Smoked Tri-Tip Sandwiches with Chorizo Vinaigrette Recipe
Tri-tip is one of the most underrated cuts of beef. Curtis Stone shares one of the best ways to prepare it at home.
Photo courtesy of Stone’s Food
Tri-tip is a triangular muscle taken from the bottom sirloin. If you can’t find it, you can substitute a sirloin roast that’s no thicker than 2 1/2".
Serves 4
Ingredients
Directions
Active time: 20 minutes for the vinaigrette and 40 minutes for the tri-tip
Total time: 1 hour
For chorizo vinaigrette: Makes 1 cup. Vinaigrette can be made up to 2 hours ahead, covered loosely and kept at room temperature. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil and chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, until chorizo is crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl. Stir in remaining oil except for 1 tsp., parsley, shallot, lemon zest and juice, chili (if using), and smoked paprika. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.
For a charcoal grill: On bottom rack of grill, dump a half-full chimney starter’s worth of hardwood lump charcoal, unlit. Push charcoal completely to one side. Fill chimney starter halfway with more charcoal and ignite. When coals are covered with white ash, carefully dump them on unlit charcoal in grill. Scatter 2 ounces wood chips over coals. Place grill grate in position and preheat for 5 minutes. For a gas grill: Preheat all burners to medium. Before grilling, turn off half the burners. Place 2 ounces wood chips in a smoker box and place box over lit burner.
In a small bowl, mix salt and pepper. Pat tri-tip dry with paper towels. Coat with oil and sprinkle with salt-pepper mixture. Place on unlit side of grill and cover grill. Cook, turning halfway through, until center of tri-tip registers 120° on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes.
For a charcoal grill, spread lit coals in an even layer. For a gas grill, turn burners back on. Cook tri-tip, uncovered, turning as needed, until it has a nice charred crust all over and an internal temperature of 130°, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.
Cut tri-tip thinly against grain. (The grain of a tri-tip isn’t uniformly straight, so take care to keep your slices perpendicular to the grain.)
Spread Chorizo Vinaigrette on both cut sides of baguette. Layer slices of tri-tip on bottom half of baguette. Top with arugula and close sandwich. Cut into 4 pieces and serve.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil, plus one tsp., divided
- 3 ounces Spanish chorizo, casing removed and finely diced
- 3 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (from 1 lemon), plus more to taste
- 1 Thai chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 1/4 to 21/2 pounds tri-tip, fat trimmed
- 1 baguette, split open lengthwise
- 2 cups (1 ounce) arugula
Directions
Active time: 20 minutes for the vinaigrette and 40 minutes for the tri-tip
Total time: 1 hour
For chorizo vinaigrette: Makes 1 cup. Vinaigrette can be made up to 2 hours ahead, covered loosely and kept at room temperature. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil and chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, until chorizo is crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl. Stir in remaining oil except for 1 tsp., parsley, shallot, lemon zest and juice, chili (if using), and smoked paprika. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.
For a charcoal grill: On bottom rack of grill, dump a half-full chimney starter’s worth of hardwood lump charcoal, unlit. Push charcoal completely to one side. Fill chimney starter halfway with more charcoal and ignite. When coals are covered with white ash, carefully dump them on unlit charcoal in grill. Scatter 2 ounces wood chips over coals. Place grill grate in position and preheat for 5 minutes. For a gas grill: Preheat all burners to medium. Before grilling, turn off half the burners. Place 2 ounces wood chips in a smoker box and place box over lit burner.
In a small bowl, mix salt and pepper. Pat tri-tip dry with paper towels. Coat with oil and sprinkle with salt-pepper mixture. Place on unlit side of grill and cover grill. Cook, turning halfway through, until center of tri-tip registers 120° on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes.
For a charcoal grill, spread lit coals in an even layer. For a gas grill, turn burners back on. Cook tri-tip, uncovered, turning as needed, until it has a nice charred crust all over and an internal temperature of 130°, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.
Cut tri-tip thinly against grain. (The grain of a tri-tip isn’t uniformly straight, so take care to keep your slices perpendicular to the grain.)
Spread Chorizo Vinaigrette on both cut sides of baguette. Layer slices of tri-tip on bottom half of baguette. Top with arugula and close sandwich. Cut into 4 pieces and serve.
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