"Texas" Tri-Tip Roast

This is actually my first foray into Tri-Tip territory... crazy, right?

Growing up in Texas (now living in Southern California), you just don't see this particular cut of beef. Brisket is king there. But in California, you see Tri-Tip everywhere! And although I've lived here for many years, I had never tried it nor prepared it. However, last week when I was at my local farmer's market picking up my usual beef selections from the 5 Bar Beef stand, Frank, the proprietor, says to me, "Hey, I have a nice Tri-Tip today, do you want it?"

Without even thinking or asking any questions, I exclaimed "Yes!" Wait. What? I don't even know what it's supposed to taste like. What the heck am I going to do with it? Hmmm. On the plus side, I quickly reasoned in my head:  It's a good value, 100% pasture-raised and grass-fed from a rancher that I trust, and since I now consider myself a "Californian", I didn't want them to revoke my locals card, so I figured, I might as well give it a try.

Why all the fuss over one piece of meat? Well, you can take the girl out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of the girl and beef is sacred to Texans. You just can't do any old thing to it and expect people to come back over the next time you want to host a backyard bbq. You have to respect the beef. Treat it well. Preserve all the goodness and natural flavor. I didn't want to mess this thing up. So I chose to make a simple dry rub to coat it, then cooked it low and slow.

Admittedly, I unintentionally cooked it to well done (it was still delicious!) when I would have preferred medium, but I've adjusted the cook time below to reflect "medium" rather than what you see in the picture. If you like yours well done, add another 25 minutes or so to the cook time.

"Texas" Tri-Tip Roast
Serves 4
Oven 225 degrees F

1 1/2 lb grass-fed Tri-Tip Roast
1 Tbsp organic onion granules or powder (I like Frontier Co-op)
1 Tbsp organic garlic granules or powder (I like Frontier Co-op)
2 teaspoons organic all-seasons salt (I like Simply Organic)
1 teaspoon organic smoked paprika  (I like Simply Organic)

Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix all of the dry spices together. Rub the spices on all sides of the roast and press on tightly.

Place the roast in a shallow cooking pan, ideally with a small rack inserted to elevate it from the juices. Cover the pan and place in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours for medium.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing (against the grain). Be sure to spoon all of the delicious pan drippings over it before serving.

Optional serving suggestion: Finish it with a pat of grass-fed butter and a light sprinkle of smoked sea salt (such as Maldon Smoked Sea Salt). I did this to the leftovers and it was awesome.