Garlic-marinated tri-tip

And a recipe for a snap pea and grilled squash salad to serve with it.

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Today marks the official start to summer in the northern hemisphere, but I don’t think we need the longest day of the year to remind us that grilling season has arrived. To me, grilled food is superior food. It’s definitely because of the smokey char, but it’s also because you get to spend time outside, hopefully with friends and a cold drink. It can be intimidating and challenging, and I find I learn something new each time I grill.

For a long time, a grill was not something I had regular access to. There’s a very old grill in my courtyard, but I can only describe it as sketchy so I don’t use it. But last year, I got a hand-me-down Weber Smokey Joe which means that I could grill almost whenever I want. I don’t think I used it more than once last year, but this year, I’ve already taken it to the park twice.

Today’s recipes exist because I wanted to recreate a meal I cooked on my recent trip to San Diego. I picked up a “famous” marinaded tri-tip from Cardiff Seaside Market, bought vegetables from the farmers’ market, and came up with a dinner menu on the fly.

A big cut of beef and an aggressively garlicky marinade famously go hand-in-hand, but I’d never cooked tri-tip before so it felt a little daunting. But with a little help from my dad and the man standing at the grill next to me, I figured it out. This cut is forgiving so I think that means you can take your time. Slow down, enjoy the company, and become a master of the grill.

Garlic-marinated tri-tip

Tri-tip is a criminally underrated cut of beef, but it can be sometimes hard to source. It takes well to a marinade and can feed a large group, so it’s great for your next cookout. If you have a local butcher shop or counter, it’s worth it to me to call ahead and make sure you can get it.