What This Is
BBQ Tri Tip is a single-subject reference for tri tip, the triangular bottom sirloin roast that started as a Santa Maria Valley tradition and became one of the most versatile cuts in American barbecue. We cover everything from selecting the right cut to building a rub, cooking it four different ways, and slicing it against the grain.
The site also maintains a growing collection of tested recipes, wine and beer pairings, and a restaurant directory tracking the best tri tip spots across California.
Why It Exists
Tri tip deserves better than a paragraph buried inside a general grilling guide. The cut has its own history, its own regional traditions, its own slicing technique, its own temperature targets. We built this site to put all of that in one place.
Most barbecue content treats tri tip as an afterthought next to brisket and ribs. We think that comparison misses the point. Tri tip is a fundamentally different cut with a faster cook, a different texture, and a tradition rooted in the Central Coast of California, not the smokehouses of central Texas. It deserves its own resource.
About the Author
Luis Ramirez is a California-based cook and the founder of BBQ Junkie, a network of barbecue and grilling resources. He grew up in Southern California and spent years cooking across the Central Coast, where Santa Maria-style BBQ is a local institution, not a trend. His focus on tri tip grew from direct exposure to that tradition: the red oak fire, the SPG rub, the direct-heat method, and the two-grain slice that makes or breaks the plate. Everything published on this site is based on his own cooking and testing. The goal is not content for its own sake but a reference he would want to use himself.
For Luis’s broader work as a creative director and writer beyond barbecue, see Luis Ramirez.
What We Cover
The site is organized around a core set of guides that walk through the full process of cooking tri tip, from the butcher case to the cutting board. The Cut explains what tri tip actually is and what to look for when buying one. The Rub covers seasoning, from a classic Santa Maria SPG to coffee rubs and chile-lime blends. The Fire gets into wood selection, fire management, and why red oak matters. The Sauce pairs finishing sauces with different cooking methods. The Sides rounds out the plate.
Beyond the guides, we publish standalone articles on subjects like Santa Maria BBQ history, the tri tip sandwich, and how tri tip stacks up against brisket and picanha.
BBQ Junkie
This site is part of BBQ Junkie, a network of barbecue and grilling resources. BBQ Junkie covers the full range of outdoor cooking. BBQ Tri Tip goes deep on one cut. Follow along on Instagram and YouTube.
Get in Touch
Have a question, a correction, or a tri tip spot we should know about? Head over to the contact page or email us directly at bbqjunkie@gmail.com.