Organic/Sustainable Beef Tri-Tip (multiple tips version 3)

The ingredients for this cook have been adjusted to allow for adequate marinade to cover three Tri-Tips (5 pounds) versus the version previously shared for 2-2.5 Lb Tri-tip. The picture here is of just one 2.5 Lb. Tri-tip cooked medium rare.  This beef comes from Missouri Legacy Beef in Salsbury, MO. 
     The nice thing about cooking multiple tips is that you can cook them to different temperatures to please a larger audience (even thought the low side of medium rare is where this meat is best.
     The story behind Tri Tip Beef (a.k.a. Triangle Roast): This cut of meat is limited in availability because there is only one per side of beef. Therefore it is typically ground into hamburger or cut into cubes and sold as soup meat. This often over looked piece of meat is not only relatively inexpensive but also very flavorful and has become a favorite amongst the few in the know. The tri-tip roast or steak (also called a triangle roast) is the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of meat that sits at the bottom of the sirloin. It has great flavor and tends to be much lower in fat than most cuts of beef i.e., it's a good lean cut of beef.
     The thing to remember is that lean also means it will dry out faster so it is recommended that you prepare with a good marinade &/or Rub. Particularly good flavors for tri-tip are Southwestern or Asian. Because tri-tip is lean, be careful not to overcook it, particularly when preparing the full roast. Medium is as far as you should go with this cut. Use a meat thermometer to monitor often during cooking. If you are used to grilling other cuts, this one can throw some grillers off by appearing underdone when it is ready to serve and by the amount it ‘swells’ when cooked.
Santa Maria/Grilled Soy Lime Style – This simple tri tip recipe utilizes a hybrid marinade that is loosely based on a combination of spices picked up from two different recipes.
Ingredients
• 5 Lb’s of Tri-tip roast (sustainably raised/organic)
• Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends – Meat Magic
Seasoning Marinade:
• 4 teaspoons freshly ground 4-color pepper
• 2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tbls. Garlic powder
• 3 Tbls. Sea Salt (fresh ground)
• 2 ½ Cups Apple Juice (100% pure juice)
• ½ Cup Soy Sauce (low sodium)
• 1 ½ Tbls. Lime Juice
• 2 Tbls. Red Pepper Flakes
• 2-4Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 ½ Tsp. Fresh Ground Ginger Root
• 6 Tbls. (Local organic) Honey
Basting Sauce:
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup vegetable oil (or EVOO) (add garlic powder if you can’t find garlic infused oil)
Preparation and cooking
1. Mix together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the tri tip in a 1 gallon freezer bag. Place in refrigerator for 4-8 hours turning occasionally; overnight will result in the best outcome however.
2. Whisk basting sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for basting.
3. Lightly oil your cooking grid
4. Set up BGE for Indirect cooking (plate setter) fire up BGE to T-Rex.
5. Remove tri tip from Marinade and pat dry. Rub each side with Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic then place the tri-tip into the BGE and cook to an internal temperature of 130 degrees (approximately 35 minutes) for medium rare, basting at least once each side during the cook.
6. Remove tri-tip from the BGE, cover it with foil and let it rest 15 minutes; to serve cut into 1/4" slices against the grain.2
1 Paraphrased from Beef Tri-Tip, One of the best cuts you are probably not buying, By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide 2 this recipe is adapted loosely from Foodnetwork.com’s website; titled “Santa Maria Style BBQ”

Citrus Ginger Tuna Steak

Tuna steak on the Big Green Egg immersed in a Citrus-Ginger marinade for 4 hours prior to cooking sets you up for a change of pace in cooking tuna steaks. Unlike your basic rubs and sprinkled seasoning mixes this marinade locks itself into the tuna and when cooked adds a special flavor to every bite. Serves 2 but is easily scalable.

Marinade
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
¼ Cup White Wine Vinegar
2 Tbls. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbls. Lemon Juice
1 Tbls. Lime Juice
3 Large fresh Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tbls. Fresh Ginger Root, grated/minced
2 each 7-8 oz.Tuna steaks

Preparation and cooking
1. In a small mixing bowl combine ingredients, whisk and pour over tuna steaks in a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Rotate bag to coat and set bag in bowl to keep tuna soaking well. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
2. Fire up Egg to high heat with grid (pre –oil the grid) raised 6” above fire bowl (fire ring and 2” adapter ring or other device)
3. Remove tuna from bag and discard marinade.
4. Grill tuna, uncovered rotating once until fish flakes easily with a fork (5-10 minutes depending on how ‘done’ you prefer your tuna. Serves 2.

