There are two ways I do tri-tip: dry rubbed or marinated. There are several packaged dry rubs available in local supermarkets. I found one great Santa Maria-style packaged dry rub, but I forget the brand name. Grilled tri-tips are awesome if you’re looking for a quick cooking, good quality slab of beef. Who isn’t looking for that?

Dry Rub
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
1 tablespoon granulated onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely ground sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Liberally pack on the dry rub to a nicely marbled tri-tip roast. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cooking. This dry rub also goes well with ribs and pork roasts.

Marinade
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup light olive oil
½ cup white sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup black pepper
½ cup garlic salt
½ cup freshly chopped garlic
½ cup dried minced onions

This should be enough to marinade two four-pound tri-tip roasts. Whisk all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour a little of the marinade in the bottom of a large plastic storage container. Place the trimmed tri-tips in that container and pour the rest of the marinade over the roasts. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (overnight would be best). Turn them over and mix ‘em up a bit while they are marinating.

Remove tri-tip roasts from the refridgerator and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Cooking instructions should be the same for either dry rubbed or marinated tri-tips. Heat grill to medium temperature. Place roasts on grill and cook for about 35 minutes (turning once), or until desired doneness. Remove the tri-tips from the grill and let rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing.