Cuts · Roast
Tri-Tip Roast
Lean but tender — reverse-sear in the oven, finish on the grill. The Santa Maria classic.
$60.00 each
avg 4–5 lb
About this cut
Tri-tip is the bottom sirloin's triangular muscle (Latin: "tensor fasciae latae") — a small, distinctive cut that for decades barely existed outside California's Santa Maria Valley, where ranch cooks made it the centerpiece of barbecue tradition. It's tender enough to grill like a steak but big enough to roast and slice for a crowd. The grain runs in two different directions on either side of the central fold, which means slicing strategy matters at the carving board.
Why Piedmontese matters here
Tri-tip is already a leaner cut than ribeye or strip — Piedmontese tri-tip leans further still, which means you get a roast that takes the classic Santa Maria salt-pepper-garlic rub and tastes like the animal that lived a working-cattle life on Magic Valley pasture, not a feed-bill steak. The fine grain also means it slices more cleanly off the board, even thin-sliced for tri-tip sandwiches. Heads-up: our Piedmontese tri-tips run big — 4.5–5 lb on average — well above the 1.5–2.5 lb you'd see at the supermarket. One roast feeds a crowd.
How to cook it
Recommended method
Reverse-sear: oven (or smoker) at 275°F until 110°F internal (~75–90 min for a 4.5–5 lb Piedmontese roast), then sear over high heat (grill or cast iron) until 120°F. Pull about 10°F earlier than you would with an Angus tri-tip and rest 10 minutes for carryover. Slice against the grain — note the grain changes direction at the fold.
Internal temp targets
- Rare: 120°F
- Medium-rare: 130°F (recommended)
- Medium: 140°F
- Past 140°F: not recommended — Piedmontese tri-tip dries fast
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