Author Topic: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)  (Read 18523 times)

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Offline DoomsmokeBBQ

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Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #-1 on: August 14, 2017, 06:37:16 PM »
 
  Happy Monday folks!! .. finally able to post something again :) ..had quite the weekend but a little depressing as well but that because I didn't get to BBQ !! .. damn shame ....it's not the weekend without some sweet Oak & Almond smoke in the air  ...to me whenever I catch a whiff of a wood fire grill or smoker it just puts me in a calm state of mind and nostalgia , oak and almond wood are what's commonly used in my part of California and as well as grapevines and wine barrel wood (lot's of wineries in wine country ! )  Mesquite is also pretty common but that's definitely father down south in SoCal and Baja California Mexico where it grows wild, Where I'm from here in the central valley Mesquite Lump Charcoal from Mexico is more widely available & inexpensive and produces a very hot but sweet mesquite flavor that makes some of the best tasting beef and it doesn't over power, I once slow smoked a Tri-tip with it alone and it tasted as if I added mesquite chunks but without the harshness of when you add too much. This charcoal is also one of the key ingredients to some of the best carne asada but more on that in another post , lets talk about this Tri-tip here & a little Disneyland history !.


 Nothing says more California to me then Disneyland itself ... the first of the Walt Disney theme parks to happen and it has become a historical landmark in California since, it's truly one of the best places to be on earth , just about everyone I know loves going to Disneyland till this day ...  even as grown adults with or without kids , it's just a place that means a lot to us over here , I feel so at home walking down Main street (the first area of the park) that I can kickback and take off my shoes ..and munch on a corn dog (considered some of the best in the country by some) and not have a care in the world. A lot of people go for the usual things ..like the rides and events or for the hell of it ...but me as a Chef, pitmaster, foodie ..I go to be inspired. Disneyland has your common overly priced theme park junk grub but also has a lot of top class cuisine like fine dinning or creative casual fare that is chef prepared. I happen to have a cousin who chef's there ....a dream job come true and always tells me how serious they take things there. You can taste this in a lot of the better places to eat there such as in the Cove bar at the second theme park Disney's California Adventure which is right across from the original.

 California Adventure opened in the early 2000's in spirit of all Walt's favorite places in California such as Buena vista Street ..where he first stepped off the train to pursue the big dream , it's the first area of the park when you come in ..take a left turn from there and your in  Hollywood land ..inspired by Hollywood boulevard & the film industry of his time...make a right and you find yourself in Grizzly peak , inspired by the forest & mountain regions of California such as Yosemite , both paths meet up at the pacific wharf pier ..inspired by northern California's bay area such as San Francisco.  When this park first opened , it's themes were about these landmarks alone ..and no Disney themes or characters were included, it was a failed concept ..mainly because well...why have a California themed theme park in the middle of CALIFORNIA . After a lack of sales  ...Disney decided to include more Disney themes & characters and several new attractions which certainly brought back the peoples attention. California adventure is now a lot more inspirit with the Disney theme while still honoring the landmarks of California Walt Disney himself loved.

 This theme park has a lot more grown up oriented things such as bigger rides for the bigger kids and cold beer for the adults along with a bar known as cove bar where they serve dangerously delicious cocktails so flavored down you'd forget there's Alcohol in them !..but the drinks aren't what caught my attention . Cove bar has some of the best Appetizers to offer including Lobster nachos and Tri-tip sliders...which is where the inspiration to this recipe comes from,  Being a California inspired theme park...the food is very much so as well , in most areas of the park restaurants & bar lounges are linked to the same kitchen , you can see similar food items on both menus. Cove bar is conjoined with Ariel's grotto ... a surf & turf themed restaurant that has a Wood smoked Tri-tip and lobster dish (very delicious) which most definitely explains the mini tri-tip sliders at the cove bar . These Tri-tip sliders come in a trio of 3 different flavors , one being with Blue cheese, bacon & Arugula ..another just having BBQ sauce(which is the same Honey Whiskey sauce that comes with the Tri-tip entrĂ©e in ariels grotto)  and slaw then last but not least the most interesting one of them all ..a Mojo Criollo kind  topped with a mojo sauce & fried onions.

