Santa Maria tri‑tip, reverse‑seared over CHARBLOX
California’s great barbecue cut, done the way the Central Coast does it: salt, pepper, garlic and live fire. We roast it gently on the cool side, then sear it hard over the logs. One load of CHARBLOX runs the whole cook.
Two-zone reverse sear. One load, start to finish.
Bank six logs on one side, roast on the other, then slide the meat over the coals to finish. Five logs weigh about 3 lb, so six is roughly 3½ lb, loaded once at the start. Classic Hardwood burns 3–4× longer than average charcoal, so that load does the work of roughly 10–14 lb of it.
- T−35mLight
- T0Meat on, cool side
- T+40mSear at 115°F
- T+50mRest
- T+60mSlice
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01Food
Dry brine the tri-tip
Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley. Pat the tri-tip dry and season it on every side. Leave it uncovered on a rack in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Pull it out when you light the fire.
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02Fire
Light six logs
Stand six CHARBLOX Classic Hardwood logs loosely in the chimney with one natural firestarter underneath. No lighter fluid. Leave it alone until the top logs are grey at the edges.
Why CHARBLOXDense fuel lights slower than lump, so start about 35 minutes before the meat goes on. Have partly burned logs from last time? Put them at the bottom: they catch first.
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03Fire
Build a two-zone bed
Pour the logs onto one side of the charcoal grate and nest the flat hex faces together into a tight bank. Leave the other side empty. Set the cooking grate, close the lid with the top vent over the empty side, and let the grill settle at 300–325°F.
Why CHARBLOXHexagonal logs lock into an even bed with no gaps, so the heat is the same from one end of the bank to the other. No hot spots creeping under the roast.
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04Food
Roast on the cool side
Set the tri-tip on the empty side with the thick end toward the fire. Close the lid and cook until the thickest part reads 115°F for medium-rare, about 35–50 minutes. Leave the lid shut: every look costs heat.
Why CHARBLOXThis is where the long hold pays off. CHARBLOX hardwood burns 3–4× longer than average charcoal, so the same six logs carry the roast and the sear. No reloading, no temperature swing halfway through.
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05Food
Make the salsa
While the meat roasts, stir together the tomatoes, celery, green onions, chiles, cilantro, garlic, vinegar and Worcestershire. Salt to taste and let it sit so the flavors come together.
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06Fire
Open up for the sear
Open the bottom and top vents fully and give the bed a minute to roar. Move the tri-tip directly over the logs and sear 2–3 minutes per side, until it is deeply browned and reads 128–130°F inside.
Why CHARBLOXLow ash means the vents and bed stay clear for the whole cook, so the fire answers when you open it up. And with no binders or chemicals, the crust tastes of beef and hardwood smoke, nothing else.
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07Food
Rest
Move the tri-tip to the board and rest it for 10 minutes. It will climb to about 135°F, a perfect medium-rare.
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08Food
Slice against the grain
Tri-tip has two grains that meet near the bend. Cut the roast in two where they meet, turn each piece, and slice across the grain about ¼ inch thick. Serve with the salsa.
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09Fire
Choke the fire and keep the rest
Close every vent. The logs go out and keep their shape. Next time, put them at the bottom of the chimney and they light the fresh ones.
Why CHARBLOXCHARBLOX is reusable. What survives today’s cook is the first load of the next one, so count it in your fuel cost.
| Doneness | Move to sear at | After rest |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 110°F | 125°F |
| Medium-rare | 115°F | 130–135°F |
| Medium | 125°F | 140°F |
“I was able to grill/smoke two racks of ribs with 5 logs (about 3 lb), and a few extra sticks of red oak. They burned for a long time and gave off excellent heat.”
Shiv K, verified purchaser, Costco
- No tri-tip? The same method works for a thick picanha or a 2-inch ribeye; pull them at 115°F the same way.
- On a kamado, set the deflector on half the grate, or bank the logs to one side, for the same two-zone fire.
- Want more smoke? Add a fist-size chunk of red oak on the logs when the meat goes on, the traditional Santa Maria wood. You don’t need it for flavor; CHARBLOX hardwood brings its own.
The fuel is part of the recipe.
Six logs carry a 45-minute roast and a hard sear. 1 lb of CHARBLOX does the work of 3–5 lb of average charcoal.
Flat hex faces nest into a tight bank: steady heat on the cool side, no hot spots.
Pressed from recycled hardwood sawdust. No binders, no chemicals, no lighter fluid taste.
Choke the vents and the logs keep. They light first next time.
CHARBLOX Classic Hardwood ships in boxes from Los Angeles.
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