Smoked Tri-Tip
- By Tom Jackson
- Sep 4, 2020
Chef Tom fires up the Kamado Joe charcoal grill & smokes a Creekstone Farms prime tri-tip roast, brisket style, for a smoked tri-tip chopped beef sandwich.
Chef Tom fires up the Kamado Joe charcoal grill & smokes a Creekstone Farms prime tri-tip roast, brisket style, for a smoked tri-tip chopped beef sandwich.
Yields 4 burgers
For the fries:
For the poutine gravy:
Place a Lodge 5 Quart Dutch Oven on the infrared side burner of the Napoleon Prestige P500RSIB-3, and preheat one quart of oil to 375ºF.
Spiral cut you potatoes, or julienne (matchsticks). Rinse then dry. When the potatoes are dry, carefully place them into the hot oil, working in batches, so as not to overcrowd. Overcrowding can lead to the oil bubbling over. Cook the fries just until golden brown, about one minute. Remove from the oil with a spider or slotted spoon. Transfer to a paper towel lined bowl. Season immediately with Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt. Repeat with the remaining fries.
Preheat the grill for high heat direct grilling on one halt (burners on high), and indirect heat on the other half (burners off). Stabilize the grill at about 450ºF-500ºF.
Mix the burgers. Combine the ground beef, two ounces of cheese curds and Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning. Mix well and divide into four (1/3 lb) patties. Rest in the refrigerator while you make the poutine gravy.
Place a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet on the side burner of the Napoleon. Preheat over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until browned. Slide the skillet off of the heat and add the garlic, thyme and whiskey. Stir and then return to the burner. Allow the whiskey to reduce down until almost gone. Add the butter and stir to melt. Add the flour and stir to toast. Stir constantly until blonde in color. Slowly whisk in the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened. Add the heavy cream and season with salt to taste. Turn off the heat. Cover with a lid to keep warm.
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Grill the burgers over direct heat until slightly charred. Flip and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 155ºF, moving the burgers to indirect heat to finish, as needed. Total cook time about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the thyme sprigs from the gravy. Add the remaining 4 oz of cheese curds to the poutine.
To build the Poutine Burger, start by spreading Kozlik’s Amazing Maple Mustard on the bottom bun. Top with lettuce and tomato. Place the burger patty on the tomato, topped with the pickles, fries, poutine gravy and top bun.
6 servings
For the crema:
Place the flank steak in a plastic zip-top container and add the Sweetwater Spice Ancho Chipotle Brisket Bath and water. Squeeze the air out of the bag and massage the marinade into the meat. Let soak for 30-60 minutes.
Build a hot charcoal bed banked to one half of your Kamado Joe Classic II. Set up the grill for direct grilling, with a regular grate set on the lowest setting of the divide and conquer system, directly over the charcoal and a half moon cast iron griddle set on the highest setting of the divide and conquer system, on the opposite side. Stabilize the temperature around 450ºF. Place a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet on the grill to preheat.
To make the crema, combine the sour cream Flavolcano Smoky Red Pepper Hot Sauce and Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning in a small container and mix well to combine.
Remove the flank steak from the marinade. Wipe off excess moisture from the surface. Season with Killer Hogs TX Brisket Rub.
Transfer the steak to the direct side of the grill. Grill until lightly charred on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 125º-130ºF in the center. Remove from the grill. Rest a few minutes before liking thin across the grain.
At the same time that you start grilling the steak, place the finely minced bacon in the cast iron skillet, cooking until browned and the fat is rendered out. When the bacon starts to brown, pour off all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease. Add the diced onions and cook until the begin to appear translucent. Add the 505 Hatch Valley Flame Roasted Chiles and cook to warm though.
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On the half moon cast iron griddle, add some Colonial Chile Infused Oil to coat the surface. Crack an egg on the surface and cook sunny side up or over medium. Place a tortilla on the griddle next to the egg and top with a couple of ounces of cheese. While the egg cooks, add the toppings to the cheesy tortilla, starting with the bacon/onion/pepper mixture, then the thin sliced flank steak, the egg, cotija cheese and top it all off with the crema.
Repeat the process of cooking the eggs and assembling the breakfast tacos, one after another.
For the compound butter:
To make the compound butter, combine the room temperature butter, minced garlic, Killer Hogs Hot Sauce, lemon zest, Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt and black pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
Transfer the compound butter mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap, roughly in the shape of a stick of butter. Roll the plastic around the butter, forming a log shape. Tighten the ends of the plastic and roll the butter into a tight log. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least one hour.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 450ºF set up for direct grilling with GrillGrate panels in place over the fire box.
Pat the surfaces of the strip steaks dry with towels. Apply a thin layer of Colonial Chile Infused Oil to the surfaces of the steaks. Season with Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Salt and fresh ground black pepper on all sides.
Place the steak over the direct flame, on the GrillGrate panels. Cook with the lid open until grill marks are seared into the meat, and the steak easily releases from the grates. Flip and repeat. Turn the steaks to form a cross hatch pattern on both sides. After you have nice color and grill marks, close the lid of the grill and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 120ºF in the center of each steak.
