How Long to Sous Vide Tri-Tip?

Tri-tip is one of the most delicious beef dishes which are cooked in an open grill or pan. The reason behind the popularity of tri-tip is that it has a lot of nutrients that will make your body strong and healthy.

When it comes to sous vide cooking, tri-tip is one of the most common proteins on the market. In general, tri-tip takes about four hours to six hours to sous vide cook and is best served medium-rare.

In this article, we are going to share with you how long to sous vide tri-tip and the recipe for cooking tri-tip.

It’s going to be a fun journey if you are new to sous vide cooking.

How Long to Sous Vide a Tri Tip?

It has been found that cooking the tri-tip roast at 131F for 6 hours is the perfect combination. 

Leaving the tri-tip in for 6 hours results in an extremely tender steak because it breaks down the connective tissue. 

The perfect edge-to-edge rosy color can be found in cooking at a temperature of 131F.

Packaging

Putting ingredients in an air-tight bag or container is the most important part of cooking sous vide. The water displacement method and vacuum seal are the two most common methods to pack your ingredients.

The contents of a bag can be sealed through a vacuum. Ensuring the food is properly sealed prevents the bag from floating, which can result in inconsistent cooking.

If you want to use the displacement method, you need to place your food and marinades in a sous-vide bag, submerge it in a container of water, and allow the pressure to force all the air out of the bag.

Both of these methods work for this recipe, so you can use whichever you please.

To Trim or Not to Trim

Tri-tip can come with a fat cap up to 1/2 inch thick and it is a nicely marbled, tender cut of beef. It can be difficult to decide whether or not to trim the fat cap before cooking sous vide.

Note: Cooking the tri-tip at 131F for 6 hours leaves a rubbery fat layer, which some cooks find unappetizing. 

If your fat cap is between 14 and 12 inches thick, we recommend trimming it down.

Depending on how much fat you enjoy, additional trimming is based on your preferences. If you want your beef to be leaner, you should trim a lot of the fat and silver skin from it. 

It’s important to remember that the fat adds great flavor to the tri-tip, so we recommend keeping it on.

Best Way to Sear Beef After Sous Vide

Searing is one of the most important steps in the sous vide process. It is possible to get a deep, rich sear that will make your food look like it is Michelin star quality. 

Your dinner guests will wonder why they allowed you to cook again if you fail to do so.

Follow these steps to get a perfect sear on your roast:

• Pat the meat dry with a paper towel.
• Season with salt or seasoning of your choice.
• Sear at extremely high temperatures.

Use paper towels to dry meat. After the meat is dry, lightly brush the roast with olive oil then season generously with salt and pepper. 

The brushing with olive oil will allow the seasoning to stick to the meat better and result in a deeper sear.

The best method to use at this point is still to be determined. Pan searing, grilling, or using a torch are some of the techniques we suggest for tri-tip.

To get the pan, grill, or torch to be extremely hot, you have to sear it for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. This results in a high-quality sear, without over-cooking the steak.

See also: Sous Vide vs Reverse Sear

Carving the Tri-Tip

Since the grain can change direction on the roast, slicing the tri-tip can be difficult. If you want to cut the roast into two separate parts, you have to take a look at the raw meat and determine which direction the strands of muscle fiber are running on each section. 

At this point, make sure your knife is sharp so you can easily carve this piece of meat.

Equipment You Can Use to Make Sous Vide Even More Delicious

Sous Vide Machine

It’s obvious. You will need a device to regulate the temperature of the bathwater to cook sous vide. 

The Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule are the two best sous-vide machines currently on the market.

The main difference between the two is that with the Anova you can control the device both manually and with a mobile device, and with the Joule you only have to use your mobile device.

12-quart Container

I highly recommend buying a large plastic container instead of using a basic stockpot. You won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot because they are cheap and roomy. 

It is a good idea to use a 12 quart Rubbermaid container as it is large enough for everything you will be cooking.

Container Lid

I highly recommend buying a compatible lid for your plastic container. The heat of water causes it to evaporate. You can cook for hours without worry with a lid.

Cast Iron Skillet

We recommend that you invest in a cast-iron skillet if you want to take your game to the next level. 

If you use cast iron in this recipe, you can achieve a deep sear on the meat. If you want to sear any sous vide meat, cast irons are an excellent choice.

FAQ

Can you sous vide the steak from frozen?

Yes, you can. Freeze the meat for a couple of days or so. Once thawed, place in a zip lock bag and vacuum seal. 

Place in sous vide cooker and cook to desired doneness. Let it rest for at least an hour.

How long does cooking sous vide tri-tip take?

Depending on the thickness of the meat, it should take anywhere from 1 hour 40 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. 

If you’re using a digital probe thermometer, you can cook the tri-tip to 130ºF. This will help ensure the beef stays safe.

Conclusion

I am sure you will love this recipe if you want to prepare a perfect meal. Sous vide cooking is not just a simple cooking technique but it is a great method that has many benefits. 

So, try these sous vide tri-tip recipes and share your experience with me.