Tri-tip Burnt Ends

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We have found that the best burnt ends, are made with a tri-tip steak (which only weighs around 3-5 pounds) instead of the 20 pounds of brisket. Further, it is the perfect size for our small family. The tri-tip actually comes from a cow’s collar bone area, which interestingly enough, cows also don’t have collar bones, so this area remains tender. The tri-tip is perfect sized for making burnt ends, as it is small and has the same consistency as brisket.

This is a great recipe for the Oklahoma Joe’s Smoker.

INGREDIENTS:

  • biggest and most marbled tri-tip you can find, usually a little over 3 pounds, but some go as big as 5 pounds
  • 1 cup brisket injection mix
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil or other high temp cooking oil
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Dry Rub

  • 1/2 cup black pepper, coarse ground
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt, coarse ground
  • 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Equipment

  • meat syringe
  • remote probe thermometer
  • food-safe spray bottle
  • 18″ x 24″ piece aluminum foil
  • half-sized steam pan or other grill-safe container
  • fat separator

PREPARATION

1. Inject the brisket point. Use a meat syringe to inject the brisket injection mix in the point in a 1-inch grid pattern. Injection approximately 5ml in each site. Because the point has a lot of loose fiber, you will have some of the mix come back out. HOT TIP-When trimming the exterior fat off of the point, hold the point so it is curved and slice with the grain. Only get the surface fat, don’t worry about the fat veins between the muscle fibers.

2. Season the brisket point. Mix the dry rub ingredients and reserve one tablespoon of this mix for seasoning at the end. Apply a light coat of oil and season the brisket point on all sides. Wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in a gallon zip top bag and place it in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours.

3. Preheat your Oklahoma Joe’s Smoker® to 275-300°F. Place a water pan in your Oklahoma Joe’s® Smoker filled three-fourths full with water or other desired liquid. Stack 6 small wood splits in the fire box. Pour a chimney starter full of lit charcoal on top of and around the wood. Preheat to 275-300°F at the level of the cooking grate. Add 2-3 wood splits every 30 minutes or as needed to maintain the cooking temperature.4. Smoke the brisket point. Place the brisket point in the smoker, on or above a drip pan. Put apple juice in the spray bottle and spritz the brisket point once an hour. Allow the point to smoke until it is almost black and hits an internal temperature of:

Depending on the size of the cut, Tri Tip can reach an internal temperature of 140°F in just 1 ½ to 2 hours at 225°F. For a rarer cook, it’s even less time. To reverse sear, we recommend smoking at 225°F until the internal temp reaches 5 to 10°F below your desired internal temperature for doneness. Then turn your grill up to 500°F, open the Flame Broiler Plate on your pellet grill and sear both sides until you reach your desired internal temperature. 

  • 120°F = Rare 
  • 125°F = Medium Rare 
  • 130°F = Medium 
  • 140°F = Medium Well 
  • 150°F = Well Done

5. Foil the brisket point. Place the brisket point in the center of the sheet of foil. Pour about a half cup of the stock around the brisket point. Fold up the edges of the foil to create an envelope around the point and place it back on the smoker.

6. Remove the point when it reaches an internal temperature above 200°F ( we find that too high, see chart above) and it is tender “like butter” when you stick a temperature probe or skewer into it.

7. Slice the point into 1” thick slices. Turn those 90° and slice in 1” slices again, creating 1” cubes. Place the cubes in a half-sized steam pan. Add the stock from the foil and more stock to fill the pan up to about 2/3rds the height of the burnt end cubes. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil.8. Braise the burnt ends. Place the burnt ends back in the smoker for 75-90 minutes.9. Sauce the burnt ends. Remove the pan and strain off the stock and beef jus into a fat separator. Thin the half cup of BBQ sauce with up to a half cup of the stock/beef jus. Drizzle that over the burnt ends.10. Finish the burnt ends. Place the burnt ends back into the smoker for 15 minutes to cook the sauce onto them. Taste one for seasoning. If needed, finely grind the reserved tablespoon of dry seasoning and sprinkle it on the burnt ends.