain consistent temperature.
3. When grilling is done, rest the steak for 5 min before slicing.

For Sous Vide Method:

1. This is the best part of sous vide cooking, no need to marinate the meat and wait. Create a bag with a vacuum sealer if you have one, otherwise you can use a temperature tolerant zip lock bag.
2. Put the seasoned meat in the bag, add the oil and the liquid smoke (for sous vide and gas grill). If you are using charcoal grill you can skip the liquid smoke.
3. Seal the top of the bag. Make sure you select “moisture” option if available for the vacuum sealer as we have the oil inside. Place the bag into the preheated water. A one-inch-thick steak will be ready to eat in 1 hour, the general rule is 1 inch per hour of cooking for steak.
4. The best part about sous vide is that it should never overcook, so it can be in the water for up to 6 hours without degrading quality as long as the water stays at the same temperature. After 6 hours the protein slowly breaks apart and the texture is not optimal.
5. When the tri-tip is almost done with sous vide cooking (2 hours for 2-inch steak), start heating up the grill to 400ºF (205ºC). When the grill is ready, pick up the bag and cut open the vacuum package.
6. If you are not planning to eat the meat immediately after sous vide cooking. Soak in iced water (½ ice and ½ water) for 30 minutes to chill, and then transfer to the refrigerator to store and enjoy later.
7. Sear the meat on both sides for 1 minute. For the sous vide method, you do not need to wait for the meat to sit, immediately slice the meat and enjoy.