Award-Winning Idaho Beef Tri-Tip: The Owyhee Beef Grilling Recipe with a Storied Past
Discover the rich flavors and fascinating history behind my award-winning Idaho Beef Tri-Tip recipe, a dish I proudly call “Owyhee Beef.” This celebrated recipe first made its debut at the Western Idaho Fair in 1999, where it clinched victory in a highly anticipated “celebrity” beef cookoff. More than just a delicious meal, Owyhee Beef serves as a heartfelt tribute to a unique chapter of Idaho’s past, a story often overlooked but deeply woven into the state’s heritage. Join me as we explore the culinary journey of this exquisite tri-tip and the historical narrative that gives it its distinctive name.
Looking back, it’s amazing to think this recipe was created long before blogging became a mainstream platform. While I’m working on adding new, mouth-watering pictures of this dish in action, I wanted to share the essence of what makes this entree so extraordinary. It’s not just about the tender, marinated beef; it’s about the vibrant combination of fresh fruits and vegetables, all brought together with a sweet and savory sauce that truly elevates every bite. This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a flavorful experience steeped in history and personal triumph.
The Storied Past of Owyhee Beef: A Nod to Idaho’s History
Our family affectionately refers to this dish as Owyhee Beef, a name that carries significant historical weight within Idaho. The story dates back to the early 1800s when fur trading ships frequented the Northwest, bringing with them a diverse group of individuals, including native Hawaiians. These skilled “Owyhees”—a common mispronunciation of Hawaiians at the time—were essential to the fur trapping industry. Tragically, in 1818, several of these brave trappers were sent into the rugged Owyhee mountains of Idaho and never returned. Their disappearance left a lasting mark, and the region, including the Owyhee River and mountain range, was named in their memory. By calling this dish Owyhee Beef, we honor these early pioneers and ensure their legacy is remembered and celebrated, connecting a delicious meal to an important piece of Idahoan heritage.
Understanding the Tri-Tip Cut: A Griller’s Favorite
The tri-tip roast, also known as a triangle roast or Santa Maria steak, is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut. It’s a fantastic choice for grilling due to its rich marbling, lean characteristics, and excellent flavor. This versatile cut is known for its triangular shape, making it distinct and relatively easy to identify. When grilled properly, tri-tip delivers a tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful experience. It’s a favorite among BBQ enthusiasts for its ability to absorb marinades beautifully and cook to perfection on the grill, providing a robust beefy taste without being overly fatty. For the Idaho Beef recipe, the tri-tip serves as the perfect canvas for our unique marinade, ensuring every bite is memorable.
Crafting the Award-Winning Marinade: A Symphony of Flavors
The secret to this award-winning Idaho Beef Tri-Tip lies in its dynamic marinade and dipping sauce. This concoction isn’t just about tenderizing the meat; it’s about infusing it with a complex blend of sweet, savory, and tangy notes that truly sing on the palate. Our marinade features your favorite BBQ sauce as a base, providing a familiar comfort, but it’s the additions of freshly grated ginger, bright pineapple juice, a hint of mustard, the sweetness of honey, and the umami depth of soy sauce that transform it into something extraordinary. The olive oil helps to carry these flavors into the beef and ensures a tender texture. Grated ginger adds a fresh, zesty kick, while pineapple juice, with its natural enzymes, aids in tenderizing the beef and imparts a subtle tropical sweetness. This carefully balanced marinade ensures that every slice of tri-tip is bursting with flavor, creating a truly unforgettable meal that impressed judges and continues to delight my family.
Grilling Your Tri-Tip to Perfection
Grilling a tri-tip requires a keen eye and a bit of patience to achieve that perfect balance of a smoky crust and a juicy interior. For this recipe, we’re aiming for a charcoal grill, which imparts an unparalleled depth of flavor. Begin by ensuring your charcoals are fully heated and no longer smoking, creating a consistent heat source. Place your marinated tri-tip directly over the coals for a good sear on all sides, then move it to a slightly cooler part of the grill for indirect cooking. This two-zone grilling method allows the meat to cook through evenly without burning the exterior. Cover the grill to maintain a consistent temperature and allow the smoky flavors to permeate the beef.
Achieving the Ideal Doneness
For the best results and a truly tender tri-tip, precision is key. Use a reliable meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. For a succulent medium-rare, remove the roast from the grill when your thermometer reads 135°F. If you prefer a medium doneness, aim for 150°F. Remember, these are target temperatures before resting.
The Importance of Resting
Once removed from the grill, immediately transfer the tri-tip to a cutting board and tent it loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. This resting period, lasting 20-25 minutes, is absolutely crucial. During this time, the internal temperature will continue to rise by approximately 10 degrees—a phenomenon known as carryover cooking. This means your medium-rare tri-tip will reach a perfect 145°F, and your medium will hit 160°F. Resting allows the juices within the meat to redistribute throughout the roast, ensuring every slice is incredibly moist and flavorful. Skipping this step often results in dry, tough beef, so don’t rush it!
