Day 148

Trader Joe's Santa Maria Tri-Tip Roast: Today's new food was actually a bit unexpected. Due to the nasty weather, I spent the night over at the GF's place last night, and luckily she'd prepared for the weather in advance with food supplies. I was worried about finding a new food to blog about today since I hadn't been able to prepare in advance, and driving to buy something was out of the question. When she mentioned cooking this tri-tip roast for dinner, I knew it would work. I'd never had that cut of beef, so the crisis was averted. This pre-marinated version came from Trader Joe's, and since I love most of their products, I knew it wouldn't be bad.

The roast was marinated in a mix of onion, garlic, lemon and pepper, and the package instructed to roast it in the oven for around 30 minutes. I wasn't sure where the tri-tip came from on the cow, but Wikipedia informed me that it was taken from the bottom sirloin. Apparently it's quite popular on the West coast, but just now reaching a higher degree of popularity elsewhere. Anyway, after cooking and resting, we sliced the roast into thin strips. It was cooked a perfect medium rare, and I was hungry and eager to try.

My first bite was tasty - the marinade provided a good bit of flavor and spice. It was a bit tougher and chewier than a lot of cuts I've had, but good nonetheless. I'm glad we didn't cook it longer, since it may have been a little too tough if left in the oven past 30-35 mins. If you're looking for a more economical way to cook steak, especially without a grill, this would be a great option. I ended up using a little bit of Bobby Flay steak sauce on it, but it really didn't require that. 

I bet this will make good steak sandwiches tomorrow, which may be our only lunch option if still snowed in.