Pismo Beach Tri-Tip
- Serving Size: 6 persons
- Preparation Time: 1 hour
This recipe came about on a trip to a dear friend’s house in Pismo Beach. They lived in a beautiful cozy little house about 50 feet from a little cove with a beautiful small beach. In July, one of our favorite things to do was sit on the cliff overlooking the bay and watch the fireworks show with a picnic dinner spread out between the group. The meal I chose to prepare that night was a simple to prepare barbequed tri-tip that had been studded with whole cloves of garlic and marinated in a mix of salt, rosemary, yellow onions black pepper and a bottle of one of the local winery’s cabernet sauvignon. This may sound complicated but really it wasn’t. The reason being was that most of the ingredients were put together the night before and the tri-tip left to marinate and assimilate the different flavors in the mixture. All that was required the next afternoon was to light the grill, quickly sear the roast to seal in the juices then slow cook over low hardwood coals (mesquite being my personal favorite). The resulting cut of meat came out tender and juicy, the flavors in the marinade playing off of the sweet smoky taste given by the mesquite coals, paired with mashed potatoes and fresh sweet corn, sitting with my friends watching the fireworks with a cool ocean breeze in our faces. It still to this day proves to be one of the finest meals I have ever eaten.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | lbs | Tri-tip trimmed |
| 8 | cloves | garlic peeled |
| 2 | sprigs fresh rosemary bruised to release oils | |
| 1/2 | tablespoon | coarse black pepper |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | garlic salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | salt |
| 1 | small | yellow onion sliced thinly |
| 3 | cups | Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot |
| 2 | teaspoon | extra virgin olive oil |
To prepare:
With a small paring knife, make several deep incisions in the meat. Slice the garlic cloves in half and push into the incisions. In a large glass bowl combine the rosemary, pepper, salts, onion wine, and olive oil, stir till well mixed. Next add the garlic stuffed meat to the marinade, turning to coat well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 45 minutes (overnight works best).
To Cook:
Remove meat from marinade, Sear quickly over a bed of hot hardwood coals such as mesquite, approximately 2 minutes on each side, and then move roast to outer area of grill and cook over low heat allowing 15 minutes to the lb. Until cooked to desired doneness. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes to reabsorb juices, then carve into ½” thick slices. Enjoy with a fresh green salad, mashed potatoes, and steamed sweet corn on the cob.
