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Disclosure: Barrel House Cooker sponsored this post. Opinions are my own.

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The Barrel House Cooker is one of the grills I use most often for smoking, but it’s more than a smoker. When you remove the main barrel, you can also grill over direct heat, which works great when you’re cooking with the reverse sear method.

Reverse searing is kind of like cooking backwards. Instead of grilling your meat high until it reaches your preferred doneness level, you cook it slow and low over indirect heat, and then finish it over direct heat to develop a flavorful char.

tri-tip hanging in Barrel House Cooker

For the first part of the cook, hang the tri-tip in the Barrel House Cooker, and smoke it until the internal temperature is about 15 degrees shy of your final temperature.

Barrel House Cooker Reverse Seared Tri-Tip

Then, remove the barrel and transform the smoker to a grill. Finish the tri-tip right over the coals, flipping once. Like all meat coming off the grill, be sure to let it rest before you slice into it.

Barrel House Cooker Reverse Seared Tri-Tip

For even more flavor, rub the tri-tip, and let it rest covered in the fridge overnight. Set it on the counter to come to room temperature when you light your cooker.

While I like Meat Church Holy Cow BBQ Rub for this recipe, you can use any steak seasoning.

Barrel House Cooker Reverse Seared Tri-Tip

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4.50 from 2 votes

Barrel House Cooker Reverse Seared Tri-Tip

Add smoke and lock in juiciness next time you cook tri-tip by using the Barrel House Cooker reverse sear method.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 5

Ingredients 

  • 2 lb tri-tip
  • 2 tbsp Meat Church Holy Cow BBQ Rub

Instructions 

  • Sprinkle the rub on all sides of the tri-tip. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • Light your coals with a chimney starter. Let burn for 10-15 minutes. Dump into the basket of the Barrel House Cooker. Set the intake to your altitude setting. Set the barrel onto the base, and let the coals burn for another 5-10 minutes with the lid open. Place the H-frame in the cooker.
  • Pierce a hook through the thick end of the meat about 3 inches down from the end. Hang in the cooker, and close the lid.
  • Cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature to match your desired doneness. For medium rare, cook to 120. For medium, 130. For medium well, 135. For well done, 145. The final steps will add 15 more degrees to the internal temp.
  • Remove from the cooker. Remove the hook and set aside.
  • Remove the barrel from the base of the cooker and set aside. Place the open frame over the coals in the base of the cooker and add the half grates. Let heat for a couple of minutes. Add the tri-tip to the grill. Grill directly on the grates about 3-5 minutes per side.
  • Remove. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcalProtein: 37gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 96mgPotassium: 582mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill
christie vanover standing against wood wall.

Hey BBQ Family

I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and top 10 category finishes. I’m an expert grill reviewer for BBQ Guys, and I have appeared on the Food Network and Ninja Woodfire Grill infomercials. I established this website in 2015 to share my BBQ tips and recipes.

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3 Comments

    1. You sure can. I made this tri-tip when I first got the grill. I have learned so many more secrets since I’ve had it for the past year.