Marinated and grilled tri-tip steak is a perfectly delicious and affordable cut of meat to throw on the grill this summer. Serve with a juicy mango and red pepper salsa for a refreshing meal.
Summertime is grilling time and this tri-tip with pineapple mango red pepper salsa is sure to impress. Forget the heat, get out of the kitchen and get grilling.
There are only 120 days of summer and when the heat hits the last place I want to be is in the kitchen with the oven running. I dream of a time when we have the space for a full outdoor kitchen with grill, pizza oven, rotisserie spit, and smoker. 
Tri-tip, also known as a Santa Maria steak, is a relatively inexpensive cut of beef that comes from the bottom sirloin. I usually find it for around $8.99 a pound but I’ve been lucky to find it on sale as low as $4.99 a pound. A standard tri-tip is between 1.5 lbs to 2.5 lbs, which should serve between 4 – 8 people depending on how you serve it.
Getting this tri-tip with pineapple mango red pepper salsa right takes a bit of advance planning. The meat should be marinated at least 4 hours, then rubbed down with spices and slowly roasted to medium rare.
Tri-tip is considered a lean cut, but the visible fat marbling should be even. One side will have a fat cap, which I like to trim back. With a cook time of 30 – 40 minutes, the meat isn’t hot enough long enough to render all that fat back into the steak.
The salsa can be made up to a day in advance, but should have a minimum of 20 minutes to marinate prior to serving.
For a chunky salsa hand chop the fruits and vegetables, but for a smoother sauce use a food processor instead.
The fruit and vegetable ingredients don’t have to be exact in this recipe, so I have estimated the quantities in both cup size and fruit size. If your fruit yields more than the suggested cup size don’t be afraid to toss the extra right into the mix instead of letting it go to waste.
A word of caution when carving your tri-tip: cut against the grain. This means if the grain is running right to left, your knife blade should be perpendicular, running top to bottom. The grain on a tri-tip is very visible, but it changes. There should be a band of fat running through the “bend” of the steak.
It’s easiest to start by cutting along this band of fat to split the tri-tip in two and then slice each section on it’s own watching the grain as you go. Thin slices about 1/4? thick result in the most tender servings.
Grilled Steak and Mango Pepper Salsa
- Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
Description
Marinated and grilled tri-tip steak is a perfectly delicious and affordable cut of meat to throw on the grill this summer.
Ingredients
For the Tri-Tip
- 2.5 pound tri-tip
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
- 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 – 4 tablespoons Badia complete spice blend
For the Salsa
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 of a large pineapple (2 cups)
- 1 large mango (1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper (1 cup)
- 1/4 sweet onion (1/2 cup)
- a dozen or so basil leaves
Instructions
For the Tri-tip:
- Trim any excess fat from the tri-tip. Place it in a zip top bag along with the red wine and worcestershire sauce. Marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, up to 24 hours.
- Remove the tri-tip from the marinade and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub all sides of the meat with the olive oil, then rub with the Badia complete spices.
- Prepare the grill for indirect heat with a grill temperature of 275 degrees.
- Place the tri-tip on the side without direct heat and cook for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for 15 minutes more.
- Once the internal temp is at 100 degrees, move the tri-tip to the side of the grill with direct heat and sear for 2 minutes on each side.
- Once the internal temperature at 125 degrees remove the tri-tip from the grill, cover and rest 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise to 135 as the meat rests.
For the Salsa:
- In the bottom of a large mixing bowl grate the garlic and add the honey, lime juice, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Chop up the pineapple, red bell pepper, mango, onion, and basil and add to the bowl.
- Stir to coat the fruit and vegetables with the dressing.
- Refrigerate at least 20 minutes prior to serving.
To Serve:
- Slice the tri-tip into 1/4″ slices, being sure to cut against the grain for the most tender steak.
- Serve topped with a generous portion of the salsa.
Notes
The salsa can be made up to a day in advance, but should have a minimum of 20 minutes to marinate prior to serving. For a chunky salsa hand chop the fruits and vegetables, but for a smoother sauce use a food processor instead. The fruit and vegetable ingredients don’t have to be exact in this recipe. If your fruit or vegetable yields more than the suggested cup size don’t be afraid to toss the extra right into the mix.
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main
