Oven Roasted Tri-Tip

 

My kids love steak, but lately any kind of decent cut of steak is way out of the price range to feed a family of five.  Have you seen the prices lately? In Florida the average price for strip steak, ribeye, t-bones... around $8.99/lb!  Filet?  Forget it... $10.99 and up.  So, recently when I saw that our local produce and meat market had tri-tip not only in stock, but on sale for $3.99/lb I jumped on it.  Tri-tip was, for a very long time, a cut of beef usually found in the western part of the country.  For years I heard about this miracle cut of beef, nicely marbled with softer fat, and when cooked right it yields a juicy roast that stays tender.  Tri-tip is now starting to make its way across the country so the rest of us can enjoy what used to be California's little secret.  

I hear the best way to cook this is on the grill, however my grill is currently out of commission, so I had to settle for roasting it in the oven.  There are plenty of ideas for marinades out there if you want to try them, but for this I wanted a more simple, roast-like effect... so I kept the seasoning simple.  Tri-tip may come completely trimmed or may have a thin fat cap on one side.  You can remove the fat cap, but again, I was looking for the full experience and kept it on for a jucier roast... it's very easy to slice off after cooking.  

I have to say, I was so impressed with this cut of beef... I went out and bought 2 more to put in the freezer :)  On to the recipe!

2 1/2 - 3lb tri-tip roast

salt and pepper, or other seasonings to taste

The morning before roasting, season the entire roast with your choice of seasonings and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge.

About an hour before cooking, remove the roast from the fridge to bring the temperature up some.

Preheat oven to 450º F.  Unwrap roast and place in a roasting pan.  When oven is preheated, cook for 12 minutes.  After 12 minutes, reduce heat to 350º F and cover pan tightly with foil; roast an additional 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to cook at 350º for 15 more minutes (if your roast is closer to 3 lbs you may want to add another 5 minutes).  Remove from the oven, cover again with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes.  

Slice meat starting at the pointed ends and serve.

**Note:  As you can see from the picture, the center of the roast was a perfect medium rare, however the ends were a solid medium... making this a good "mixed company" roast.