Tri-tip

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Whole beef tri-tip, grilled medium rare
Whole beef tri-tip, grilled medium rare
Beef Cuts

Beef Cut: Bottom Sirloin
Steak Type: Tri-tip
(also known as: triangle steak, Culotte)

The tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut.[1] It is a small triangular muscle, usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. (675 to 1,150g) per side of beef. In the United States, this cut was typically used for ground beef or sliced into steaks until the late 1950s, when it became a local specialty in Santa Maria, California, rubbed with salt, pepper, and spices and cooked whole on a rotisserie or grilled. (The tri-tip is still often labeled "Santa Maria steak".) Tri-tip is now available in most of the U.S., though it remains a relatively overlooked cut. Most popular in the Central Coast region of California,[1] it has begun to enjoy increasing popularity elsewhere for its full flavor, lower fat content, and comparatively lower cost. Tri-tip has become a popular cut of meat for producing Chili con carne on the competitive chili cooking circuit, supplanting ground beef because the low fat content produces little grease, for which judges take off points.

In much of Europe, the tri-tip is usually sliced into steaks, known as "triangle steaks" in the United Kingdom. In France the tri-tip is called aiguillette baronne and is left whole as a roast.[2] In Northern Germany, it is called Bürgermeisterstück or Pastorenstück, in Southern Germany and Austria Hüferschwanzel, and a traditional Bavarian and Austrian dish serves it boiled with horseradish. In Spain, it is often grilled whole and called the punta de triángulo. In Central America, this cut is also usually grilled in its entirety, and is known as punta de Solomo, and in South America, it is grilled as part of the Argentine asado and is known as colita de cuadril.

This cut is very versatile in how it can be prepared. The traditional Santa Maria style of cooking is grilling at low heat over an red oak pit; however, the tri-tip can be slow-smoked, marinated or seasoned with a dry rub, and cooked over high heat on a grill, on a rotisserie, or in an oven.

In the U.S., the tri-tip has the meat-cutting classification NAMP 185D.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Green, Aliza (2005). Field Guide to Meat. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books. ISBN 1931686793. 
  2. ^ "L'aiguillette baronne", CIV (Centre d'Information des Viandes)