Fast Forward to Summer and Smoking a Tri-Tip

Oh my!  Where has the time gone?  My last post was dated July 8, 2012!  Life and new hobbies have gotten in the way.  What happened, you ask?  It all started in the Fall of 2012 when I went to Verona, WI, for a work conference and was challenged by a coworker to climb a rock wall.  I did it.  I lost.  And I was hooked!  My partner and I found an amazing local rock climbing gym and made it our second home.  We train indoors and climb all around Yosemite National Park.  It’s pretty spectacular to have Yosemite as our backyard.  Yosemite has been our oyster.  I have discovered how wonderful it is to be outdoors, to be one with nature.  There is something very meditative to be outdoors, touching granite and taking in the smell of sugar pines.  Suffice it to say, cooking and blogging took a back seat.

I’m not exactly sure why I’m at home right now and not in Yosemite!  The “winter” weather has been mild around here, and albeit sad, it has made it pretty perfect conditions to climb outdoors.  But I woke up this morning and felt like smoking a tri-tip on my Big Green Egg.  The morning was beautiful, but it quickly warmed up to the high 80s/low 90s.  Sigh.  I think the first day of Spring is nearing us, but unfortunately, it seems that we skipped Spring and went straight to Summer.

Smoked Tri-Tip

For dry rub:

1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon cumin

2-3 pound beef loin tri-tip roast, fat cap trimmed to 1/4 inch
Wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Remove the tri-tip from the refrigerator, and pat the brisket dry with a paper towel. Rub the dry rub over the brisket until well coated. Set aside.

Heat the Big Green Egg (or smoker of your choice) until it reaches a stable temperature of 225 degrees F. Add the wood chips when the coals are hot. Place a disposable drip pan underneath the brisket. Cook the brisket, fat side up, until the internal temperature is 130 degrees F (medium rare).

Remove from the smoker, and let it rest for about 5 minutes.  When ready to eat, slice against the grain and serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.