Roasted tri tip with coarse salt crust

February is almost over and I haven't posted any recipes yet!! 

Let's fix this with an amazing roast beef! So easy but looks and tastes very much the opposite! Even if you can't cook, you can make this one! It's made with an awesome premium cut of beef widely used in my country known as picanha. In the US, theclosest cut would be a tri tip and I find it at Trader Joe's! It's a cut they normally carry, so nothing special or "seasonal", and it's at a friendly $7.99/lb! Another benefit is that they only carry the fully trimmed version so it's not fatty at all, but since it has some marbling, it's still very flavorful and juicy for this prep. Go for it!

All you need is the following:

• 10-12 oz coarse sea salt
• 3 Tbsp of egg whites (or whites from 2 extra large eggs)
• 1/4 cup flour
• thyme or rosemary sprigs (optional)
• 1/2 Tbsp butter at room temperature
• tri tip (about 2-2.5lbs at most)

Cover a large baking sheet or pyrex with aluminmum foil, make a salt bed with 1/4 of the coarse salt. Place the beef on it with the fattiest part on top, if any fat on your cut.
In a medium bowl, mix the rest of the salt with the flour and egg whites. It will feel thick, like wet sand.
Spread the butter on top of the meat. You can skip this step if you have fat on yours.
Cover the picanha in that mix, it doesn't have to be too thick of a layer. Make it stay in place by gently pressing with your hands or a wooden spoon. If the meat is too wet, you may pat dry it with a paper towel before hand.
Cover with the sprigs of herbs if you're using.
Bake in pre heated oven @405F for about 40 minutes. It will depend on the size of your beef cut. I used a meat thermometer and took it out of the oven between 135 and 140F because I like it medium rare, like in the picture. 145-150 if you prefer just pink in the center and about 160-165 if you like it well done.
After taking it out of the oven, cover with some aluminum foil and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
To serve, remove the crust, slice the sides as thin or as thick as you'd like. If the core is still too red, put the crust back on and put it in the oven for 10 more minutes or so.


I served mine with a big salad made from all kinds of mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes and radishes and also some steamed asparagus. Goes really well with a side of wild rice or spaghetti tossed in butter and parmesan too!

The inspiration for this dinner came from my mom since she gave me the idea when I told her I had a tri tip in the fridge and wasn't sure what to do with it! The original recipe I adapted mine from is here (sorry! It's in portuguese!) - http://gnt.globo.com/receitas/receitas/picanha-assada-com-sal-grosso.htm 

Makes for a tasty weeknight dinner! Leftovers aren't bad either: just slice everytjhing really thin for your doggy bag! Happy cooking!