Sous vide transforms the flavorful tri-tip into supremely tender, juicy perfection with ease. Just salt, pepper, herbs and the steak itself highlight this California cut's rich, beefy glory through the hands-off sous vide method.
Prep. Trim excess fat if necessary (often isn't needed), drizzle with a little oil and season generously with kosher salt on all sides. Add herbs to both sides of the steak in the bag.
Preheat the water bath to 131-134°F (55-56°C) for medium-rare.
Vacuum seal the steak or use the water displacement method with a ziplock freezer bag, removing as much air from the bag as possible for maximum contact with the water.
Cook sous vide. Place the vacuum-sealed tri-tip in the water bath and cook sous vide for 3 to 6 hours. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will get.
Remove from the water bath and cool slightly on the counter. (at this point, you can either sear to serve, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze to use later)
Remove the tri-tip from the bag, discard the liquid and pat both sides of the steak dry with paper towels. Season with some black pepper (and additional salt if desired) and any desired seasonings (be aware some can burn during the sear).
Sear. Preheat a heavy-bottom skillet over high heat with your range exhaust fan on high, or a grill until it starts to smoke. If using a skillet, add 1 tbsp of avocado oil, grapeseed oil, beef tallow, or other high smoke point oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Sear each side for about 60 to 90 seconds per side, until browned.
There's no need to rest the meat, just slice against the grain into 1/4" slices (or the desired thickness and serve with a sprinkle of finishing salt and your favorite sides.
Notes
For maximum flavor, season the tri-tip at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours prior to cooking.
Slice against the grain for the most tender bites.
I recommend cooking this cut to medium-rare, but if you want to cook it more, you can go 135 to 145° F for medium. See more steak temperature options.