How to Cut Tri-Tip Steak That 100% WORKING?
Though it comes from the toughest muscle on the cow, tri-tip steak is delicious and requires a good marinade.
However, some people do not know how to cut this steak or whether to cut it cooked or not. As such, this post gives you some tips that can help you to cut the tri steak to serve your guests.
Tri-Tip is a cut of meat that is obtained from a cow and comes in a triangular shape. The right side is shorter than the left side upon closer inspection.
There are only two tri-tip cuts that can be obtained per cow. You can also recognize the seams of fat that run from the top to the bottom on this cut of meat.
The meat is popular among many people and they often experience how to cut it.
Other characteristics of tri-tip include low-fat content, has two different directions of fibers of beef, is rich in flavor, and is very tender. This type of meat is also found in only specialized butchers since it is very rare.
Should You Cut the Meat Cooked or Uncooked?
Many people wonder whether it is proper to cut the meat before it is cooked or after. It is recommended that it is best to cut the meat after it has been cooked. To cook tri-tip steak, you must use an open pit with live or red oak chips.
Before cooking the meat, you can rub garlic powder, salt, pepper and you can serve it with macaroni salad, pinquito beans as well as garlic bread. You must cook the meat at 130 to 135 degrees F but the center is thick hence it can remain with a pinkish color.
When cooking is done, leave the meat to rest for 15 minutes so that the juices can settle. If you rush into cutting the meat, you can end up with dry steak after the juices escape.
When the meat is ready for cutting, you need the following items:
- A sharp knife and fork
- Cutting board
- Serving platter
A wet towel under the cutting board is also essential to prevent it from moving. This is a safety precaution meant to protect you against any harm.
It is recommended that you should cut the tri-tip steak into thin slices for easy chewing and making it tenderer.
Each cut of tri-tip steak usually weighs up to 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and it can serve about three or four people.
If you are serving the meat along with sandwiches, then you can serve more than four people.
How to Cut Tri-Tip?
Cutting tri-tip can just be confusing but it is not a very difficult task to do.
The first thing that you should do is to cut the meat into two halves. You should be guided by the direction of the grains on the meat. On each half, the grains run in the opposite direction.
The seams usually run in straight lines from top to bottom and your first cut should dissect the tri-tip in half. You should further establish how the seams run after dividing the steak into half.
You can start by cutting the first half and make sure that you do it in a perpendicular line to the seam.
This particular method where you cut the steak perpendicular to the seam lines is also called cutting against the grains. The method is ideal in that it helps to maximize the tenderness of the meat.
When you finish cutting the first half, you should also identify the grain from the seam on the second cut.
You can repeat the same action that you performed on the first half to the second cut. You should always cut on the bias and be able to identify how much the seam changes on the second cut of the tri-tip.
When you follow the perpendicular line strategy to the seam when cutting the tri-tip steak, you will realize that it gives you thin slices that are tender.
If you do not cut the meat after cooking, it can be difficult to chew and it can also lose its flavor. It is essential that you cut the meat into thin slices that are easy to chew. You should always bear in mind that cutting tri-tip follows a particular direction.
The underlying thing when you decide to buy tri-tip steak is that it is rare and there are only two cuts on each cow.
When cooking this type of meat, you can use a variety of recipes that satisfy your needs.
Cooking is not an issue but cutting the tri-tip steak can be confusing hence the need to know the skill of performing the task.
