I am a huge fan of cooking tri tip using the sous vide method and finishing it off in a screaming hot cast iron skillet. As the name implies, this cut of beef is triangular in shape with 3 points. A tri tip roast is from the bottom sirloin portion of the steer. It is fairly well marbled with fat making it tender and flavorful.
So, why would you want to sous vide this roast? The tri tip has grain running in 2 directions that requires some attention to detail when carving it. The sous vide process cooks the beef slowly and for a long time so that it softens the tissue and infuses the meat with an enormous amount of flavor. Even if you aren’t precise when cutting against the grain, the meat will still be tender and juicy when cooked in this manner.
Why Sous Vide?
Sous Vide Machine
When you first hear Sous Vide, it sounds like a complicated process, where you need to do a lot of things to get good results.
But, sous vide is a method of cooking in which you place food in a plastic pouch and cook in a water bath for longer period of times than usual cooking, at an accurately regulated temperature.
It is also known as low temperature long time cooking (LTLT) and the temperature used us much lower than typical cooking, at around 131-155°F for meat and vegetables.
The purpose of this cooking method is to properly cook the inside of the meat, without overcooking the outside, while still maintaining the moisture.
Should You Sous Vide Tri Tip Steak?
Sous Vide is always a good idea for cooking meat, especially steak cuts like Tri Tip.
This low temperature slow cooking method will break down the tough fibers of the meat, creating a tender, flavorful steak. After you finish sous vide the meat, you can give it a finishing sear using grill or your preferred searing method, so you will end up with a melt-in-mouth texture steak in the inside and a nice looking brown crust on the outside.
What is Tri Tip Steak?
Raw Tri Tip Steak Cut
Tri tip is a cut of beef from the cow, shaped in a triangular fashion, with one side being shorter than the other.
It’s exact location in the animal is the bottom sirloin sub primal cut, from the main Loin Primal Beef cut.
What makes this cut complicated is that its grains run in three different directions, against each other, making it a little bit difficult to serve and cut.
Tri Tip Grain Directions
We have even published a complete guide to learn how to cut tri tip.
Overall, this steak cut is a very good option and you will have impressive results if you cook it properly.
- Also Read: What is Tri Tip Steak & Location (Wikipedia)
Where to Buy Tri Tip Steak?
It depends on your location because being in the west coast is easier to find than the other areas. You can always ask your local butcher shop if you can’t find it at the grocery store.
If either has this cut available, you can give the several online shops a try and see if you like it.
How to Select the Best Tri Tip Cut for Sous Vide
Since sous vide will break down the steak’s fibers, any meat grade will work great but I think that Choice Beef Grade would be the best option since you get the most marbling for price ratio.
If you want to go a little bit extra, you can go for Prime Grade but I think it is not worth the price.
As for selecting, you should go for a 1 ½ - 2-inch steak cut, since this is the ideal thickness where your meat is not thin enough to overcook during the finish searing process and is thick enough to maintain an even interior and exterior.
Everything You Will Need for This Recipe
Here's a list with all the equipment you will need to cook this recipe. A few of them may be optional for some and you can easily replace with other equipment or just choose to not use.
Sous Vide Tri Tip Recipe
Credits: AnovaCulinary
Servings:
4
(2-3 Pound Roast)
Preparing Time:
5 Minutes
Sous Vide Time:
4-5 Hours
(Depending on doneness)
Searing + Resting:
5 + 10 Minutes
Since tri tip is a cut of meat which doesn't require any special rubbing and seasoning, the ingredient list couldn’t be any easier. All you need is:
Ingredients
How to Rub Tri Tip for Sous Vide
Since tri tip has a nice beefy flavor, I think that you don’t need to do any major rubbing and seasoning when cooking it.
A simple seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic powder will work great. You can even put some rosemary inside the vacuum bag if you want.
This cut of steak can weigh up to 2 pounds, so if you have picked a large cut, you can be a little generous with seasoning.
If you don’t like to use a simple seasoning mixture, then any beef rub will work great. We have previously published a best brisket rub recipes, and most of them will work great with any beef cut, including tri tip.
Preparing and Cooking the Tri Tip
Credits: Anova/Author/Cole
Now it is time to get to making the perfect sous vide tri tip recipe. The directions are fairly simple. The rewards are awesome. I would start the process mid-afternoon so that the beef will be ready for dinner. Follow these step-by-step instructions.
How Long to Sous Vide Tri Tip
Medium-Rare Sous Vide Tri Tip - Credits: Anova/author/Cole
When it comes to steak doneness, it depends a lot on personal preference.
I think that for maximum results, the Medium-rare doneness level is perfect. You can go up to a medium doneness but anything higher than that will dry-out the meat since it’s a lean cut.
For medium-rare doneness, you should sous vide it for 4-5 hours, at 130-135° Fahrenheit temperature.
Down below you can find a detailed graph and table with all the cooking times and temperatures for sous vide tri tip.
Sous Vide Tri Tip Temperatures and Time Tables
Doneness Level | Cooking Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
Rare | 125°F | 1-4 Hours |
Medium-Rare | 129°F | 1-4 Hours |
Medium | 133°F | 1-4 Hours |
Medium-Well | 138°F | 1-4 Hours |
Carving a Tri Tip Roast
Hopefully you followed the tip to take a good look at the direction of the grain in the raw steak. If not, just slice the rested roast in half at the widest mid-section. This will reveal the muscle fibers and how they are crossing the meat.
Sliced Sous Vide Tri TIp
Once you have a good look at the direction of the muscle fibers in each half, you are going to want to slice the meat across the grain to ensure each portion is pleasant to chew and not tough. What that means is that you are carving perpendicular to or through the short ends of the strands of meat.
- Also Read: How to Slice a Tri Tip Steak
Some Final Thoughts
Credits: Anova/Author/Cole
We find that the sous vide method of preparing certain proteins results in softer and more flavorful meat dishes. A tri tip roast can be a tricky cut of beef to prepare properly. While it is really delicious, you do need to take care in preparing it, cooking it, and carving it.
Tri tip can be tender and juicy when slow cooked in a sous vide appliance. Finish it off in a hot skillet. Then, carve it against the grain and serve it with some awesomely tasty sides that compliment beef.
Thanks for the detailed description, explanations, and instructions. I feel more confident about trying Tri Tip this weekend.
Thank you John,
Let me know how it goes.
Cheers, Kendrick
If you wanted to cook longer for scheduling reasons, could you double the time at a lower temperature? Thanks
Hello Chris,
You can do that but It may depend on the cut of steak as prolonging the cooking time my get the meat may get dry if you cook it for a long period of time at a lower temperature. Always keep an eye on the temperature of the meat to have an idea if the meat is ready or not.
I hope it helps,
Cheers, Kendrick.
what do you mean keep an eye on the internal temp. its sous vide. the internal temp is the same as the water bath.
Question- how do you check the internal meat temperature each hour, since the meat is in the vacuum sealed bag? Do you mean to reseal the bag after each poke with the meat thermometer? I guess this wouldn’t be a big deal if you are extracting the air by submersing the package in water before resealing. Is that the expectation?
Why do you have different and conflicting time and temps on this page?