Santa Maria Tri Tip with Chimichurri

INGREDIENTS:

  1. For the Chimichurri Sauce:

    • 1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, leafless part of stems removed

    • 4-6 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced into a chunky paste

    • 1 heaping tablespoon powdered dry oregano (I actually prefer the powdered version better for this recipe as it mixes into the sauce more easily)

    • 1 tsp Aleppo pepper, or any crushed red pepper flakes (or less, if you want to tone it down)

    • juice of 2 lemons

    • 2-3 TBSP red wine vinegar

    • 1 small shallot, minced

    • 2-3 grinds each salt and freshly ground pepper

    • About 1/2 cup olive oil

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • For the Tri Tip

    • Set up your grill for two-zone cooking. Temperature at grate-level on the cooler side should be between 275°F and 325°F. If using wood chips/chunks, place them over the hot side of the grill at this time.

    • Rub tri-tip with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then evenly distribute Santa Maria Rub all over tri-tip (it should look like it got rolled on coarse sand when you’re done)

    • Place tri-tip on grate over direct heat (hot side) with the lid open, and grill until lightly charred in spots and somewhat brown, 5-7 minutes. Flip over and repeat.

    • Transfer tri-tip to cooler side of the grill

    • Insert a probe thermometer into the deepest part of the tri-tip. Close the lid, and cook tri-tip until probe registers 132°F for medium-rare (at 275°F, this will take about 45 minutes to an hour)

    • Leaving thermometer inserted, remove tri-tip to cutting board, and allow to rest until temperature stops climbing and drops by a degree or two (around 20 minutes)

    For the Chimichurri Sauce:

    • Combine all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil into a food processor or blender. Hit ‘pulse 5 or 6 times to give everything a few good chops.

    • Add about 1/3 of the olive oil and hit pulse 5 or 6 more times. Then, with the motor running, slowly drizzle the remaining olive oil into the mixture until desired consistency is achieved.

    • Pour into a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Can be made up to two days in advance.