This pastrami tri tip recipe uses a weeklong brine and hot grilling to create tender, smoky beef perfect for slicing or sandwiches.
Quick Start Guide
- Time Needed: 6 day brine + 1 day dry cure + grill day
- Temps: Grill 350F, finish at 135F
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(Brine → Season → Smoke)
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Table of Contents
How do you make pastrami
Virtually any type of meat can be made into homemade pastrami. It’s simply the process of curing it for several days in a wet corned beef brine. Then, seasoning it with pastrami rub and smoking it to the right temperature.
Because we’re using tri-tip today, which is a lean cut that comes from the bottom of beef sirloin, you don’t have to smoke it for a long time like you do with brisket.
Instead, you want it cooked to medium or medium rare. Personally, I like it finished around 135F degrees, which only takes about 35-40 minutes.
Pastrami Tri Tip
Ingredients
- 2 lb tri tip roast
- 1 cup Girls Can Grill Pastrami Brine
- 10 1/2 cups water, (1/2 gallon)
- 1/4 cup Girls Can Grill Pastrami Rub
Basting Liquid
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Brine: Mix 1 cup of pastrami brine with 10 1/2 cups of warm water until dissolved. Let cool. Place the tri tip in a meat prep bag. Add the brine. Seal and refrigerate for 6 days.
- Season: Remove the tri tip from the brine. Rinse under cold water. Pat dry and season all over with with the pastrami rub. Place on a pan and refrigerate uncovered for one more day.
- Heat Grill: Heat your grill to medium heat (350-375F).
- Make Basting Liquid: In a small pot, combine the basting ingredients. Set it on the grill to heat the oil.
- Grill: Place the seasoned tri tip on the grill over direct heat. Cook, flipping every 5-7 minutes. Baste with the liquid after each flip. Cook to 135F degrees. This will take 35-40 minutes.
- Rest: Remove the tri tip from the grill. Let rest for 10-15 minutes. Then slice against the grain.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What you’ll need
- Tri Tip: Look for tri tip roast in the beef section at your grocery store. This will be the full triangular cut. Costco usually carries them in packs of two.
- Corned Beef Brine: This is the curing liquid that gives pastrami its unique flavor and color. It’s made with sodium nitrite (pink curing salt #1), kosher salt, brown sugar and pickling spices.
- Pastrami Rub: This homemade rub was designed with spices especially for pastrami. The mixture includes black pepper, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, coconut palm sugar, smoked paprika and garlic.
- Oil: Any type of vegetable oil will work. I usually use corn oil, canola oil or avocado oil.
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Fresh Garlic Cloves
See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to smoke tri tip pastrami
When making pastrami, you need to plan ahead. While the cook time takes less than an hour, the brine process takes about one week.
Step 1: Brine the tri tip
Make the brine by mixing 1 cup of pastrami brine with 10 1/2 cups of warm water. Once the sugar and salts are dissolved, let it cool.
Place the meat in a meat prep bag. Add the cooled brine and refrigerate for 6 days.
Step 2: Season
After six days, remove the tri tip from the brine, and rinse it under cold water to remove excess salt.
Pat dry with paper towels. Then, season all over with pastrami rub. Place it back in the refrigerator uncovered for one day.
Step 3: Grill the tri tip
Heat your grill to medium heat (350-375F) with a direct heat zone. Place the seasoned tri tip on the grill over direct heat and cook to an internal temp of 135F degrees, flipping every 5-7 minutes.
Step 4: Baste as you cook
In a small pot, combine the oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and salt. Place it on the grill to heat. Baste the liquid on the tri tip every time you flip it.
How to serve pastrami tri tip
Once the tri tip reaches temperature, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Then slice it against the grain.
Pastrami tri tip is great all on it’s own with a few sides like potato salad and coleslaw. It’s also awesome as a sandwich piled high on sliced bread or buns.
Storage
Store leftover pastrami tri tip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for several months. Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave or in a skillet.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Plan ahead; it takes a week to brine tri tip
- Rinse off the brine to remove excess salt
- Don’t forget to dry brine the tri tip for added flavor
- Flip often while grilling for even cooking
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the time, pastrami is made with brisket or beef navel, but you can use just about any protein to make pastrami, including tri tip.
When making pastrami with larger cuts of beef like tri tip, it’s best to brine them for 5-7 days.
No. Picanha and tri tip are both cuts of beef from the sirloin primal, near the back end of the cow, but they are technically different cuts.
I’m becoming more impressed by your recipes every day! Keep it up!
Got a question–The insert GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips, suggests to not forget to dry brine for added flavor. This is separate from the described wet brine? I understand dry brining but how would I work it in with wet brine? I must have missed something as usual! Thanks very much, Denny
Thanks. Yes. The wet brine is when you soak the meat in the mixture of water and brine. Then, rinse it and season it with the pastrami rub. I usually let it rest like that in the fridge overnight. Then, I smoke it.