Mastering the Slice: Across the Grain
Even a perfectly cooked and rested tri-tip can be ruined if not sliced correctly. The key to maximum tenderness is to carve the roast across the grain. The muscle fibers in a tri-tip can run in different directions, so it’s important to identify the grain and cut against it in thin slices. Cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, making the beef much easier to chew and more tender. Take your time, use a sharp knife, and slice uniformly for an exquisite presentation and eating experience.
My Winning Moment: The 1999 Western Idaho Fair Cookoff
The 1999 “celebrity” beef cookoff at the Western Idaho Fair remains a vivid and cherished memory. It was a whirlwind of excitement, challenge, and immense satisfaction. All competitors were given the same size tri-tip, a charcoal grill, and a strict one-hour time limit to cook everything (excluding marinating time, thankfully!). The pressure was on! I remember it being a hot summer day, adding another layer of challenge as we raced against the clock. Prepping all the fresh fruit and getting the sauce just right while the tri-tip was on the grill felt like a frantic but exhilarating scramble. I was constantly checking the meat, worried about whether it would be perfectly cooked within the tight timeframe. In a home kitchen, I might have extended the cooking time slightly, but the competition forced me to trust my instincts and the process.
Why This Recipe Won
That day, I learned a valuable lesson: how truly delicious and tender a perfectly cooked medium-rare piece of beef can be. The judges were evidently impressed by the succulence of the tri-tip and the vibrant, balanced flavors of the sauce and fresh accompaniments. This recipe stood out because it combined a well-prepared cut of beef with bright, fresh ingredients like mango, pineapple, red peppers, and red onion, creating a harmonious and memorable dish. The unique sweet and savory marinade, coupled with the tender tri-tip, made for an unforgettable culinary experience that ultimately led to my first big win on such a public stage. The joy and excitement shared with my family and the TV station team made that victory even sweeter. It truly was a fantastic day, cementing this recipe as a family favorite and an award-winning triumph.
Recipe
Idaho Beef
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Equipment
- BBQ Grill
Ingredients
Marinade and Dipping Sauce
- 1 16 ounce bottle – Your favorite BBQ sauce, I like Chivers, Spicy Apple @chivers (not sponsored)
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger – save 1 teaspoon or sautéing the veggies
- ½ cup pineapple juice – saved after you drain the pineapple slices from the can, below
- ⅛ cup mustard
- ⅛ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Tri-Tip and Sides
- 2 pounds Tri-Tip
- 2 mangos, peeled and sliced
- 1 can sliced pineapple – drained and save the juice
- 2 red peppers – thinly sliced
- 1 red onion – thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups brown rice – cooked
- Leafy greens for garnish
Instructions
Prepare Sauce and Sides
- Combine dipping sauce ingredients (save 1 teaspoon of grated ginger for later and set aside 1 cup of the sauce for serving). Pierce beef and place with sauce in a zipped plastic bag, marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator, turning frequently.
- While beef marinates, prep the remaining ingredients for serving.
- Peel and slice mango and slice the red onion. Cook brown rice (per the instructions on the bag or box.)
Grill and Plate
- Heat charcoals. Once the coals are no longer smoking and are hot, place in the base of your grill. Place beef on the grill, cover and cook for about one hour or until 135 for medium rare..
- While beef cooks, heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add onions and peppers and 1 teaspoon grated ginger. Cook until tender, but still crisp.
- Remove beef from the grill, cover with foil and tented for at least 20 minutes. The internal temperature will rise about another 10 degrees during this resting time, then slice the beef thin. Warm the remaining one cup of leftover sauce in a small pan over low heat.
- Plate the silced beef add peppers, red onions, pinapple and mango to each plate wiht a scoop of steamed rice. Drizzle with the remaining BBQ sauce. Garnish with a few leafy greens.
Notes
Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database, so they’re just a rough estimate not an exact science.
Serving Suggestions for Your Owyhee Beef
While the recipe suggests brown rice, red peppers, red onions, pineapple, and mango, feel free to customize your plate. The vibrant colors and sweet-savory profiles of these sides perfectly complement the rich beef. You could also serve this with grilled asparagus, a fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette, or even mashed sweet potatoes for an extra touch of sweetness. The leftover sauce, warmed gently, is fantastic for drizzling over the beef and sides, enhancing every component of the dish. Don’t forget that final garnish of leafy greens, adding a fresh, crisp finish to your beautifully plated Owyhee Beef.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grilling Tri-Tip
Q: Can I use a different cut of beef?
A: While tri-tip is ideal for this recipe due to its tenderness and shape, you could adapt the marinade for other cuts like flank steak or sirloin. Adjust grilling times accordingly, as thinner cuts will cook much faster.
Q: What if I don’t have a charcoal grill?
A: A gas grill can certainly be used! Preheat it to medium-high heat. Sear the tri-tip on all sides, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking with the lid closed, monitoring the internal temperature closely.
Q: How can I ensure my beef is tender?
A: Two crucial steps are marinating for the full two hours to allow flavors to penetrate and tenderize, and most importantly, letting the beef rest after grilling. The resting period is vital for juicy, tender meat. Also, remember to slice thinly against the grain.
Q: Can I prepare the marinade ahead of time?
A: Absolutely! The marinade can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to meld even further, enriching your Owyhee Beef experience.