SOAK:

Soak the trip tip in some kind of marinade or brine. We used a premixed packet that can be found in every grocery store. Just add olive oil and water. Soak for about 4-5 hours. This will help with the overall moistness of the meat and set the flavor "tone".

SEASON:

Season the tri tip with your favorite dry rub, preferably something that will complement your brine. We used just Salt, Garlic Powder, and Onion Salt. Don't use too much here, you want just enough to surprise your taste buds. Remember, your main flavor is coming from the brine.

SMOKE:

Place the tri tip right in the center of your Kuma Pellet Grill and stab the integrated meat probe into it. Set the grill for 200 degrees and then set the desired internal meat temperature as follows: 120 for rare, 130 for medium, and 140 for well (adjust to liking). Let it smoke for about 1-2 hours, this will depend on your cut of meat, and your target temp. These temps may look a little low, but the meat will pick up another 10-15 degrees in the final two steps. 

SEAR:

This is where your Kuma Pellet Grill is going to win you awards. Kick the grill up to 350 degrees for just a few minutes, then turn it up even more. Go past the 480 mark to FL3 (Flame Zone 3). Sear the tri tip for about 5-7 minutes per side. Look for a temp rise of about 10 degrees during this step. This is your last step on the grill, get some tin foil ready and make sure that the rest of the meal is almost finished.

SLICE:

First, step 4.5- Wrap in tin foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes. The tri tip will pick up another 5 to 10 degrees during the resting period. So why is slicing it's own step (besides it starting with S and all)? Because it's important to slice accross the grain of the meat. You can't just start hacking... slicing across the meat grain is an important part of getting the perfect tenderness! 

Isn't it beautiful? This one was a little more done than I would like, but my kids are a little shy of the pink. However, it was nonetheless delicious and tender!