Tri-Tip: Three Ways to Cook a Family Roast for 18 November

A Tri-Tip Roast for Latvia’s Independence Day

18 November is a time to gather with family and enjoy a festive meal. Serve Latvian beef tri-tip with potatoes, root vegetables and lingonberry sauce.

Tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef with a rich, beefy flavour. Roast it in the oven, cook it on a gas grill or braise it slowly in a savoury sauce.

Each recipe is for a 1–1.2 kg roast, serving approximately four adults with side dishes.

Cooking times are approximate. The thickness of the meat and your equipment will affect the timing, so use a meat thermometer to check doneness.

1. Oven-Roasted Tri-Tip with Garlic and Rosemary

Preparation: 15 minutes.
Oven cooking after searing: approximately 35–65 minutes.
Resting: 10–15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1–1.2 kg beef tri-tip;

• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil;

• 10–12 g salt;

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper;

• 3 garlic cloves, minced;

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary;

• 25 g butter.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C conventional or 145–150°C fan.

2. Remove the meat from its packaging and pat dry. Rub with salt, pepper and one tablespoon of oil.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Sear the two broad sides for approximately 2 minutes each, then briefly brown the edges.

4. Transfer to a roasting dish. Add the butter, garlic and rosemary on top. Leave uncovered.

5. Roast until the meat reaches your chosen internal temperature, listed below. Start checking after 25–30 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10–15 minutes.

7. Slice thinly against the grain and spoon over the roasting juices.

Serve with: separately roasted potatoes, carrots and lingonberry sauce.

2. Gas-Grilled Tri-Tip with Mustard and Smoked Paprika

Preparation: 10 minutes.
Cooking: approximately 35–65 minutes.
Resting: 10–15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1–1.2 kg beef tri-tip;

• 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil;

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard;

• 10–12 g salt;

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper;

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika;

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

Method

1. Pat the meat dry. Mix the oil, mustard and seasonings, then rub over the meat.

2. Set up two cooking zones: a hot zone for searing and an indirect zone with the burner directly beneath the meat switched off.

3. Sear the two broad sides over direct heat for 2–3 minutes each. Avoid flare-ups and do not let the seasoning burn.

4. Move the meat to the indirect zone. Close the lid and use the other burners to maintain a grill temperature of 160–180°C.

5. Cook to your chosen internal temperature. Take the first reading after approximately 20 minutes.

6. Remove from the grill, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10–15 minutes.

7. Slice thinly against the grain.

Serve with: grilled vegetables, potatoes and a sour cream and horseradish sauce.

Internal Temperatures for Oven-Roasted and Grilled Tri-Tip

• Medium rare — a juicy, rosy centre: remove from the heat at approximately 52–54°C. The temperature will usually rise to 55–57°C during resting.

• Medium — more cooked, with a pink centre: remove from the heat at approximately 57–59°C. The temperature will usually rise to 60–63°C during resting.

The temperature rise during resting varies. Check the final temperature as well.

Food safety: these pink doneness levels are below the conservative safety recommendation. For a whole cut of beef, that recommendation is to reach at least 63°C before removing it from the heat, followed by at least 3 minutes of resting. Choose this option for children, pregnant people, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system.

3. Slowly Braised Tri-Tip with Onions and Carrots

Fully cooked beef in a rich sauce, ideal for those who prefer their roast without a pink centre.

Preparation: 20 minutes.
Braising: approximately 2½–3½ hours, or longer if needed.
Resting in the sauce: 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1–1.2 kg beef tri-tip;

• 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil;

• 2 onions;

• 3 carrots;

• 4 garlic cloves;

• 1 tablespoon tomato purée;

• 600–800 ml hot beef stock;

• 2 bay leaves;

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme;

• salt and black pepper to taste.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C conventional.

2. Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper. Use less salt if your stock is already salty.

3. Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole. Brown the meat on all sides, then remove it.

4. Roughly chop the onions and carrots and cook in the casserole for approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato purée, stirring for another minute.

5. Pour in a little stock and scrape the browned bits from the bottom.

6. Return the meat to the casserole. Add the bay leaves, thyme and enough stock to come halfway to two-thirds up the meat.

7. Bring to a gentle simmer on the hob. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven.

8. Braise for 2½–3½ hours. After 2 hours, check tenderness and the liquid level. Add hot water or stock if needed.

9. An internal temperature of 90–95°C is a useful guide, but tenderness is the main test: a fork or thermometer probe should slide in easily. If the meat is still firm, continue cooking in 20–30-minute intervals.

10. Rest the meat in its sauce for 15 minutes, then slice against the grain and serve with the sauce.

Serve with: mashed potatoes, the braised vegetables and lingonberry preserve.

Two Tips for a Better Roast

Measure in the centre. Place the thermometer tip in the centre of the thickest part, avoiding pockets of fat. Check several spots.

Slice against the grain. The grain changes direction within a tri-tip. Look at the fibres before cooking. Once cooked and rested, divide the roast where the grain changes direction, then cut each section across its grain into slices approximately 3–5 mm thick.

Latvian Beef for Your Celebration

Choose Latvian beef from CEPLĪŠI M.S. for your festive tri-tip roast. Find tri-tip in our online product catalogue at galaspiegadejums.lv.

Wishing you a warm and delicious celebration of Latvia’s Independence Day!