Special Thanks to Pitmaster Andrew Plaza from Double Aces BBQ for sharing his three unique Tri-Tip recipes to help celebrate Alberta BISON in our July, Barbecue’N Across Canada recipe series.
This July, we’re bringing the bold, rich flavours of Alberta straight to your table with a series of mouth-watering recipes that celebrate our province’s iconic Noble farm-raised bison. Raised on Alberta’s open prairies, Nobel Bison offers a lean, hearty alternative to beef, and we’re showcasing it in three unforgettable ways, each recipe deeply rooted in local pride and smoky, summery goodness.
We begin with a Bison Tri-Tip Pastrami, cured and smoked with a peppery crust, sliced thin and stacked high for a deli-style experience with Alberta soul. Perfect for sandwiches or charcuterie boards, it brings an old-world tradition to our western wilds.
Albertan Style Pastrami Tri-Tip
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Tri-Tip (2lbs)
BRINE:
- 3.7 Liters Water (15.5 Cups)
- 1 1.2 Cups Brown Sugar
- 5 Tbsp Salt (fine sea, Kosher)
- 3 tsp #1 Prague Powder (pink/curing salt – sodium nitrite) (This recipe calls for Prague Powder #1. No other curing agent can be substituted. No Prague Powder #2, Tender Quick, or saltpeter. Chemically, they are all different.)
- 1 Tbsp Whole Black Peppercorns
- 4 tsp Whole Coriander Seeds
- 1 ½ tsp Yellow Mustard Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Whole Pink Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Whole Fennel Seed
- ½ Cinnamon Stick
- ½ tsp Chili Flakes
- 4 Whole Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tbsp minced Garlic
- Double Ace’s Pastrami Rub
- ½ tsp Mustard Powder
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbsp Kreiser Barbecue SPG+
- 2 Tbsp. Heath Riles Beef Rub Seasoning
- 2 Tbsp Kosmos Q Cow Cover Seasoning
- 4 Tbsp Dark Side of the Grill Mel-Toro
DIRECTIONS: Albertan-style Pastrami Tri-Tip
This recipe will require you to make ahead and let it cure in the brine for 7 days, depending on the weight of your tri-tip.
Day 1-7 Curing Time:
- Mix all of the brine ingredients together in your choice of container.
- Add your tri-tip and keep it submerged fully for 7 days. Agitating once a day.
- Once your meat is cured, you’re ready to move to the coating stage.
Day 7-8 Coating:
- Remove the tri-tip from the brine and pat completely dry.
- Coat completely with the spice rub and place it on a rack over a tray; refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, bring the tri-tip to room temperature, and now you're finally ready to smoke!
Day 8 Smoking:
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F
- Insert your temperature probe into the thickest part (set for internal alarm of 162°F)
- Place your tri-tip on the top rack of your smoker.
- Smoke until you’ve reached your internal temperature of 165°F
- When the tri-tip reaches 165°F (mine took 2 ½ hours), remove it from the smoker.
- Increase the pit temperature to 300°F.
- Pour 2 cups of water into a deep disposable pan, then place a cooking rack over it. Put the tri-tip on the rack, making sure it's not sitting in the water. Cover the pan with saran wrap, then foil and seal tightly (We are steaming like in New York).
- Set the probe temperature to a new internal temperature of 205°F.
- When the pastrami is ready, remove the pan from the smoker and allow the pastrami to rest for 30 minutes in the sealed pan before slicing it into thin slices against the grain.
Enjoy your hard work, you’ve earned it.
*CHEF NOTES: I love homemade smoked pastrami as a Pastrami Reuben with sauerkraut, melted Swiss, and thousand island or Russian dressing. Yes, I know Reubens were originally made with corned beef, but there's no rule that you can't make one from pastrami, it's called a Racheal. Also, I know you’re supposed to use marble Rye, my local bakery was out, so I used sourdough, and it was fantastic.
