🔥 Santa Maria–Style Tri-Tip: The Quick Method

📜 Ingredients:

• 1 whole tri-tip roast (trimmed, about 2–2.5 lbs)

• Kosher salt

• Coarse black pepper

• Garlic powder

• Smoked paprika (optional)

💡 You can use a pre-made Santa Maria rub too, but salt-forward is the key.

👨‍🍳 Cooking Instructions:

1. Season generously on all sides with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a touch of smoked paprika.
   Let it sit at room temperature while your grill heats up.

2. Fire up your grill with a two-zone setup:
   🔥 One side high heat (direct)
   🔥 One side medium or indirect heat

3. Sear the tri-tip over direct high heat, about 2–3 minutes per side, to develop a rich, dark crust. Don’t move it too much — let it char.

4. Move to indirect heat and close the lid. Continue cooking until internal temperature hits 130°F for medium-rare (or 135°F if that’s your style). This typically takes 20–30 minutes depending on grill temp and thickness.

5. Remove from heat and rest for at least 10 minutes under foil. Resting allows juices to redistribute and keeps the tri-tip juicy.

6. Slice thin against the grain.
   ❗ Important: The grain of tri-tip changes direction about halfway through.
   Cut from the point, then rotate and cut from the center to the wide end, both across the grain.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions: Go Full Santa Maria

If you want the real Central Coast experience, plate it like they do in Santa Maria:

• Pinquito beans (a regional favorite — use pink beans if unavailable)

• Fresh salsa or salsa roja

• Toasted garlic bread

• Simple salad with red wine vinaigrette

• Optional: grilled veggies or roasted potatoes on the side

This meal was built for backyard hangs, simple ingredients, and bold smoke flavor. It’s as cowboy as California gets.

🔥 Tips for Next-Level Results

• Use red oak if you’ve got it. That’s the traditional Santa Maria wood — adds a slightly sweet, smoky touch.

• Finish with a compound butter or chimichurri if you want to add richness or brightness.

• Leftovers? Tri-tip makes killer sandwiches, breakfast hash, and beef tacos the next day.

🧠 Final Thoughts

You don’t need a ton of time or tricks to make tri-tip shine.
You just need good beef, bold seasoning, hot fire, and sharp slicing.

Whether it’s your first time cooking tri-tip or your fiftieth, this Santa Maria–style approach always hits — and it keeps you coming back for more.