Tri-tip

Beef cut
Beef cut:	Bottom Sirloin
Steak type:	Tri-tip
(also known as: "triangle steak")

Whole beef tri-tip rump, grilled medium rare

The tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut.^[1] It is a small triangular muscle, usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. (675 to 1,150g) per side of beef.

The scientific name of this muscle is tensor fasciae latae, inserted in the fascia lata, the connective tissue covering the quadriceps femoris, also called quadriceps extensor, a group of four muscles which in turn insert in the patella, or knee cap of the animal.

United States

See also: Santa Maria Style Barbecue

In the United States, this cut was typically used for ground beef or sliced into steaks until the late 1950s, when Otto Schaefer marketed it in Oakland, California. Shortly thereafter, it became a local specialty in Santa Maria, California, rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and other seasonings, cooked over red oak wood and roasted whole on a rotisserie, smoked in a pit, baked in an oven, grilled, or braised by putting a pot on top of a grill, browning the meat directly on the grill surface before and after the braising. (The tri-tip is still often labeled the "Santa Maria steak".) Most popular in the Central Coast of California and Central Valley regions of California,^[1] it has begun to enjoy increasing popularity elsewhere for its full flavor, lower fat content, and comparatively lower cost.

In New York City, the Florence Meat Market has popularized the name "Newport steak" for a steak cut from the tri-tip.^[2]

Tri-tip has also become a popular cut of meat for producing chili con carne on the competitive chili cooking circuit, supplanting ground beef because the low fat content produces little grease, for which judges take off points.^{[citation needed]}

Tri-tip is a close cousin of the culotte steak, which is cut from the top sirloin.

Worldwide

In much of Europe the tri-tip is usually sliced into steaks. In France the tri-tip is called aiguillette baronne and is left whole as a roast.^[3] In northern Germany, it is called Bürgermeisterstück or Pastorenstück, in Austria Hüferschwanzel, and in southern Germany it is called the same name as the traditional and popular Bavarian and Austrian dish "Tafelspitz", which serves it boiled with horseradish. In Spain, it is often grilled whole and called the "rabillo de cadera". In Central America, this cut is also usually grilled in its entirety, and is known as punta de Solomo, and in South America, it is grilled as part of the Argentine asado and is known as colita de cuadril, in Chile is a popular roast called "punta de picana", in Mexico it is known as picaña, in Colombian cuisine it is a popular cut for grilled steaks and is known as punta de anca, in Venezuela is known as "punta trasera" and in Brazil it is a common cut for the traditional Brazilian churrasco and is known as maminha. It is also popular among Sims ^[4] As the meat itself is very lean, it needs to be cooked with the layer of pure fat attached to it.

This cut is very versatile in how it can be prepared. The traditional Santa Maria style of cooking is barbecuing at low heat over a red oak pit but the tri-tip can be slow-smoked, marinated or seasoned with a dry rub. It is cooked over high heat on a grill, on a rotisserie, or in an oven. After cooking, the meat is normally sliced across the grain before serving.^[5]

In the U.S., the tri-tip has the meat-cutting classification NAMP 185D.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Green, Aliza (2005). Field Guide to Meat. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books. ISBN 1931686793. 
2. ^ [1], Minifie, Kemp M. "The Recipe(s): Butchers' Secrets." Gourmet, Oct. 15, 2008.
3. ^ "L'aiguillette baronne", CIV (Centre d'Information des Viandes)
4. ^ http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Cooking_(The_Sims_3)
5. ^ http://virtualweberbullet.com/tritip1.html