Good things come in threes and the tri-tip steak cut is proof of it. We all love a nice tri-tip steak, also known as the "bottom sirloin steak" or the "Santa Maria steak," but using that same basic steak seasoning in your spice cupboard for a cut like that seems a little wasteful. So, we're giving you a Recipe of the Month Special with THREE different flavourful ways to cook that tri-tip steak: Classic Barbecue Style, Coffee Rub, and Molasses and Chili.
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Before we get going on the different recipes, you'll need to whip up some Cowboy Compound Butter to enjoy once all your steaks are cooked - click here to check out that recipe before you move on. Don't worry, we'll wait for you.Â
Welcome back - now let's get started on our prep work. Below are three cuts of tri-tip steaks that are waiting to be seasoned and grilled! Onto the recipes...Â
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Classic Barbecue Styled Tri-Tip
Ingredients:
- 5 – 2 lb. Tri-Tip Steak
- 3 tsp Salt
- 3 tsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 2 tbsp. Tumbleweed All-Purpose Rub
- 6 tbsp. Suckle Busters Original BBQ Sauce
PRE-INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: First, stop drooling. We know the ingredients smell great but we have a job to do. Mix all dry ingredients into a small bowl.
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STEP 2:Â Coat all sides of your Tri-Tip Steak nice and evenly. Remember to pat the ingredients into the steak like you're comforting your best friend (because it soon will be).
STEP 3:Â Throw your best friend onto the smoker (we're talking about the steak here - we don't want any police officers at our doors) and follow main instructions found by scrolling below.
STEP 4: After the Classic Barbecue Style Tri-Tip is placed on the grill, brush the top side with Suckle Busters Original BBQ Sauce before you flip it. After you flip it, brush the other side as well - you can flip it again to crystalize the barbecue sauce if you'd like.
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Coffee Rub Tri-Tip
Ingredients:
- 5 – 2 lb. Tri-Tip Steak
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Instant Coffee Crystals
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Tumbleweed All-purpose Rub
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Mild Chili Powder
PRE-INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1:Â Mix all of those delicious dry ingredients into a small bowl.
STEP 2: Coat all sides of that beautiful Tri-Tip Steak. Remember, press it into the meat so it stays locked in.
STEP 3: Preheat your smoker and then place your evenly coated steak onto your smoker and follow the main instructions found again, by scrolling below.Â
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Molasses and Chili Tri-Tip
Ingredients:
- 5 – 2 lb. Tri-Tip Steak
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup Dark Molasses
- 3 Tbsps. Light Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsps. Rice Vinegar (Original)
- 2 Tbsps. Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp. Mild Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Pepper
PRE-INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1: Firstly, mix the Brown Sugar and Molasses in a bowl until it gets nice 'n' thick and the sugar starts to dissolve. After, add in all of the remaining ingredients to create the magical marinade.Â




STEP 2:Â Place that beautifully cut Tri-Tip steak into large Ziploc or FoodSaver styled bag - or any other bag that has a solid seal on it - and pour your marinade into the bag.


STEP 3: Let the steak sit in marinade for at LEAST one hour in the fridge. For the best flavour, we recommend four hours. After marinating, remember to keep the marinade - DO NOT throw that deliciously-filled bag away.
STEP 4: Â Now that you've let your steak soak up the marinade, let's throw that magical meat onto your smoker. Follow the main directions below.
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MAIN COOKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL RECIPES ABOVE:
STEP 1: Get your smoker up to 235°F.

STEP 2: Place your steak (or all three types of steaks, if you're feeling ambitious today) on the top grate of your smoker. If you don't have a top grate, you can use the main cooking grate, but just keep an eye on your temperature.Â
STEP 3: Smoke the steaks for 1-3 hours or until internal temperatures are roughly 125°F (rare) to 160°F (well done). The Barbecue Brain 2.0 is really helpful with this because you can read your temperatures from your smart phone.
STEP 4:Â While the steaks are cooking, get your grill going and get it HOT. We are going to reverse sear the steaks. Don't worry if you don't have a grill, you can use a cast iron pan or griddle - but make sure that its HOT. If you don't have a grill or a cast iron pan/griddle... go get one!Â
Here's a general guide of what temperatures you might want:
- Rare: 125°F (52°C)
- Medium rare: 135°F (57°C)
- Medium: 145°F (63°C)
- Medium well:150°F (66°C)
- Well done: 160°F (71°C)
STEP 5:Â Once your steak(s) have reached your desired internal temperature, pull it from your smoker and place it on the grill or on a HOTÂ cast iron to achieve those gorgeous grill marks and darkening.Â
For the Molasses and Chili Tri-Tip, place the steak back in the marinade bag or baste the steak with the remaining marinade before searing.
STEP 6: Once the outside of the steaks are done searing for 2 to 3 minutes per side, plate the steak and let it rest until the internal temperature reaches about 135°F (for medium).Â
Cook steak(s) to your preference but make sure you keep an eye on your internal temperatures because, as Ken would say, temperatures never lie.Â
STEP 7: While the steaks are resting, add 1 or 2 discs of the Cowboy Compound Butter on top of the Barbecue Style Tri-Tip. Â
STEP 8: Enjoy your perfectly cooked steak with an ice cold beer, or maybe a glass of red wine if you're feeling fancy - unless you're underage, then you get to enjoy juice.Â
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Side Dish Recommendations
Although just eating all three of these steaks in one sitting is enough to fill your heart as much as it would fill your appetite, we've got a few side dish recommendations that pair well with these innovative tri-tip steaks
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Stuffed Potatoes
- Grilled Asparagus
- Creamed Corn
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Recipe written by barbecue enthusiast Andrew Plaza. Follow him on Instagram for more barbecue goodness by clicking here.