Pan Seared Tri Tip Recipe with a Quick Pan Sauce
Tri Tip is a versatile cut of meat. It has two sections, with the grains running in two different directions. For this two person pan seared tri tip recipe, intended as a quick supper, we are using the end that resembles a beef tenderloin – the other side of meat you can save for a steak sandwich. However, you can use the whole piece of meat depending on the number of people you are cooking for. If you can, season your tri tip in advance, with a good amount of salt and pepper. Once you have treated the meat with the salt, you can keep it covered in the fridge overnight or during the day for a few hours. This helps keep the meat from drying out and also provides a perfect sear and seasoning.
Ingredients for the Tri Tip Recipe
Tri Tip – 1 tail
Kosher salt – to taste
Fresh cracked pepper – to taste
Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tablespoons
Red wine – 1/2 cup (Use one that you enjoy drinking)
Butter – 2 tbsp cubed
Tri tip ingredients
Pan sauce ingredients
Quick Pan Sauce for Our Tri Tip Recipe
Kitchen tools needed for this Tri Tip Recipe
1 Saute Pan
Tongs to flip the meat
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Measuring cups
Whisk
How to Cook this Pan Seared Tri Tip Recipe
Slice the tri tip in half to make sure it fits evenly in a small pan.
Slice tri-tip to place in a small pan
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the sauté pan, bring to medium high heat and add the meat to the pan. Searing the meat is basically browning the meat on both sides. Each side should cook for 4-6 minutes.
Sear the tri tip on both sides
Lower the heat, cover the pan with the lid and allow the roast to cook low and slow for a few of hours. You can use a meat thermometer or cook until the meat gives your finger a good bounce back when you touch it.
Searing Allows The Outside to Caramelize
Lower the heat and cook for a few minutes more, till the meat gives your finger a good bounce back when you touch it. Remove from the pan and allow to rest under a bowl or a tent of foil for 10 minutes.
Return your sauté pan to medium low heat.
Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon or wire whisk, gently scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the brown bits remaining from your sauté.
Once the wine and brown bits have cooked together for a few minutes, you can lower the heat completely and stir in the cold butter, which will thicken the sauce.
Return your sauté pan to medium low heat.
Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon or wire whisk, gently scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the brown bits remaining from your sauté. This is called deglazing, and cooking the wine for a few minutes over medium low heat creates the base of a yummy au jus.
Enjoy the quick pan sauce
Once the wine and brown bits have cooked together for a few minutes, you can lower the heat completely and stir in the cold butter, which will thicken the sauce.
Slice the rested meat on a slight diagonal, cutting against the grain. This tri tip roast is cooked to an internal temperature of 150 degrees Farenheit to be rare.
Slice the tri tip against the grain
Transfer the sliced meat to a plate and pour the pan sauce over.
Serve this pan roasted tri-tip recipe immediately while still luke-warm with your favorite side (this is great over cauliflower mashed potato, brown rice).
Prepare the tri-tip
Preparation for a quick pan sauce
*an alternative to a quick pan sauce for this pan seared tri-tip recipe could be something like a homemade chimichurri sauce for steak.
Slicing and Plating this pan seared tri-tip recipe:
Chef Miele started in the industry as a chef's assistant back in the early 1990s at a New England style seafood shack. After several stints in the industry she earned a formal chef's degree with honors from Le Cordon Bleu. When she is not cooking for her husband and teenage son, she enjoys researching techniques and ingredients from different cultures, with a focus on enhanced flavor and nutrition.