Grilled Blackened Tri-Tip

When shopping for beef, there are a lot of options. Come grilling season, there are some cuts that go unnoticed.
Tri-tip is known by many names. California Cut, Newport Steak, Santa Maria Steak, triangle steak, bottom sirloin butt/tip are all referring to the same piece of meat.
Tri-tip has been growing in popularity and for good reason. It has a huge amount of beef flavor, especially for a more lean cut. It is a great cut of beef to grill, smoke, and roast.
Blackened food is food that typically has a Cajun/Blackening Seasoning that has been seared or grilled very well to accentuate all of the spices and herbs that form a flavorful crust.
To make the Grilled Blackened Tri-Tip recipe, start by making your Cajun seasoning.
In a mixing bowl, add paprika, kosher salt, sweet smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, and red pepper flake. Mix all of these ingredients together then pour them into a jar. You won’t need to use this entire mixture for the steak so save some for all of your spicy cooking needs.
Lightly oil your tri-tip and generously season all surfaces of the beef. Let the tri-tip sit out while firing up your grill.
You can use gas grill of charcoal but charcoal will always provide better heat and better flavor.
If using a charcoal grill, use a charcoal chimney to light your coals. Match light and lighter fluid can be extremely toxic and bad for your grill if not used properly. Once your coals are white hot pour them onto one half of your charcoal grill.
Place your tri-tip on the hottest part of the grill for five minutes and then quarter turn it. Cook for another five minutes and then flip the tri-tip over. Quarter turn the beef after 5 minutes, and then cook for another 5 minutes before removing from the heat.
Not all heat sources are identical so use a thermometer to temp your tri-tip throughout the cooking process. Cook your beef until it has an internal temperature of 126-128.
Let the tri-tip rest for ten minutes allowing the muscle fibers to contract and redistribute its juices throughout the entire cut of beef.
Slice the tri-tip into 1/4″ slices while cutting against the grain. Keep in mind that where the tri-tip bends the grain changes and so should your angle of slicing.
Serve this tri-tip with just about any side or salad but blue cheese dressing is seriously delicious to compliment the heat of the Cajun seasoning.
Enjoy and happy grilling!