Anytime you do an asado preparation, it benefits from a bit of time on some salt to pull out water and get some of that marinade in. Double dark mushroom soy really makes a difference as opposed to lighter Chinese/Thai soy sauces or shoyu’s. If you're planning on tacos for a group, this is a great recipe as you can smoke ahead of time, then finish over direct heat to order. After you’ve hit about 115-130, just pull and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

*Flash the carved pieces over direct heat right before serving, then toss in all the carving juices. Pecan is a favorite, but mesquite or any hardwood would be just quite fine.

Ingredients:

One 3-4.5# tri tip

3 pasilla chiles, stems removed

2 guajillos, stems removed

4 FL OZ mushroom soy

Zest and juice of 1 navel orange

6 garlic cloves, peeled

3 green onions, roots removed and rough chopped

2 T grown sugar

1/2 T Kosher salt

Method:

Combine all ingredients (obviously, not the tri tip) in a blender and process until you have a smooth paste (Some would say toast your chilies then hydrate in hot liquid. Use a high powered blender, and by the time you’re done smoking you will not be able to notice toasted chiles). Once pureed, apply the marinade to tri tip, coating evenly. Place in an airtight container in the fridge for between 12-24 hours. Before smoking, remove from the fridge about 1-2 hours prior to come up to ambient temp.

Set up your grill for indirect flame and have some soaked pecan pieces at the ready. You're shooting for about 210 +/- 10 degrees F. If you’re over, it will go faster, and if you’re under it's going to take longer. No worries either way, but shoot for 210. Add your pecan pieces directly over prepped coals, and place your tri tip opposite the coals. Close the lid and set your airflow up for indirect setting (top closed over the flame and open slightly over the tri tip, and bottom open wide under the coals and closed under the tri tip). Maintain heat source temp. Use a temp probe to test out the tri tip. Should be about 1.5-3 hours depending on ambient temp and PK temp.