Inaugural Smoke on Ol’ Glory
This was not only my first time cooking a tri-tip, but I did it unconventionally – smoked it like a brisket. It turned out amazing.
Mustard was the binder. Seasonings consisted of Killer Hogs AP, Fiesta Fajita Seasoning, and shit-ton of fresh cracked pepper. I do not eat brisket by the slice with the exception my taste test after smoking it; I use it for my tacos, nachos, and burritos. That’s why I went ahead and threw some fajita seasoning in the mix.
Post oak and a small amount of cherry wood was used for the smoke. Temperature was maintained between 250-264 for the whole cook. Reached 165º at almost 4 hours in at which point I wrapped it in foil and placed back on until it was probe tender, almost 2 hours. Final temp was 203º.
After a 30 minute rest on the counter the slicing began. It was so juicy and pull apart tender. Tasted just like a brisket.
This tri-cut is going to be my go-to for when I don’t spend all morning, afternoon, and some evening smoking a real brisket. Previously, my go-to was a good chuck or roast and I would end up discarding probably a fifth of the weight in fat after it was cooked.
There’s not a whole lot of fat on a trimmed tri-cut but there is enough internal marbling to keep it juicy during a 5-6 hour cook. In the picture here you can see just how lean this piece was. There was no fat left for me to cut off. Most impressive.