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Place a pat of the compound butter on a plate. Place the steak on top of the butter. Place another pat of compound butter on top of each steak, letting the butter melt into the meat while the steak rests, about 3-5 minutes.
16 servings
For the Smoked Queso:
For the Pico de Gallo:
For the Black beans:
For the Avocado Crema Verde:
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 200ºF set up for smoking. Fill an A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker with hickory pellets. Light the pellets with a torch. Allow the flame to burn for 30-60 seconds before blowing out the flame.
To make the queso, combine the cheeses in a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet. Add the half and half, 505 Southwestern Hatch Valley Flame Roasted Green Chiles and Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning. Mix then transfer to the second shelf of the grill. Smoke, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses are melted and smooth when whisked, about 45 minutes.
At the same time that you place the queso in the smokers, also combine all ingredients for the black beans in a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet, mix well and place on the bottom rack of the grill. Let the beans and broth warm while the queso smokes. Remove when the queso is done (45 minutes).
To make the pico, combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To make the Avocado Crema Verde, combine all ingredients in the Vitamix Blender Cups and and blend on the Vitamix until smooth. Remove from the blender and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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When the queso is nearly ready, preheat a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet on the Hestan Cue Induction Burner. Add one tablespoon Colonial Chile Infused Oil to the skillet, then add the diced brisket meat. Cook to warm through, stirring frequently.
To build the Brisket Nachos with Smoked Queso, fill large serving platters with tortilla chips. Sprinkle the sharp cheddar over the chips. Top with the beans, then smoked queso. Sprinkle the diced brisket over the queso, topped with romaine lettuce, pico de Gallo, avocado crema verde and queso fresco.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 300ºF.
Combine 1 cup beef or veggie stock with 2 teaspoons Cattleman’s Grill Butcher House Brine. Mix/whisk well to dissolve.
Inject the brisket flat with the brine liquid. Wipe excess liquid from the surface. Season with Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-tip Seasoning. Let set up for about 5 minutes.
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Place the brisket on the second shelf of the grill, fat side down. Cook until probe tender. A digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the brisket should have little resistance when probed. The internal temperature will be about 205ºF-210ºF. Total cook time for an 8 lb brisket will be about 8 hours.
Wrap the brisket in butcher paper or foil, then wrap in a beach towel. Place the brisket in a cooler to rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
6-8 fajitas
For the marinade:
For the pico de gallo:
For the crema:
Preheat your Le Griddle for high heat cooking.
Combine all ingredients for the pico de gallo in a bowl. Mix well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To make the marinade, combine the Sweetwater Spice Lime Jalapeño Fajita Bath, water, Colonial Chile Infused Oil, soy sauce and Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning in a pint sized mason jar. Shake vigorously to mix.
Place the thin sliced steak in a zip top bag. Pour the marinade in the bag. Close the bag and massage the marinade into the meat. Let the marinade soak in for about 20 minutes.
Spread a couple of tablespoons of Colonial Chile Infused Oil across the griddle. Add the sliced onions and peppers on the griddle and cook until browned and softened.
When the onions are nearly done, pile them in a mound and place a Lodge Cast Iron Fajita Skillet on the griddle to preheat.
Add a couple more tablespoons of Colonial Chile Infused Oil to the griddle. Remove the sliced skirt steak from the bag and transfer directly to the grill. Spread the beef out so it can brown. Sprinkle more of the Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning over the beef as it cooks. Remove the beef when it is browned and cook through.
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To make the crema, mix all three ingredients and season to taste.
Assemble the Steak Fajitas, filling the flour tortillas with the skirt steak, onions, peppers, pico de gallo and crema.
Wrap:
Preheat your Kamado Joe Classic III Ceramic Charcoal Grill to 300ºF, set up for smoking. Add 1-2 fist sized chunks of Cattleman’s Grill Competition Smoking Hickory Wood Chunks.
Slather the surface of the chuck roast with Kozlik’s Amazing Maple Mustard. Season with R Butts R Smokin’ R Beef Rub.
When the seasoning appears wet on the surface of the roast, transfer the roast to the grill.
Smoke until a bark is formed and the surface is dark mahogany in color, about 3 hours.
Remove the roast from the grill and place on top of two sheets of foil. Combine the 1/4 cup Big Rick’s Original Bar-B-Cue Sauce and 1/4 cup of beef stock and mix well. Pour the liquid over the roast. Wrap tightly in the foil. Return the roast to the grill.
Continue cooking until the roast offers little resistance when probed with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should be around 205ºF.
Remove the roast from the grill. Slice the roast into 1”-2” cubes. Toss the cubes in the braising liquid in the foil. Add additional Big Rick’s Original BBQ Sauce to coat the cubes.
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With the foil packet open and filled with the cubed beef, return the meat to the grill and cook until the sauce is tacky on the surface and the cubes are fully tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the Poor Man’s Burnt Ends from the grill and serve warm.