Santa Maria Tri-Tip Recipe

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What's your favorite cut of beef to grill? My favorite is the triangle-shaped tri-tip, from the bottom sirloin. It's also called a Santa Maria steak because Santa Maria, California is where it first became popular.

Typically tri-tip is rubbed first with a mixture of salt, black pepper, and garlic salt, and then whatever other seasonings you want before getting barbecued over red oak wood.

The Best Way To Cook Tri-Tip

I love this cut because it's just a fat, juicy steak that cooks up beautifully on the grill, as detailed in the method below. You can marinate it, or use a classic Santa Maria rub. In this recipe, we are starting with the basic rub and adding some herbs and a little cayenne.

Some recipes will have you cut the layer of fat off the roast, I prefer to keep it on, and grill it fat-side up so that the steak is bathed in the juiciness of the fat as it grills.

Up close view of a tri tip steak sliced.
Ciara Kehoe

If You Can't Find Tri-Tip

Now, the only problem with tri-tip is that it can be hard to find outside of California, though I understand Costco does carry it. If you can't find it, you can still use this approach and the Santa Maria rub with a thick (look for a two-inch thick or greater) well-marbled sirloin steak or London broil.

A cutting board with slices of tri tip steak laid in front of the remaining roast.
Ciara Kehoe

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