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Grilled Tri-Tip with Green Garlic Salsa Verde

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I’ve got some exciting news to share!

Grilled Tri Tip with Salsa Verde

For the next few months, I’m partnering with the new Jimbo’s… Naturally! located at Westfield Horton Plaza on some seriously tasty and organic recipes.  Jimbo’s… Naturally! is a local San Diego business that focuses on high quality organic and natural food.  Their new location at Westfield Horton Plaza is a beauty!  In addition to a juice bar, deli, and bakery, they’ve got a sizable selection of organic produce.  The green garlic I discovered in the produce department was the inspiration for this Italian salsa verde.

To showcase some of the products found at Jimbo’s… Naturally!, I put together this recipe for Grilled Tri-Tip with Green Garlic Salsa Verde.  Organic, grass-fed beef tri-tip is quickly marinated in a sharp blend of garlic, rosemary, lemon and olive oil.  The roast is then placed on a searing hot charcoal grill to develop a wonderfully charred, caramelized crust, and finished over indirect heat to keep the center tender and juicy.  After a brief rest, the tri-tip is sliced against the grain, and served with a Green Garlic Salsa Verde.  This vibrant condiment is made with fresh parsley, garlic, red chile, capers, lemon and olive oil.  Bright, fresh flavors permeate both the beef and the sauce, making them a perfect combination for any summer barbecue.  Continue reading for the recipe.

Green Garlic and Parsley

Green garlic is in season right now, so be sure to try it out while you still can!  If you can’t find green garlic, you can use regular garlic instead.  And if this recipe leaves you with a few leftover green garlic bulbs, be sure to pickle them, and enjoy later in the year!

Rosemary, Garlic, Lemon, Tri-Tip

Tri-tip is a delicious yet relatively inexpensive cut of meat.  When cooking tri-tip, you’ll want to prepare a direct / indirect cooking situation.  You can do this on a stove or on a grill (gas or charcoal).  Sear the roast over high heat (direct), then finish over low heat (indirect).  This will ensure good flavor without overcooking the meat.  Once the tri-tip has rested, it’s crucial that you cut the meat against the grain.  This will sever any remaining connective tissue, creating tender slices of beef.  If you cut with the grain, the meat will be chewy.  And that’s the last thing anyone wants!

Grilled Tri-Tip with Salsa Verde

Grilled Tri Tip with Salsa Verde
4.8 from 5 votes
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Grilled Tri-Tip with Salsa Verde

All ingredients were purchased at the new Jimbo's... Naturally! now open at Westfield Horton Plaza.
Servings 4 servings
Author Brandon Matzek

Ingredients

For the tri-tip:

  • 5 organic garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped organic rosemary
  • Juice of 1 organic lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 (2 – 2.5 pound) organic, grass-fed beef tri-tip roast
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa verde:

  • 1 cup lightly-packed organic parsley leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 2 organic green garlic bulbs, (white and light green parts) only, sliced (or 5 regular garlic cloves)
  • Zest of 1/2 organic lemon
  • Juice of 1/2 organic lemon, plus more to taste
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Add garlic, rosemary, lemon juice and olive oil to a small bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside.
  2. Trim the fat cap off of the tri-tip roast, but be sure to leave some fat on the outside. This will help with flavor and texture. Discard trimmed fat. Transfer roast to a plate or small baking dish. Season both sides of the roast generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the marinade (garlic-rosemary mixture) over the tri-tip, and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Turn the roast over in the marinade every 15 minutes to ensure even flavoring.
  3. Meanwhile prepare an outdoor grill. Cooking a tri-tip requires both direct and indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, pile up your coals on one half of the grill. The side with the coals will be used for direct heat cooking, and the cooler side will be used for indirect heat. If using a gas grill, preheat one side of the grill on high, and leave the other side off (no heat). With either method, let the grill grate preheat for 15 minutes. Also, the grate should be cleaned and oiled just before cooking.
  4. Take the tri-tip from the marinade, and let any excess liquid drip off. Place the roast over direct heat, and sear for 3 – 4 minutes per side. Move the roast over to the indirect heat side, cover, and cook until the roast reaches 120°F for rare, 130°F for medium-rare, and 140°F for medium (20 – 35 minutes). You’ll want to maintain a grill temperature of 250°F to 300°F, and be sure to flip the roast every 10 minutes. Let the tri-tip rest for 10 minutes before carving.
  5. While the roast is resting, prepare the salsa verde. Place parsley, capers, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt (I used about 1/2 teaspoon) in a food processor, pulsing until all ingredients are chopped and well-combined. Scrape down the sides. With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil. Stop after you’ve added 1/ 2 the oil, scrape down the sides, and then add the rest of the oil. Transfer salsa verde to a small bowl, and season to taste with additional kosher salt and lemon juice.
  6. Slice the tri-tip against the grain, and serve with salsa verde. Be sure not to slice with the grain as this will result in tough, chewy slices of beef.

