The Tri-Tip roast is synonymous with California. According to the California Beef Council, in the early 1800s, the cattle industry was the foundation of California’s economy. Every spring, Santa Maria Valley rancheros would gather to help each other brand their cattle.The host would prepare a Spanish style barbecue for his vaqueros (America’s first cowboys) after a long day of work.The beef was barbecued over a red oak fire and served with Pinquinto beans, bread and salsa.
In the 1950s, Bob Schutz a meat cutter from California’s Central Coast, began using one of the muscles from the bottom sirloin and prepared it Santa Maria style. He recognized that using all of the bottom sirloin for stew meat or ground beef as had been tradition, might be a waste of a good cut. Schutz called his new cut a “tri-tip” because of its triangular shape.
If I can't have a medium rare rib-eye steak than a medium-rare piece of tri-tip from the center and one of the crisp and salt ends off the roast will work for me. The tri-tip roast is reasonably priced and feeds a whole family usually with a few leftovers for sandwiches the next day.
I'm hungry just thinking about it!! What's your favorite cut of beef?
Thanks for reading. ~mrs. c
Love it Colleen! Thanks for sharing your Hunk of Meat Monday and all of the history on the tri-tip. I never knew any of that and now I do. I LOVE a medium rare T-bone steak any time. But any cut of beef makes me happy!
ReplyDeleteKatie
Nothing beats a good ribeye! Like Katie, I am a medium rare girl. And honestly, a good bbq beef brisket makes my day! Great post!
ReplyDeleteLLOOOOOVE my tri-tip! Makes me hungry just looking at it... I can even smell the BBQ!
ReplyDeleteI love Tri-tip but it is a little hard to find out in the Midwest. In College I had a roommate from California and her parents would send us one, once in awhile, to enjoy! I like a flat iron. Easy to cook, and so much flavor.
ReplyDeletewww.crystalcattle.com