Can a tri tip give you the flavor and experience of prime rib for about half the price? Dad fired up the Kamado Joe to find out.
If you have ever wanted prime rib without paying prime rib prices, this Tri Tip Prime RIb experiment is for you. Choice prime rib was running about $16 per pound near Dad, while tri tip was about $8 per pound. That was enough motivation to take a 4.1 pound tri tip, treat it to a prime rib inspired cook, and see how close the finished beef could get.
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Tri Tip Cooked Like Prime Rib on the Kamado Joe
Equipment
- Kamado Joe
- Charcoal lighting tool
- Wireless thermometer
- 12 inch New West KnifeWorks chef knife
- Bench scraper
Ingredients
Tri tip
- 4.1 LB Tri Tip
- 14 G Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt .75% of the weight of your Tri Tip
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil Estimated
- 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano Estimated
- 1 tablespoon Dried Sage Estimated
- 1 tablespoon Black Pepper Estimated
- 2 tablespoon Dad Dust Estimated (See Note)
Fresh herb butter
- 4 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Basil Minced (Estimated)
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary Minced (Estimated)
- 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
Instructions
- Give the tri tip a minor trim. Salt it and leave it in the refrigerator overnight for a dry brine.4.1 LB Tri Tip, 14 G Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Next Day
- Rub the dry exterior with a little avocado oil so the seasonings will stick.1 TBSP Avocado Oil
- Season with dried oregano, a little sage, a tiny bit of black pepper, and Dad Dust. Do not add more salt because the meat was already salted during the dry brine.1 TBSP Dried Oregano, 1 TBSP Dried Sage, 1 TBSP Black Pepper, 2 TBSP Dad Dust
- Return the seasoned tri tip to the refrigerator while setting up the Kamado Joe.
- Light the charcoal. Add applewood and install the heat deflectors for indirect cooking. Set the top vent to the first line, and the bottom to 1 finger. This should result in about 225F/107C
Make the herb Butter
- Finely chop the basil and rosemary. Crush and chop the fresh garlic. Mix the herbs and garlic with about four tablespoons of butter.4 TBSP Unsalted Butter, 1 TBSP Fresh Basil, 1 TBSP Fresh Rosemary, 4 Cloves Garlic
Prep The Tri Tip
- Insert a wireless thermometer into the thickest middle section of the tri tip. Place the meat on the smoker with the fat side facing up.4.1 LB Tri Tip
Smoke the Tri Tip
- Smoke the tri tip indirectly. Smoke until the roast reaches around 120F/49C.4.1 LB Tri Tip
Sear The Tri Tip
- Remove the tri tip and the heat deflectors. Open the Kamado Joe and allow the fire to build. After a few minutes with the cooker wide open, sear the tri tip over the hot fire until it has a deep crust. It takes around 4 minutes to sear depending on how hot your coals are.4.1 LB Tri Tip
Rest
- Rest the tri tip for five to ten minutes.4.1 LB Tri Tip
- Identify both directions of the grain and slice across the grain. Serve the chunky slices with the fresh herb butter.4.1 LB Tri Tip, 4 TBSP Unsalted Butter, 1 TBSP Fresh Basil, 1 TBSP Fresh Rosemary, 4 Cloves Garlic
Video
Notes
- 120G Granulated Garlic
- 120G Granulated Onion
- 1 tablespoon MSG
- Place all the items in a shaker and mix well.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!The idea was simple. Give the meat an overnight dry brine, keep the seasoning clean and herb focused, add applewood smoke, and finish with a hard sear. The result was not identical to prime rib, but it came much closer than Dad expected. It was beefy, tender, and covered with a great crust. For a regular weeknight dinner or a gathering with friends, this cook delivered the experience Dad wanted at about half the cost.
Why Try Tri Tip Prime Rib on the Kamado Joe?