Seen here served with Tomato Bacon Beans...

Stuffed Beef Kabob Rolls

Chicken and Shrimp Kiao Man (a variation of Thai Wonton Soup)

A variation on a more traditional Kiao Man (Wonton soup) this recipe substitutes green onions for scallions, Sake for Rice Wine and chicken for pork. The preparation to eating time about one hour and this recipe feeds 4 as a meal or 6-8 single servings as a Soup or Appetizer


Ingredients

8 cups – Chicken Broth
9 Oz. – Cooked Chicken Breast meat
1 Cup – Chopped Fresh Bok Choy
12-18 Medium/Large – Cooked, peeled shrimp
24-28 Wonton Wrappers
1 cup – Diced Baby Mushrooms

Note: The next four ingredients are split ½ for Soup and ½ for Wontons
2 TBS – Sake
2 TBS – Soy Sauce
2 Tsp – Brown Sugar
5 Large- Green Onions
6 Tsp. – Fresh Ground Ginger Root

Preparation of the Wontons

1. In a chopper or food processor place the chicken, shrimp and remaining ingredients.
2. Chop fine and set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Place one teaspoon of mixture onto a wonton noodle, wet the edges, fold into a triangle, wet edges again and fold one more time.
4. Place wontons in large pot of boiling water and boil until they float to the top.

Preparing the Soup
1. Bring chicken broth to a rolling boil
2. Add ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add Wontons and simmer for 10 more minutes (very low temperature) and serve.

Chicken and Shrimp Kiao Man (a variation of Thai Wonton Soup)

A variation on a more traditional Kiao Man (Wonton soup); substituting green onions for scallions, Sake for Rice Wine and chicken for pork. The preparation to eating time about one hour and this recipe feeds two Hungry Men as a meal or serves 4 as a Soup or Appetizer

Ingredients

8 cups – Chicken Broth

6 Oz. – Cooked Chicken Breast meat

1 Cup – Chopped Fresh Bok Choy

12 Medium – Cooked, peeled shrimp

20-24 Wonton Wrappers

1 cup – Diced Baby Mushrooms

Note: The next four ingredients are split ½ for Soup and ½ for Wontons

2 TBS – Sake

2 TBS – Soy Sauce

2 Tsp – Brown Sugar

2 Large- Green Onions

2 Tsp. – Fresh Ground Ginger Root

Preparation of the Wontons

1. In a chopper or food processor place the chicken, shrimp and remaining ingredients.
2. Chop fine and set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Place one teaspoon of mixture onto a wonton noodle, wet the edges, fold into a triangle, wet edges again and fold one more time.
4. Place wontons in large pot of boiling water and boil until they float to the top.

Preparing the Soup
1. Bring chicken broth to a rolling boil
2. Add ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add Wontons and simmer for 10 more minutes (very low temperature) and serve.

Tagine Chicken & Veggies

Chicken and vegetable stewed up in a Tagine for a flavorful one dish dinner. Ready from start to finish in 90 minutes (fire up the grill, prepare ingredients and 60 minute cook).

Ingredients
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2-3 Boneless Chicken Breasts (or any ½ Chicken, split or pieces)
2 Medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4" thick rounds
1 large green bell pepper, cut in chunks
1 medium vidalia onion, sliced in ¼ “ rounds
2 medium tomatoes, sliced in ¼ “ rounds
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tsps ginger
½ tsp fresh ground pepper and Sea Salt (to taste)
2 tsps paprikaHandful of pitted chopped-minced black olives
10 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)1 cup of Chicken Broth (or Substitute 1cup of water and ½ cube or 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder)
Preparation and Cooking1. Pour 5 tbsp of EVOO on the bottom of the tagine and begin layering ingredients evenly, starting with carrots then going in order they are written in the ingredients list above. The carrots must be on the bottom and the chicken pieces should be on top of the carrots, not touching the bottom of the tagine.
2. Sprinkle all of the spices evenly over the top the vegetables. Spread your minced olives on top and then drizzle the olive oil allover.
3. Close your tagine and cook until your vegetables are tender; on indirect heat (approximately 330 degrees) on the BGE.
4. Cooking time will be about 60 minutes. Check the tagine about 30 minutes in to assure that you still have liquid so the vegetables won’t burn. Remove after 60 minutes and let the tagine rest for 10 minutes and then serve.