Wood-Grilled Tri-Tip with Herb and Olive Oil Sauce

Serves 4-6

1 Tri-Tip (If you can find one from a small producer dedicated to grass-grazing, you will thank yourself! I like to use Richardson Grassfed Beef from Northern California to support their efforts in regenerative farming and because their beef is deeeeeeeelicous!)
Slather every surface with Olive Oil
Sprinkle several pinches of crunchy sea salt all over the Tri-Tip
Speckle several turns of the pepper mill over the surfaces of the Tri-Tip so that it resembles a polk-a-dot suit
Let sit for at least 1-2 hours or overnight

Get your grill ready and make sure you have a super hot spot and a medium spot.
If you’re using gas, pre0heat it to as high as it can go.

Onto cleaned and oiled grates and over high heat, place your Tri-Tip, with the skinny point facing away from the hottest part of the grill. Leave it alone for a few minutes until a dark crust begins to form, them turn it over. What you are looking for here, is as much Maillard Browning over the surface of the meat as possible- that’s where you find the depth of flavor and satisfying crunchy texture.. After you’ve had both side over high heat long enough to start to develop that texture, move it over to the medium heat and just let it slowly hang out, being sure to flip it every once in a while (every 3-5 minutes) to ensure even cooking from all sides. When little puddles of juice begin to push their way to the surface, and when you press down on the meat at it has a little firmness to it, you can remove it from the grill (or turn off the heat if it’s gas) and let it hang out to rest for at least 5-10 minutes.

Resting is so important! If you do not properly rest your meat, it will risk being dry and shedding its juices all over the plate. If the rest of the meal isn’t yet ready by the time the meat is, that’s no problem.
Just set it on a cooling rack over a sheet pan (to collect the juices and preserve that crust you worked to carefully to create) aside somewhere warm where it will not continue to cook, and then when everyone’s ready, flash it (an industry term that means a quick re-heat) in a super hot oven, or over the hot side of your grill, just for a minute to re-introduce the heat and then rest it for a minute and then cut it.

With any grilled beef, I like to serve as a sauce, what I call a “Meat Vinaigrette”. Because it is essentially the drippings from the meat combined with olive oil, herbs, grated garlic, and a squeeze of lime or dash of vinegar.
In a jar or bowl, pour the drippings from your resting meat (and again after you’ve sliced the meat, add those juices as well) and mix to combine
A spicy and robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2x the amount of meat dripping
Salt to taste
a Dash of acidity (for this quantity of meat, 1-2 tsp red wine or sherry vinegar or the squeeze of 1/2 a lime)
Fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme, marjoram, oregano (enough to cover the meat- about 1/4 bunch of each)
1 clove of garlic, grated on a microplane directly into the sauce

After you slice the Tri-Tip and place on a platter, season with crunchy sea salt (like Maldon or Jacobson Kosher or finishing) and then spoon over the Meat Vinaigrette

Enjoy!