Smoker recipes

Reverse-Seared Korean Marinated Tri-Tip 

Cook Time: 40 minutes, plus 4 to 12 hours marinating  | Feeds: 6–8

When it comes to cooking beef, the flavors of Korean cuisine pair perfectly with any cut. For this recipe, I incorporated some of my favorite elements of Korean beef dishes and paired them with a tri-tip roast. Tri-tip is ideal for reverse searing. This means we will cook the meat at a low and slow temperature until it almost reaches your preferred doneness. Then we rest the steak, bump up the temp and quickly grill it to achieve that perfect flavor-packed crust with a nice pink center. 

Suggested Wood: Pecan, hickory or mesquite chips
Grill Setup: Indirect, then direct 

2 lbs tri-tip roast 

5 tbsp soy sauce 

3 tbsp sugar 

2 tbsp mirin 

4 tbsp pineapple juice 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tsp fresh grated ginger 

1 tbsp gochujaru pepper (or red pepper flakes) 

2 tbsp sesame oil 

1⁄4 tsp black pepper 

3 scallions, minced, plus more for garnish 

Trim off the extra fat and silver skin from the tri-tip and place it in a large resealable bag. 

Blend together the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, pineapple juice, garlic, ginger, gochujaru, sesame oil and black pepper in a food processor. Pour the marinade over the tri-tip in the bag, then add the minced scallions. Let the meat marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours. 

Remove the beef from the bag and let it come up to room temperature while you set up the cooker. Preheat your cooker to 250^oF. If you’re using a kamado or bullet grill, add a handful of wood chips to the charcoal; with a pellet grill, simply preheat the cooker, as the pellets will take care of the smokey flavor. 

Cook the tri-tip for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature measures 120^oF. At this point, pull out the tri-tip roast and let it rest while you set up the charcoal grills to a direct setup and bump up the temperature of your cooker to 375^oF. When the grill is up to 375^o, put the roast back on and let it cook until your desired doneness is achieved (125^oF for rare, 135^oF for medium-rare, 145^oF for medium). When ready, remove the meat and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain, garnish with extra minced scallions and serve. 

Reprinted with permission from The Four Fundamentals of Smoking  by Chris Sussman, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit: Chris Sussman