I'm not insane... really, I'm not...

It's nearing mid-November.  It's cold.  It's dark.  It's wet.  I have the sudden, undeniable urge to...

GRILL!!!

A lot of people (especially in northern climes) think that once the nice weather ends, so does your opportunity to grill outdoors.  I am not one of them.  I have been known to stand out in four inches of snow, just to slap a few chicken breasts on.  If I have a craving for steak, I'll stand out in a driving storm to cook rather than even attempt to cook them in the oven or on the stove.  It just goes against everything I believe in to cook a good piece of beef on anything except an outdoor grill.  When we moved into our new apartment, we were overjoyed to learn that we could have a propane grill on our patio, so off we went to Lowes.  Even though it was the off-season, we found a great grill for $129... score!



About the same time, Safeway had a great deal on tri-tips.  For those of you not on the West Coast, a tri-tip is a glorious hunk of beef.  It is a small, triangular muscle (usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.) cut from the bottom sirloin.  It is perfect for marinating and grilling, so that's what I did.

marinade-

1/3 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. olive oil
1/3 C. fresh lemon juice
1/4 C. Worcestershire
1 1/2 T. garlic powder
3 T. dried basil
1 1/2 T. parsley flakes
1 1/2 t. hot pepper sauce (I use Tapatio)

Combine all ingredients in a gallon ziplock freezer bag and shake well to combine.  Add meat, seal, and shake around to coat well.  Refrigerate for 24-48 hours (I did 48).



2-3 hours before grilling, remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.  The is VERY important, because if the meat is too chilled it will cook too much on the outside and not enough on the inside.



Preheat grill for 5-10 minutes until it's good and hot (like 500 degrees hot).  Sear on both sides for 5 minutes each.



If you have a grill with three burners, turn off the center one and keep the meat in the middle.  If you only have two burners, turn off one side and move the meat to the OFF side.  You want indirect heating for the rest of the cooking time.  Turn the other burner(s) down to maintain a temperature of about 375 degrees.



Close the lid and continue to cook over INDIRECT heat for another 25-35 minutes total, depending on the size of the roast, turning once.  Remove roast to platter and allow to rest for 10 minutes.



Carve into 1/3-1/2" thick slices, across the grain.  When cooked this way, a tri-tip is surprisingly tender so you don't have to worry about slicing it super thin.



Serve with whatever sides you like and ENJOY!



(yes... those are canned green beans... sue me)

I hope this will encourage you to think outside the norm and keep your grill going all year!