Low ‘n’ Slow Tri-Tip with Red Wine Aioli – Tobin James Cellars

By Claire Silver, Owner

Wine Pairing: Tobin James Cellars “James Gang Reserve” Petit Verdot or Tobin James Cellars “Notorious” Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tri-tip is packed with lean, beefy flavor. When you cook it “low and slow” and pair it with a creamy aioli (and a nice bottle of red), it’s simply irresistible. We love this recipe with our “James Gang Reserve” Petit Verdot or our “Notorious” Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ingredients

1 whole tri-tip, trimmed

1½ cups Tobin James Cellars “Notorious” Cabernet Sauvignon red wine

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup full-fat yogurt

Pinch of cayenne

Salt and pepper

Directions

Season the tri-tip generously with salt and pepper, then let the meat come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. While that’s happening, fire up the grill. Gas, wood, or charcoal all work great.

Once the meat is ready to cook, put it on the hottest part of the grill and sear the meat on all sides. Top, bottom, and sides. Get it nice and brown — about 10-15 minutes total for all sides.

CHEF PRO TIP: Tri-tip is usually a tougher cut of meat. That’s why we suggest cooking tri-tip to medium instead of medium-rare. The extra cook — at low temperatures — will help break down the meat to make it more tender and delicious

After the meat is seared and browned, move it to a part of the grill that is not as hot. You don’t want the meat over the direct flames right now. The optimal grill temperature is between 200°F and 250°F.

Once you’ve found a part of the grill that works, shut the lid. This will trap the heat and help cook the meat from all sides like an oven. If your grill doesn’t have a lid, flip the meat over every 15 to 20 minutes.

The goal is to cook the meat low and slow. Preferably for 2 to 3 hours (or more) if your grill heat is low enough. Check the internal temperature of the meat every 30 minutes with an instant-read thermometer until it reaches 130°F. Once it reaches 130°F check it every 15 minutes until it reaches 135°F.

Take the meat off the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes. You should end up with a light pink center. If you like your tri-tip on the medium-rare side take it off at 130°F.

How to Make the Sauce

You can make this simple (but delicious) sauce while the meat is grilling.

Add the red wine and garlic to a saucepot and simmer over medium heat until you have 1/2 cup of liquid left (about 10-15 minutes). Once this reduces, chill the mix in the fridge until it’s cold (about 10 minutes).

Next, add the cold contents to a mixing bowl with a 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup of yogurt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Whisk everything to combine, and season with a little salt and pepper. Serve with the tri-tip once it’s ready.

I like to slice the tri-tip thin and serve with the red wine sauce and a nice crusty piece of bread. Don’t forget to pour everyone a glass of red to go with this rich robust red-blooded snack.