A properly cooked tri-tip already makes a great backyard centerpiece, but slicing it thin and piling it onto toasted ciabatta with provolone and smoky pepper aioli turns it into one of the best live-fire sandwiches you can make.
Original client project: I created this recipe and produced the cook for Lone Star Grillz on the Lone Star Grillz Santa Maria Grill. You can view the Lone Star Grillz recipe page here.
Why a Santa Maria grill is ideal for tri-tip
Tri-tip benefits from two different heat levels. The adjustable grate on a Santa Maria-style cooker makes it easy to roast the beef more gently over the fire, then lower it toward the coals for a hard finishing sear. That gives you a rosy center and a deeply browned exterior without rushing the cook.
Ingredients
Tri-tip
- 1 full-cut tri-tip roast, about 2 1/2–3 lb
- Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Lone Star Grillz Texas Fusion seasoning, as needed
Charred pepper aioli
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp Lone Star Grillz Texas Fusion
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
For the sandwiches
- 6 ciabatta rolls
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh parsley
How to cook the tri-tip
- Build a two-zone fire. Set up a moderate cooking area plus a hotter section for the final sear.
- Prep and season. Trim hard exterior fat and silverskin. Coat the roast lightly with Worcestershire and olive oil, season generously with Texas Fusion, and let it sit about 30–45 minutes before cooking.
- Roast over moderate heat. Cook the tri-tip while turning periodically. Bring the center into the 115–120°F range before the final sear.
- Sear over the hottest coals. Lower the grate or move the beef into the hot zone and brown all sides aggressively.
- Finish and rest. For medium-rare, aim for roughly 128–132°F before resting. Let the roast rest about 15 minutes.
Make the charred pepper aioli
Char the bell pepper over the fire until the skin is well blistered, then cover it for about 10 minutes so it steams and peels easily. Roast the whole garlic bulb until soft, roughly 30–40 minutes depending on your fire. Blend the peeled pepper and roasted garlic with mayonnaise, lemon juice, Texas Fusion and smoked paprika.
Build the sandwiches
Toast the ciabatta over the fire. Slice the rested tri-tip thinly against the grain—remember that the grain direction changes across a tri-tip. Spread on the aioli, then layer provolone, beef, thin red onion and parsley.
Backyard BBQ tips
- Use temperature as your guide rather than cooking strictly by time.
- Pay attention to the changing grain direction before slicing the roast.
- Letting the meat rest before slicing helps keep more juice in the beef instead of on the cutting board.
- The pepper aioli can be made ahead and chilled, which makes assembly much easier when serving a crowd.
For more beef cooks, check out our Overnight Brisket. If you want an easy pork option for a crowd, try Cherry Cola Pulled Pork.
Everyday BBQ: BBQ for the everyday family.
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