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Grilled Tri-Tip with Creamy Peppercorn Herb Sauce

  • gluten-free Gluten-Free
  • dairy-free Dairy-Free
  • paleo Paleo
  • low-carb Low Carb
  • keto Keto
  • whole30 Whole30
This grilled tri-tip is so flavorful, juicy, and tender. Perfect for summertime grilling! This tri-tip can be served as-is as a main dish, made into sandwiches with the sauce, or stuffed into tacos with the sauce as a drizzle on top. So many great ways to enjoy it fresh off the grill or as leftovers! This easy recipe is dairy free, gluten free, Whole30, paleo, and keto.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients  

Grilled Tri Tip with Santa Maria Steak Rub

  • 2 lb grass-fed tri tip
  • 1 Tbsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tsp dried lemon peel
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Creamy Peppercorn Herb Sauce

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup boiling hot water
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup parsley leaves
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

  • Make steak rub by combining 1 Tbsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp minced onion, 1 tsp lemon peel, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/8 tsp cayenne in a small bowl. Mix well. Coat the tri tip in the steak rub on all sides. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to take the chill off.
  • Make sauce by adding 1/2 cup cashews, 1 clove garlic, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 cup boiling hot water to a high-powered blender. Blend on high until smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Allow to cool to room temperature, then add lemon zest, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 cup cilantro, 3/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt, and blend on medium until herbs have been incorporated. Pour into serving container, cover, and set aside.
  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat (450ºF). For cooking tri tip we are going to cook first over direct heat, then move to indirect heat to finish the cooking process. If using a ceramic grill, you’ll set the grill up for indirect heat using a heat deflector after the initial direct heat cooking. If using a regular charcoal grill, you will want to create two zones in your grill by placing coals only on one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty so that you can move the meat from direct heat over to indirect heat. If using a gas grill, just use the burners on one side of the grill to first grill over direct heat, then move the meat over off the direct heat to a zone without burners on.
  • Once grill is hot, oil the grates. Take care because oil can cause flames to jump up over the grates. Place tri tip on grill, close the top, and cook for 6 minutes. Flip, close the lid, and cook for 7 more minutes or until well browned on the outside. Some variation in grill temperature is okay, just try to keep it between 450-500ºF during this part of the cooking process.
  • Insert a meat thermometer and move the tri tip to indirect heat. Close the lid and bring the grill temperature to around 250ºF and cook until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130ºF for medium rare and 140ºF for medium.
  • Remove from grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Slice against the grain in thin slices with a very sharp knife. Leave in slices for serving as a main dish or for sandwiches. For tacos, cut slices into strips against the grain.
  • Serve with creamy peppercorn herb sauce as shown in the photos, pile it high on a sandwich with the sauce, or stuff into tacos with the sauce as a topping!

Notes

This recipe can be made with plain yogurt instead if you don't need a dairy-free option. Just use 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt in place of the cashews and water. 
I prefer most steaks cooked to medium-rare, but with tri tip I prefer it cooked to medium. This allows some of the connective tissue and fat to break down a little more and makes it more tender.
The internal temperature will continue to rise about 10 more degrees during the resting phase, bringing the final temperature up to about 140-145ºF.
If you have smaller cuts of tri tip like I did during recipe testing (around 1 lb each), they will cook more quickly and may not need much time on indirect heat before they are done. 
Pay close attention to the grain of the meat before slicing. In larger cuts of tri tip, it should be shaped like a boomerang and each of those "arms" has a different grain direction. When slicing, cut the tri tip in half right at the apex between the two "arms", then slice each of the halves against the grain. It's a little easier with smaller cuts of tri tip because they likely only have one direction you need to worry about. 
 
Author: Kit