Dad loves eating prime rib. Paying for it is another matter. Tri tip already brings plenty of beef flavor, so the real question was whether the cooking method could move its flavor and texture toward that special prime rib experience.
The process began with a minor trim and an overnight dry brine. By the next day, the exterior had a beautiful red color and was very dry. That dry surface was exactly what Dad wanted for building a crust, although it also meant the seasonings needed a little help sticking. A light coating of avocado oil solved that without introducing the stronger flavor of a barbecue style binder.
Dad chose to cook the tri tip with the fat side facing up. He also kept the seasonings simple with dried oregano, a little sage, a tiny bit of black pepper, and Dad Dust. Dad Dust is an equal mix of granulated garlic and granulated onion with a splash of MSG. Since the meat had already been salted during the dry brine, no more salt went on with the other seasonings.
That detail matters if you decide to use a prepared rub. Dad recommends checking its ingredients for salt. Adding a salty rub after the dry brine could put too much salt on the meat.
Applewood Smoke and a Hot Finish
The Kamado Joe was set up with charcoal, heat deflectors, and applewood for a clean smoky flavor. Dad used only a tiny opening at the top vent and about a finger width at the bottom while bringing the cooker into position for the cook. A wireless thermometer went into the thickest part in the middle of the tri tip.
The transcript does not state the cooking temperature, the target internal temperature, or the total cooking time. Those details should not be guessed. What the video does show is the overall approach: smoke the tri tip indirectly, remove it when ready, take out the heat deflectors, open the cooker, and let the fire build for the final sear. After a few minutes with the vents wide open, the Kamado Joe was ready to put a deep crust on the beef.
Once seared, Dad rested the tri tip for a good five to ten minutes. The final rest lasted ten minutes before slicing. That pause helped keep the juices in the meat instead of sending them across the cutting board.
Fresh Herb Butter and the New West KnifeWorks Knife
While the Kamado Joe came up to temperature, Dad made a fresh herb butter. He finely chopped basil, rosemary, and fresh garlic, then mixed them with about four tablespoons of butter. Rosemary is a firm herb, so Dad made sure to chop it finely and avoid large pieces in the finished butter.
For the prep, Dad used the New West KnifeWorks 12 inch chef knife that the company sent him to try. After using it for barbecue and general kitchen work, Dad found it to be a very good all purpose chef knife. Although he originally thought a 12 inch blade might feel too large, it still handled smaller prep work and allowed a comfortable rocking motion.
The full tang construction also gave the knife a sturdy feel. Dad liked the long blade for both chopping and slicing the finished tri tip. He used a bench scraper to gather the herbs and to crush the garlic, which avoids scraping or striking the knife blade unnecessarily.
New West KnifeWorks provided the knife for Dad to try. The video was not sponsored. The link is an affiliate link, which means Dad may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Visit New West KnifeWorks and use code DAD10 for 10% off select products.
Did Tri Tip Prime Rib Work?
Tri tip has two grain directions, so Dad paid attention to the grain before cutting chunky slices. The long, sharp chef knife made it easy to work through the roast and reveal the rosy interior. A spoonful of herb butter on the sliced meat completed the prime rib inspired presentation.
Dad called the meat beefy and tender. It was not quite as tender as traditional prime rib, but it was very close. He would probably still choose prime rib as the centerpiece for a holiday meal. However, for a normal dinner or a casual gathering, this tri tip did the trick and delivered what he wanted from prime rib for about half the cost.
Could sous vide make the tri tip even more tender? That may be the next experiment. Until then, this Kamado Joe version proves that a carefully seasoned tri tip, applewood smoke, a hard sear, and fresh herb butter can make one impressive plate of beef.
What do you call a cow with two legs? Lean beef. Dad may tell horrible dad jokes, but he can cook some fantastic beef.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
New West KnifeWorks 12 Inch Chef Knife:
https://www.newwestknifeworks.com/DAD10
Use code DAD10 for 10% off select products.
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