Tri-Tip Smoked Like a Brisket (Inspired by Meat Church BBQ)

Matt Pittman of Meat Church BBQ treats a tri-tip to a full brisket-style cook, proving you can get big, tender brisket flavor from a much smaller, more affordable cut. Here's our take on his method.

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What you’ll need

• 1 whole tri-tip
• Meat Church Holy Cow rub
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Post oak wood

How to make it

1. Trim the tri-tip and coat it heavily on all sides with Holy Cow rub.
2. Get your smoker running clean at 250F with post oak for smoke flavor.
3. Smoke the tri-tip uncovered for about 3 hours, or until it hits 165F internal.
4. Lay it on two overlapping sheets of heavy duty foil, add the butter on top, and wrap it tightly the way you would a brisket.
5. Put it back on the smoker for roughly 2 more hours until it reaches 203F internal and probes tender with little resistance.
6. Open the foil and let it sit uncovered on the smoker for about 10 minutes so the bark firms back up.
7. Tent it in foil and rest for 45 minutes before slicing.
8. Since a tri-tip has two muscles running in different grain directions, cut along the seam where they meet, then slice each piece against its own grain.

Frequently asked questions

Why cook a tri-tip like a brisket?

The long low-and-slow smoke plus a foil wrap and rest breaks down connective tissue, giving a smaller, cheaper cut brisket-like tenderness and a deep smoky bark.

What temperature do you pull the tri-tip off to wrap it?

Pull it once it hits 165F internal, then wrap it tightly in foil with butter before returning it to the smoker.

What's the final target internal temp?

Cook until the tri-tip reaches about 203F internal and feels probe tender, similar to how you'd judge a brisket.

How do you slice a tri-tip correctly?

Tri-tip has two muscles with grains running different directions, so slice it in half along the seam first, then cut each half against its own grain.

How much tri-tip do I need to buy and cook?

Cooking this for a crowd? Set your headcount and get the raw weight to buy.