I partnered with Jimbo’s… Naturally! and Westfield Horton Plaza on this article.  When this article was written, I worked for Westfield.  All thoughts, opinions and recipes shared in this article are my own.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Haha, thanks Todd! Yeah, I’m a huge tri-tip fan. I think it’s interesting that it’s really only a California thing.

      Reply

  5. Ooh I love chimichurri but the fact that this incorporates capers in it makes it even better! So does Jimbo’s sell meat as well? Is that where the tri tip came from? Beautiful final product.

    Reply

    • They do have meat at Jimbo’s! That’s where this tri-tip came from. They have lots of tasty, organic options to choose from 🙂 Thanks!

      Reply

  6. A very minor point of contention Brandon. In looking at your ingredients for your “Salsa Verde”, it is actually a version of Chimichurri, the Argentinian steak sauce. I use it with Tri-tip as a marinade and as a sauce. And, what I like about your post’s photos is that it took me a long time to figure out that a seared, medium-rare Tri-tip is really, really good. It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through like traditional Santa Maria Tri-Tip. Like you, I am San Diego based but my focus is just a bit different.
    http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/santa-maria-style-tri-tip/

    Reply

    • Hi Walter! This sauce is very similar to chimichurri; however, usually chimichurri’s don’t have capers. An Italian Salsa Verde typically has capers and anchovies (in addition to other ingredients above). I decided to leave out the anchovies here though. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don’t 😉 Glad you like the photos. Thanks!

      Reply

  10. I’m not really too into spice, but if one dish serves four people i might get greedy on this one. Nice post, also subscribed.

    Reply

  11. I have a tri-tip sitting in the freezer waiting inspiration and this is the inspiration. Sadly, in one of my recent obsessive compulsive cleaning binges I threw my grill in the garbage last winter. I just couldn’t deal with the mess of it. Of course I knew I’d regret my actions as soon as grilling weather came around. I guess I need to go get a new grill. At least it will be shiny, new and clean! This time I’ll keep it clean (I swear). GREG

    Reply

    • I got the bf a new grill last year. It’s a Weber grill with a propane flame that quickly ignites the coals. You get all the flavor benefits of charcoal without the hassle of using a chimney! I’d highly recommend it. Thanks Greg.

      Reply

  13. this looks wonderful and I will probably save or print it.Tonight (being Fathers Day) I will cook up a rib eye steak and share it with my beloved husband who suffers from severe COPD but the champagne and steak and lobster will make him happy. I really do look forward to trying this recipe. Thank you HRinOregon

    Reply

    • Thanks Heidi! I hope your husband enjoyed that steak. Definitely give this recipe a try 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Nasir, it depends on the size of the tri-tip. The one I’ve used here is large, so it can hold up to 20+ minutes of grilling

      Reply

  17. 5 stars
    This looks heavenly! I keep seeing these wonderful recipes from the west coast calling for green garlic. I have yet to find this in New England so maybe it isn’t the season for it here.

    Reply

  20. I definitely need help with cooking steaks on the grill. I can do them on the stovetop but can’t wait to try this on the grill this summer!

    Reply

    • It’s an interesting flavor. Very similar to garlic, but with a fresh, grassy note. Thanks!

      Reply

  24. i just picked up some tri tip from our local butcher or highly recommended it for grilling. this is just the recipe i needed! and the green garlic salsa verde is just perfect for spring.

    Reply

  27. 4 stars
    Tried the Tri-Tip and loved it!

    Ideally, if we had more time, we might have marinated it for longer than an hour. The Salsa Verde/chimichurri sauce was the highlight! We toasted a baguette with pepper, olive oil and garlic and used it to pick up the runaway juice and sauce.

    Changes- we used trip tip steaks instead of the roast.

    Thank you for recipe. We’re saving this one.

    Reply

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