Mustard Tri Tip
The simplest tri tip there is: French’s yellow mustard, a heavy coat of kosher salt, and a hot grill. The mustard cooks off into a deep, savory bark.
California isn’t really on the national barbecue map, and maybe that’s how we like it. Texas owns beef, Kansas City and Memphis fight over pork, and out here we lay claim to one cut that’s truly ours… the tri tip. This is the simplest way I know to cook it, and it is a crowd favorite.
Yellow mustard, kosher salt, a hot grill. That’s the whole thing. I honestly can’t tell you exactly where I first learned it. Two different guys I worked for, TR and Ted, both out of Ventura, cooked their tri tip almost this same way. Ted’s was good. TR’s was more effective and more consistent, and that’s the one that stuck with me.
The mustard trick throws people off, but it works. The mustard flavor itself cooks off completely, leaving behind a tacky surface that grabs the salt and builds a real crust. Don’t reach for anything fancy. Plain yellow French’s is the move.
The make-or-break step is the slicing. Tri tip’s grain changes direction partway through, so rest it a full 10 minutes, find the grain, and cut thin across it. Get that wrong and even a perfectly cooked tri tip turns chewy. Skip the BBQ sauce and serve it with pico de gallo instead, the SoCal way.
Ingredients
- 1 whole tri tip roast (2 to 3 lbs), trimmed
- French’s yellow mustard, enough to coat the roast (about 2 to 3 tablespoons)
- Kosher salt, a liberal coat (about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the tri tip dry, then coat it all over with a liberal layer of French’s yellow mustard. Work it into every surface with your hands until the whole roast is covered.
Plain yellow mustard, not Dijon. French’s is what this recipe is built on. It goes on as a binder first and a flavor second.
- 2
Season the whole roast heavily with kosher salt, right over the wet mustard. Do not be shy with it. Let it sit about 30 minutes at room temperature while the grill comes up to heat.
Salt is the only seasoning here, so use more than feels normal. The mustard helps every grain grab and hold.
- 3
Build a two-zone fire. Sear the tri tip over direct heat about 5 to 6 minutes per side, until a dark, crusted bark forms.
The mustard browns fast. Pull it at a deep mahogany, not black.
- 4
Slide the roast to the indirect side, close the lid, and cook to a medium-rare 130 degrees F, about 20 to 25 minutes depending on thickness.
Tri tip is lean and keeps climbing after it leaves the grill, so pull it a few degrees early and let the rest finish the job.
- 5
Rest the tri tip 10 to 15 minutes, then slice it thin against the grain. The grain changes direction partway through the roast, so cut it in two where the lines shift and slice each piece against its own grain.
Skip the BBQ sauce. Serve it with pico de gallo instead, the SoCal way, the way TR did.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
- Calories
- 350
- Protein
- 42 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Sat. Fat
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 700 mg
- Cholesterol
- 105 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredients and serving sizes.
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