Chimichurri Tri Tip
Grilled tri tip sliced thin and spooned with fresh parsley-oregano chimichurri. Garlicky, herby, and bright with red wine vinegar.
Chimichurri is Argentina’s answer to grilled beef: a raw, garlicky herb sauce sharp with red wine vinegar that cuts straight through a charred crust. On lean tri tip, it adds the brightness and acidity the cut sometimes lacks on its own.
Make the sauce first and let it sit. Chimichurri is better after twenty or thirty minutes, once the garlic mellows and the herbs soak up the oil and vinegar. Keep the meat seasoning simple, just salt and pepper, so the sauce stays the star.
Slice thin, spoon generously, and put extra on the table. The same sauce is just as good on the leftovers, hot or cold.
Ingredients
- 1 whole tri tip roast (2-3 lbs), trimmed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, for the sauce
Instructions
- 1
Make the chimichurri first: stir together the parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let it sit at least 20 minutes.
Chimichurri is raw and gets better as it rests. Make it before the meat so the flavors have time to marry.
- 2
Season the tri tip generously with salt and pepper and let it come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Simple salt and pepper here. The sauce is the flavor, so don’t crowd it with a heavy rub.
- 3
Build a two-zone fire. Sear over direct heat 6 to 7 minutes per side, then move to indirect heat.
A hot, clean grate and a good crust give the bright sauce something rich to play against.
- 4
Cook on the cool side about 20 to 30 minutes, pulling at 125 degrees F. Rest 10 minutes. Carryover brings it up to a medium-rare 130 degrees F.
The rest is doing real work here. That last 5 degrees of carryover is exactly why you pull early.
- 5
Slice thin against the grain and spoon chimichurri over the top, with more on the side.
Two muscles meet at an angle in a tri tip. Carve them apart first, then slice each across the grain so every piece stays tender.