TRI TIP CHALLENGE! Argentine vs. Californian. Which one is the BEST? | Al Frugoni -Open Fire Cooking

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil has a higher smoke point and is healthier.

red wine vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar offers similar acidity with a different flavor.

butter

🥗Healthier: ghee

💰Cheaper: margarine

Ghee is lactose-free and has a higher smoke point.

Prepare the Santa Maria Grill for California style cooking, which will take about 30-40 minutes.

Prepare the Argentinian grill for low and slow cooking, which will take about 1.5 hours.

Use a mix of lump charcoal and firewood for the Argentinian style, avoiding briquettes.

Start the fire in the firebox to create embers for cooking.

Wait about 30 minutes for the embers to be ready before starting to prep the tri tips.

Trim the larger tri tip lightly, removing silver skin and thick cap fat for the California style.

Leave the fat on the smaller tri tip for the Argentinian style, seasoning it only with coarse sea salt.

For the California tri tip, apply the steak rub without a binder since the meat has been out for 40-45 minutes.

Season the Argentinian tri tip with coarse sea salt only, explaining that the salt will melt and flavor the meat during cooking.

After waiting less than 30 minutes due to wind, check the embers and prepare to cook.

Spread the embers evenly on the cooking area of the grill to warm up the bricks and sides before placing the meat on the grill.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens