Espresso Brined Tri-tip Smoked with Pecan
Smoked tri-tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef that I cook on the smoker. It is tender, delicious and doesn’t take a long time to prepare. In this version, I used an espresso brine that incorporates coffee as well as a touch of cocoa to really make that delicious beef flavor pop. The salt in the brine, as with all brines, helps to bring out the natural flavors of the meat. I think you’re going to like this one a lot!
Servings 4
Ingredients
Main
- 3 lb tri-tip
- ¼ cup Jeff's Texas style rub
- 1 stick (¼ lb) butter
Espresso Brine
- 4 cups (1 quart) coffee
- ¼ cup coarse kosher salt Morton’s blue box
- 2 TBS cocoa unsweetened
- 1 TBS red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Trim the fat from the tri-tip using a sharp knife.
- Add the espresso brine ingredients to a ½ gallon pitcher or large bowl and stir well for about a minute or until the ingredients are dissolved into the liquid. If the coffee is still warm, the espresso brine will need to be cooled before use.
- Place the meat into a shallow container or even a 1- gallon sized ziptop bag and pour the brine over the meat to cover. Place in the fridge for about 3 hours.
- Remove the meat from the fridge after brining. Set the meat aside and discard the brining liquid. There is no need to rinse the meat.
- Season the top side of the meat and the edges with Jeff's Texas style rub, flip it over and season the bottom side as well.
- Set up your smoker for cooking at about 225°F using indirect heat. If your smoker uses a water pan, fill it up.
- Once your smoker is heated to 225-240°F and holding steady, Place the meat in the smoker and let it cook for approximately 2 hours with at least 1 hour of smoke action.
- At about the 110-115 degree mark, melt a stick of butter (¼ lb) and stir in 1 heaping TBS of the Texas style rub. Baste the meat liberally with this mixture.
- When the meat reaches 128-130°F or a perfect medium rare, remove it from the smoker and let it rest with foil tented over the top on the cabinet for about 10-15 minutes before slicing or cutting into it.
- Slice the meat pencil thick across the grain and serve immediately with plenty of vegetables and sides.