Why You Need A Marinade To Grill Perfect Tri Tip Steak

If you're working with a lean cut of steak, it's important to know that grilling it requires careful attention: Minus the fat that a cut like a Porterhouse sports, leaner steaks are prone to drying out easily on the grill. Tri tips come from the sirloin, and are known for being tender with a beefy flavor, and a roughly triangular shape. That said, it's lean, so it's easier to accidentally grill it into a strip of leather if you're not careful — don't cook it beyond medium, and it's perhaps wiser to keep to medium-rare or lower for optimal tenderness.

But the hottest tip for grilling a tri tip steak is to marinate it first, as this adds fat and moisture to prevent it from drying out on the grill. There's no shortage of marinade recipes out there, but as a general rule, you'll want a good amount of oil — around half the marinade, or even a bit more. The oil can be neutral or flavored (like olive oil), depending on your preference. Then some acid like lemon juice (but for every two parts of oil, you'll want no more than one part of acid), and seasonings like herbs, chiles, or garlic. Salt is key (of course, it can be in the form of something like soy sauce) and some sources recommend a little sugar to help the meat caramelize on the grill.

Marinades benefit cuts like tri tip steak in a few ways. The salt helps the proteins in the meat retain their moisture, and since this cut doesn't have much fat to help with juiciness, that's a big plus. Fat (that is, the oil) helps keep your steak moist, but it also will help it brown as you cook it. The role of flavorings — be it spices, garlic, herbs, or chiles — will help add an extra dimension of flavor. Finally, the acid in marinades is a contentious issue: Some say it tenderizes the meat (another benefit with a cut that's prone to getting tough on the grill), but others argue it can make meat mushy. That said, that's only likely to be a problem if you soak your tri tip in an acidic marinade for too long.

That brings up the question of how long to marinate steak — most sources agree that a few hours (or at least one) is good, some will suggest going up to 12 hours or even overnight. But be warned, it's possible to over-marinate steak, as this can break the meat down too much and ruin its texture — so don't leave it for days. When your tri tip is sufficiently marinated, go ahead and grill it — just not too long as you're just looking for medium at most.