Decided the other day that it was time to kill off a piece of tri-tip that had been in my freezer for a bit.
Marinaded in cilantro chimichurri:
6 hours in the marinade and going on the smoker w/ mesquite - I meant to marinade for only 4 hours, but things got in the way and I was delayed. In retrospect, for this smaller cut, my initial thoughts were probably right, 4 hours would have been plenty, or maybe I only needed 3 hours, but 6 was too much - it was too bitey from the extra time in the lime and vinegar:
About an hour into the high-temp cook with smoke (300F-ish):
Pulled, rested and sliced... Frack, the overmarinading screwed me here - that meat shouldn't be that color. Should have been more like medium. Texture was medium, but looks were that of well done. Phooey.
Fixed with some killer Cuban black beans, white rice and a great, fresh, German style pilsner from the local brewery:
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