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Overview
Tri-tip is a triangular roast from the bottom sirloin, with a thick middle and tapered ends. It is different from the fat-capped picanha. Its grain changes direction across the roast, so a single straight carving direction can leave half the slices chewy.
Start with a whole roast weighing roughly 3 pounds and allow time for the bath, hotter cooking, browning, and rest. See the general roast guide to compare other cuts.
Time and temperature
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| Texture | Bath setting | Check before serving | Cook time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carved Roast | 132°F | 145°F | 6 hours 30 minutes |
One plain boneless whole tri-tip roast weighing about 3 pounds, kept in its natural flat triangular shape. Individual tri-tip steaks, rolled pieces, and larger roasts are outside this schedule. Start timing when the bag enters the fully heated circulating bath. The listed time is the bath stage only; allow additional time for hotter cooking, browning, and the rest. Follow the thermometer check in Cook safely before serving.
Choose your texture
- 132°FCarved Roast
- A sliceable roast with a browned surface and a firm beefy center.
Best for
- One plain boneless whole tri-tip roast weighing about 3 pounds, kept in its natural flat triangular shape. Individual tri-tip steaks, rolled pieces, and larger roasts are outside this timing.
Get it ready
- Choose a plain boneless whole tri-tip roast of about 3 pounds, rather than individual steaks or an injected preseasoned roast.
- Trim loose silver skin and hard ragged fat. Look for where the grain turns and remember that point for carving.
- Season the surface and seal the refrigerator-cold roast flat in a food-safe bag without folding its pointed ends underneath.
- Fully submerge in the heated circulating bath with room for moving water around the bag, and start timing when the roast goes in.
Finish and serve
- Use clean utensils to remove the meat from its bag and discard the liquid.
- Continue cooking in a skillet or oven until each thick center reaches 145°F. Check the center of the thickest middle from more than one direction and check each roast separately, avoiding fat seams and the thin pointed ends. Recheck cooler areas before the final browning.
- Dry the roast, oil lightly, and brown its broad faces and edges in a large skillet or over controlled grill heat. Keep the tapered ends away from the hottest area once they brown.
- Rest at least 3 minutes after the final heat before cutting. Divide the rested roast where the grain changes direction. Turn each section separately and carve thin slices across its fibers, then serve immediately.
Useful tips
- Photograph or note the grain before seasoning makes it harder to see.
- The thick middle determines where to measure; a hot pointed end cannot stand in for the center.
- Keep the roast in its natural shape rather than tying it into a thicker bundle.
Common problems
- Half the slices are chewy
- The grain changes direction and the knife kept moving the same way. Separate the rested roast at the turn in the grain and rotate each section before slicing.
- The tips overcook before the middle is ready
- The roast tapers sharply and the ends receive more direct heat. Use the oven or gentler skillet heat for the center check, and protect already-browned ends during the final browning.
Questions
QIs tri-tip the same as picanha?
QCan I use this timing for tri-tip steaks?
Cook safely
Use fully thawed, refrigerator-cold intact whole-muscle meat. This guide does not cover ground, injected, mechanically tenderized, cured, stuffed, or rolled meat.
Check the center of the thickest middle from more than one direction and check each roast separately, avoiding fat seams and the thin pointed ends. Each measured spot must reach 145°F before the final browning.
If a spot is cooler, continue cooking in a skillet or oven and check again. This bath is below that temperature and needs a hotter cooking step; its timer alone cannot make the meat ready to eat.
Rest for at least 3 minutes after the last heat before cutting or serving. Use clean utensils, discard bag liquid, and serve immediately. These instructions do not cover chilling, storage, reheating, or hot holding.