Hot Smoked Tri-Tip
Hot Smoking
By Kimball Jones, Culinary Director
Smoking, like salting, is one of the oldest ways of preserving food. There are two methods of smoking, one hot, the other cold. Hot smoking actually cooks what is being smoked (the cold smoking method gives the food a smoky flavor without cooking it).
To hot-smoke meats you’ll need:
1. Smoker or covered kettle-type grill.
2. Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, for seasoning.
3. Mesquite or brick charcoal, and wood chips that have been soaked overnight in water. It is very important to soak the chips for a long period of time-at least 8 hours. When added to the hot fire, the soaked chips create smoke and steam. While the smoke adds flavor, the steam keeps the food moist and juicy.
4. 3-4 lbs. of beef. A Tri Tip roast works best.
Begin by seasoning the outside of the meat with salt and pepper. Let the meat rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prepare your smoker or grill. Make sure the ashes are cleaned out of the bottom of the grill so the air will draw well. Prepare a small charcoal fire. If you are using a kettle-style grill, make the fire on one side of the grill so you can place the food to be smoked on the other side. When the fire has burned down to embers, place a handful of the wet wood chips on the hot coals. It is very important that the fire be small so that the meat will cook slowly and take on the smoke aromas.
Place the seasoned meat on the grill of the smoker or kettle. In a kettle-type grill, place the top so that the vent holes are over the meat. That way, the smoke will be drawn from the fire over the meat. Cook slowly, adding more wood chips as need to keep a steady, slow stream of smoke. Cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 120˚-125˚. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, depending on the size of the roast. Temperature is a better gauge for this process. 125˚ is medium rare so adjust the cooking time for your preference of doneness. Enjoy your smoked Tri Tip with a glass of Groth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.
