Yesterday, we celebrated Memorial Day here in the US. Previously known as Decoration Day, it was first celebrated after the American Civil War to honor those who had died in the war. It later expanded to encompass anyone in the Armed Forces who had died while in service to the country. As a tradition, families would gather to put flowers on the graves of those who had fallen, and would follow it with a potluck meal. It became a Federal holiday in the 1970s, and is celebrated on the last Monday of May.
Today, Memorial Day means a lot of things to a lot of people – honoring fallen service members, family gatherings, the start of summer. From a culinary perspective, Memorial Day ushers in the start of grilling season (although that varies by region).
Each year, as I drag my grill out of the shed, I try and take a moment to remember those who gave their lives in defense of their country – regardless of the country they died serving, or the policy decisions that got them there. Having served in the US Navy these past 17 years, it hits close to home; I find myself recognizing more and more names of fallen service members each year. Human history is wrought with stories of people dying when they probably rather wouldn’t have, and I think it’s worth the time to reflect on that from time to time.
I’m a day late in posting my favorite grill recipe of this year, mostly because I’m currently on assignment in a different part of the country, and away from my usual churn of recipe development. Luckily I had this recipe set aside for summer, and it’s the perfect time to share.
I used ButcherBox tri-tip for this recipe, and because it’s grass-fed, it cooks a bit more quickly than you’d expect from conventional beef – not by much, just a minute or two, but that can make the difference between perfect and shoe leather. When I’m grilling beef and I want a specific temperature, I always use a remote thermometer to get notified immediately when the meat is ready; I really love the Weber iGrill thermometers for this purpose, as they connect to my phone via bluetooth to help ensure I don’t overcook my meal.
Also, my friends at ButcherBox have set me up with a neat referral link; readers of The Domestic Man will get $15 off their first order when signing up, plus a free pack of bacon, by following this link.
Argentenian-style Tri-Tip with Chimichurri (Gluten-free, Primal, Paleo, Perfect Health Diet, Whole30)
Marinade:
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
2-4 lbs beef tri-tip (sirloin okay)
Chimichurri:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro (about 3/4 bunch), stems included
1 tbsp fresh chopped oregano or rosemary leaves (about 2 sprigs)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil, more to taste
salt to taste
2 pinches black pepper
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
lemon wedges for serving
1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl; stir to combine. Rub the marinade all over the tri-tip and set aside. Warm up the grill for indirect moderate heat: if using a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side; if using a gas grill, ignite the burners on one side.
2. Place the tri-tip on the cool side of the grill and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 110F, about 25 minutes. As the meat cooks, combine the Chimichurri ingredients and set aside.
3. Move the tri-tip to the hot side of the grill and cook on each side until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain; serve with the Chimichurri and lemon wedges.
Note: In the year leading up to my new cookbook’s release, I will be regularly releasing these recipes to 1) maintain a continuing conversation with my readership and 2) give visitors to this site an opportunity to test and provide feedback before editing. For more information on this new approach, read my post here.
The Domestic Man 
Memorial Day is bittersweet. A day off for family picnics, but really it is about remembering the people who we’ve lost defending our country. This recipe looks fabulous, and I also appreciate your reminder of what this holiday is really about.
Thank you for both!
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Yumm, I am literally drooling over the keyboard. Looks sooo good!
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I wonder what a tri-tip is. I lived in Argentine and never heard of before.
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Hi Sylvia, tri-tip is a triangle shaped muscle located in the bottom round portion of the cow, and is called colita de cuadril in Argentina!
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Ah! Now I get it! Sure. Colita de cuadril is often cooked on barbecue. “Asado”.
Thank you!
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What temperature should the grill be — for the “hot side”. Thanks.
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Ellie, the temperature on grills are so varying but there’s some wiggle room here – I think anything from 350F to 450F should be fine so long as you pull the meat off at the right temperature. Your best way to gauge the grill temp is to hold your hand about 4″ over the hot part of the grill – if you can leave it there about 3-4 seconds comfortably before taking your hand away, you’re in the ballpark.
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Oh my goodness! This was absolutely fantastic! Did this along with provoleta. So simple but great flavor! Thanks!
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Hi Russ! Looks amazing! Quick question-as an NYC resident I don’t have access to a grill-is it possible to do this in the oven? Thanks so much!
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I just did this tonight. You can do the first part (warming the steak to 110 degrees) in an oven with a temp of 200-250, then remove from the oven and put the sear on the steak in a cast iron skillet that’s been heated to medium-high heat on your range. Any pan will work, but cast iron holds heat the best, so will put a nicer crust on the steak.
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The recipe is tasty as well as easy to cook.Thank you so much.
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Don’t want to complicate things but just did a tri-tip by cooking sous vide for 8 hours then finishing. Best texture and taste out of this cut I have ever had. didn’t even have to cut it real thin.
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I have been experimenting with Sous Vide cooking and love it. Do you ever sous vide your meat? This recipe sounds like it would be a great one to try it with.
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