  Mojo Criollo is a popular latin condiment traditionally made with sour orange juice , oregano, spices  & ,lots of garlic, there are many variations from different fruit juices to some having chilies and other herbs. The Mojo in Disneyland tasted of the traditional one , it never occurred to me serve Mojo sauces with Tri-tip .. it worked so well and I couldn't wait to get home to try it out myself with my own touches !. So lets get on with this cook shall we ? .. .

 THE COOK
 
First off I'd like make it clear THIS IS NOT THE OFFICAL RECIPE FROM DISNEY ...it's merely an inspiration of Disney's slider at the cover bar , I'm also in no way associated with the company either ... I'd like to make these things clear to avoid any issues regarding the Disney topics of this post :). Just a simple civilian who enjoys Disney's theme parks.

 Tri-tip is one of the things I'm known and passionate for ... matter fact its what got me into BBQ and cooking for that matter,  I grew up eating tri-tip sandwiches all my life , I can go on and on about my history with this wonderful cut of beef but that's for a later post. There are lots of debate about how to cook tri-tip ....purists say like a thick steak , pitmasters say smoke it ..and the Q heads say reverse sear ...which you get the best of both worlds . I say whatever the hell floats your boat man ! ... I'm not one of those cooks who sticks to just one method on cooking something, oh I love to experiment and have fun whether it lets me down or brings me something new ...I'm simply growing as a cook the more I try new things, I rather be the guy or gal who knows how to cook something more then one way on anything and Tri-tip is one of the cuts I know so well like my one body & soul.


 Here I cooked This tri-tip using the modified indirect method ...also known as the santa maria style on a weber where you build a hot wood or charcoal fire on one side of the grill and grill it over the indirect side at all times ...no reverse searing or searing before sliding to the cooler side.  When I first did this I was astounded on how similar the results were to of a slow cooked tri-tip on a Santa Maria grill and I would know cause I use a Santa Maria Grill quite often for catering events but this time it was just me and my lady ..so the weber was the ideal choice and I actually liked the results a bit better on the weber as the lid allows a lot more smoke flavor to come through . You get pretty smoky results even on a Santa maria pit but the weber method gave it just a little extra ;).  I came the conclusion recently as well that 300 to 325 degrees might just be the wonder temp range and it's my favorite to go for with Tri-tip but this cook I didn't even need my thermometers , I've done this so much I just judge by the amount of coals...The old fashion way before we had these wonderful luxuries.


 Simply measure out half a chimney of unlit coals on one side of the grill ....and spend some time creating an even layer , don't leave them clumped up ,especially with lump charcoal ..you want that even heat . Then Light the same amount of coals as the unlit and do the same when you dump them out by making sure have them an even neat layer.  This Cook will take about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour total ...depending on the doneness you desire and size of your tri-tip ...I take mine to a fine medium 145 to even 149  (the sweet spot to most for tri-tip) when I cook it this way... but it also all depends on quality of the meat you get that will judge how soon it will start to dry on you. I believe it is all a mental thing when it comes to the doneness debate ...I seen people judge an extremely juicy tri-tip that was smoked like a brisket (it is not uncommon in California actually ..everyone has their secrets to pulling this off) just because it didn't have a pink interior ...yet the meat was still super moist and flavorful , its all mental ...same goes with those who are afraid of pink in their meat ...the center is hot & cooked and delicious & safe to indulge yet they still see it as raw as it was before it was cooked...this is more understandable with rare cause it's a sweet bloody glory but a fine medium is  nothing to be afraid of, It's all in your head people.  A fine Medium is what most restaurants cook their tri-tips too unless asked otherwise like in places that do it like steak ..but places who smoke it or slow cook it , it's usually a medium or done like brisket and get extremely tender. To conclude this .. it all depends on how I feel like cooking my tri-tip is how I'm going to have it done, some days I want a bloody steak .. I grill it hot , somedays I'm feeling traditional .. I do it like this with the modified indirect till a fine medium ,  somedays I want some smoky sweet tender beef ... I smoke it like a brisket. Tri-tip is just that amazing of a cut.



 Disney's tri-tip is seasoned with the classic garlic pepper flavors of central California...in my variation I went with the latin theme of making a dry adobo ..also known as sazon ...similar to the classic santa maria seasonings only with a bit more flavor happening from chilies & cumin. Instead of Fried onions like they use ..I chose to grill them to get sweeter and tender and seasoned them as well.


