The tri-tip cut of beef is an economical choice for those who enjoy steaks with a juicy, moderately chewy texture (think sirloin strip steak). It is a thick, triangular-shaped piece of meat, weighing in at roughly 907 grams (2 pounds). Preparation could not be easier: apply heat for less than an hour, give it a brief rest, slice it thinly across the grain (very important!) and prepare for a mouthful of beefy bliss. The many names for tri tip include: California cut, bottom sirloin tip, triangle cut, Santa Maria cut, aiguillette baronne (France), rabillo de cadera (Spain), Punta de picaña (Argentina) (shared by thetritipguy.com).
I’ve made this Harissa Crusted Tri-Tip Roast many, many times, always to the delight of family and friends.
It’s simple to prepare – I’ve even frozen it with the coating – due to a last minute change of dinner plans – and later defrosted and cooked it with delicious results! Imagine my delight in discovering that the recipe had been developed by none other than The Cook’s Cook contributing editor Selma Brown Morrow when she worked at Bon Appétit magazine. Selma said, “At that time, Moroccan recipes were popular, and I had developed a Sephardic menu for Hanukkah. For my harissa I wanted flavor as well as heat, so I featured the prominent spices used in classic harissa.” Selma, your homemade harissa paste is extra flavorful and most don’t find it too spicy, just extra delicious!
First published October 2016
Selma’s Harissa-Crusted Tri-Tip Roast
Ingredients
- •9 ml (1¾ teaspoons) caraway seeds
- •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- •6 garlic cloves
- •60 ml (¼ cup) chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) tomato sauce
- •7.5 ml (1½ teaspoons) ground cumin
- •6.2 ml (1¼ teaspoons) chili powder
- •.7 to .9 kg (1¾ to 2-pound) tri-tip beef roast, most of fat layer trimmed
- •Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian markets.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Toast caraway seeds in small nonstick skillet over medium heat until seeds darken and begin to smoke, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil and garlic cloves to caraway seeds in skillet. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 1 minute. Pour caraway mixture into processor. Add chili paste, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder and blend until garlic cloves are pureed. Season harissa to taste with salt.
Sprinkle beef all over with salt and pepper; place beef, fat side down, on rack on rimmed baking sheet. Spread with half of harissa. Turn beef over; spread remaining harissa over top and sides. Roast beef until thermometer inserted into center registers 52°C to 55°C (125°F to 130°F) for medium-rare, about 35 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
