Trader Joe's had tri-tip on special this week, so I decided to give it a try. I thought that tri-tip in the slow cooker might be the way to go but had no idea how to cook it. Here's my made-up recipe that ended up being fabulous!
Take a 2.5 lb. tri-tip roast and rub it with some meat rub seasoning. I found this all natural rub in our local grocery store and it ended up being really tasty. Be careful not to rub too much on the meat, as the seasoning can overpower everything. Put the meat fat-side-up in the crock pot and add 12 oz. of chilled Coca-Cola Classic. Pour most of the Coke around the meat, but do pour a little over the top. Cook on low for 8 hours.
After the 8 hours is up, remove the meat from the slow cooker. It should look something like this and fall apart really easily. :9
To make the BBQ sauce, remove drippings from the slow cooker and put into a fat separator. Let the fat rise to the top. While that process is going on, pour 6-8 oz. of chilled Coca-Cola Classic into a sauce pan. Add 4-5 good squirts of ketchup (I used Simply Heinz). Add 1/4 tsp. of ground mustard. Then pour in 1/4 cup of the drippings. I also added a few shakes of cracked black pepper to balance the sweetness of the sauce. (We love pepper around here.) Bring the mixture to a boil and boil uncovered for 8 minutes or until the mixture thickens into a sauce.
When you're done, the sauce should look something like this. (Please excuse the skillet with leftover egg bits from breakfast. What? I have a small child and dishes don't always get done.) ;) Shred the meat and place meat onto a bun. Add sauce to your heart's content.
For a side dish, I made tiny potatoes. Preheat oven to 375. Take 1 lb. of tiny potatoes (from Trader Joe's - fingerling potatoes would work, too), place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. of ground pepper on the potatoes. Toss well to coat. (I added a little smoked paprika to the potatoes.) Bake for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
And, of course, to continue the Coca-Cola theme, pour yourself a nice glass of Coke to go with your awesome BBQ sandwich and potatoes!
