Today, I’m gonna share my experience on cooking a tri-tip in my trusty cast iron skillet. I’ve done this a few times, and it always turns out pretty darn good, so I thought, why not write it down and share it with y’all?
First off, I went and got myself a nice tri-tip from the butcher. This one was about 1.5 inches thick, which is just about perfect for cooking in a skillet. You don’t want it too thin, or it’ll overcook before you get a good sear. Too thick, and you’ll be cooking it forever.
I started by getting my cast iron skillet screaming hot. I mean, really hot. You want that thing to sear the meat the second it touches the surface. I added a bit of olive oil to the pan – just enough to coat the bottom. While the pan was heating up, I mixed up a simple rub. Nothing fancy, just some rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I rubbed this all over the tri-tip, making sure to get every nook and cranny.
Once the pan was hot enough, I carefully placed the tri-tip in there. It sizzled like crazy, which is exactly what you want. I let it sear for about 4-5 minutes on each side. This gives it a beautiful crust and locks in all those juices. I kept a close eye on it, flipping it a few times to make sure it was cooking evenly.
After searing, I wanted to check the internal temperature. I used my meat thermometer and stuck it into the thickest part of the tri-tip. My goal was around 130�F for medium-rare. It took a while to reach that temperature, roughly between 20 to 40 minutes. It really depends on how hot your grill or pan is and how done you like your meat.
Some Key Steps:
- Get a good tri-tip: Look for one that’s about 1-1.5 inches thick.
- Heat up your skillet: Make sure your cast iron skillet is super hot before adding the meat.
- Season it up: Use a simple rub of rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Sear it good: Sear the tri-tip for about 2 minutes on each side to get a nice crust.
- Check the temperature: Use a meat thermometer to make sure it reaches your desired level of doneness. Mine was 130�F for medium-rare, which took about 20-40 minutes.
Once it reached the right temperature, I took the tri-tip out of the skillet and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This is important because it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it extra tender and delicious.
After resting, I sliced the tri-tip against the grain and served it up. It was juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. I gotta say, using a cast iron skillet really does make a difference. It gives the meat such a great sear and cooks it evenly. Plus, it’s just fun to use!
So there you have it, my way of cooking tri-tip in a cast iron skillet. It’s simple, it’s tasty, and it’s sure to impress. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
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