My friend Bill shared his tri-tip marinade recipe with me, and recently I gave it a try. It was delicious! The marinade was garlicky and peppery, sweet and savory, and just wonderful. The meat was tender and succulent.

A Really Good Tri-Tip Marinade

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion salt or garlic salt
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1/4 cup malt vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
A nice piece of trip-tip, anywhere from 1.5 to 4 lbs.

Preparation:
In a saucepan, mix together 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the water and bring to a boil, stirring all the while. When the sugar gets a dark color, add the spices and stir. Bring back to a boil for a minute, and then add the vinegar, the other 1/4 cup of water, the soy sauce, and the fish sauce. Mix well and taste. If you feel like it needs more "balance," add a little more salt. Add the garlic and the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bring back to a boil, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool.

Place the tri-tip roast in a shallow baking dish or a Ziploc bag and pour the cooled marinade over. Place in fridge and let marinade for a hour or overnight. (I did this overnight.)

Cooking Method:
This can be cooked on the grill or roasted in the oven. If roasting in the oven, do it at 425 degrees F and stick a meat thermometer in. When it reaches an internal temperature of 128 degrees, remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Related:
Dinner Party Planning: How Much Meat Per Person?
Food Science: Cooking With Marinades
Weekend Grilling: Tropical Fruit Marinades
My Aunt Marlyn's Psycho BBQ Sauce Recipe

(Image: Kathryn Hill Recipe: Bill Coddere)