Porcini And Chile Crusted Beef Tri-Tip

To make the rub, combine the first nine ingredients in a spice mill and grind to a coarse powder. Rub the tri-tip with olive oil. Liberally coat with the spice mixture and knead it into the meat. Refrigerate the meat overnight. Remove the meat from the refrigerator one hour before cooking so the meat can come to room temperature.

Prepare grill for moderate heat cooking with mesquite or charcoal. If a smokier flavor is desired, hickory or oak chips soaked in water 30 minutes and drained may be added, if desired. When the fire is ready, lightly brush the grill rack with vegetable oil.

Place the seasoned tri-tip on the grill and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Check to see if the tri-tip is done to your liking by cutting into the roast with a small, sharp knife or checking the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer (135 degrees for medium-rare). Let roast rest for 10 minutes, trim, then slice across grain (along the length of the roast, not across the tip).

Slices will not be uniform, but flavor and texture will be best.