For The Adobo Seasoning :
. 2 tablespoons kosher salt
. 2 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
. 1 tablespoon granulated onion powder
. 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning (I like McCormicks California blend or lawrys)
. 1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika
. 1 tablespoon dried parsley
. 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
. 1 teaspoon white pepper
. 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
Mix all together in a bowl

 For The Tri-tip
. One 2 to 3 pound well marbled tri-tip roast  USDA Choice or Prime
. 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
. 2 tablespoons olive oil

For The Mojo Sauce
. 1 cup orange juice
. 1/2 cup lime juice
. 1/2 cup pineapple juice
. 1/4 cup mango nectar
. 6 to 8 cloves of garlic minced finely
. 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves
. 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves
. 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
. 1/2 teaspoon seeded and minced finely Habanero or serrano chile
. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
. pinch of salt & pepper
. 1/2 cup of canola oil
Mix all together in a bowl , it's best to let it sit for 3 hours in the fridge ahead of time.
 
For the Adobo Onions
. 1 large white onion, sliced into thin rounds
. 2 tablespoons minced herbs (cilantro ,oregano ,thyme)
. 1 teaspoon adobo rub
. 1 tablespoon canola oil
Mix all together in a bowl

. Kaiser rolls for sandwiches if desired

.1) Trim excess fat(do not discard) & Rub Tri-tip with Worcestershire sauce all over...then season generously with Adobo seasoning on both sides.
.2) Allow the tri-tip to dry brine for 24 hours ..or cook right away
.3) Set up the grill for modified indirect grilling using lump charcoal or other natural hardwood charcoal by layering unlit coals to one side of the grill and topping them with hot coals evenly, add wood chunks if desired ... your looking for about medium heat (300 to 325)
.4) Place Tri-tip on the opposite side of the fire fat side DOWN not up , this allows the fat to render better for the moment, then place the fat trimmings over the fire on the grates(this creates a flavorful environment in the grill!) and close the lid with vents wide open .
.5) Allow to indirectly grill for about 45 minutes , then flip it once ..and allow it go for another 25 to 30 minutes checking for your desired doneness as it goes
.6) remove from heat ..and allow to rest tented with foil .
.7) Crank the heat up with more coals and place a grill basket or small cast iron skillet over the hot coals
.8) Add the onions and saute until tender and caramelized , toast the buns at this point if desired
.9) carve the tri-tip across the grain thinly ....spoon some mojo sauce over the slices and top with grilled onions and enjoy!.


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Offline smokeasaurus

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Another great tutorial and recipe and great pics :thumbup:  Now that is what I'm talking about 8)
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Offline ACW3

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2017, 07:59:46 PM »
DAYUM!!!

Nicely documented with pictures and writing.

Art

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Offline teesquare

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2017, 08:05:15 PM »
<...SLURP!!!....SLURP!!!....>
BBQ is neither verb or noun. It is an experience.
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Beer, Butter and Bacon make everything better.
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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2017, 11:51:00 PM »
I have said it before and I will say it again.....I am glad Doomsmoke is on our side  8) 8)
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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2017, 11:52:17 PM »
I have said it before and I will say it again.....I am glad Doomsmoke is on our side  8) 8)

I am a mesquite fan as well. I love adding small chunks of apple wood to a mesquite split fire..............a wonderful combo :thumbup:
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Offline akruckus

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2017, 04:48:33 AM »
You left coasters with your tri-tips!  Getting a whole tenderloin is cheaper per pound than tri-tip for me.

That cook is a thing of beauty.
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Offline HighOnSmoke

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2017, 09:37:41 AM »
Excellent cook and details!
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Offline Smokin Don

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2017, 09:57:23 AM »
Excellent cook and details!
Same as all the above!!! Don
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Offline DoomsmokeBBQ

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2017, 11:53:37 AM »
Thanks as always :)
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Offline DoomsmokeBBQ

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Re: Mojo Criollo Tri-tip ...Disneyland inspired recipe (California BBQ)
« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2017, 12:03:51 PM »
You left coasters with your tri-tips!  Getting a whole tenderloin is cheaper per pound than tri-tip for me.

That cook is a thing of beauty.


Thanks XD , yea it's a lot cheaper then tenderloin here and a lot more flavorful. I do make tenderloin from to time.  That'll be my next post maybe.
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