Tri Tip...And How To Make It God's Gift To Your Taste Buds

My Father-In-Law, Russ, is a master of the grill.  I have some pretty killer grill skills myself, but if I ever need to know how to grill something to perfection, Russ is my man.  One of my favorite dishes he makes is tri-tip roast.  It is melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, deliciousness; hold the butter.  The only thing I don't like about it is the name: "Tri Tip" is so sterile, generic, vanilla, BORING.  So, I traveled to France (via the internet) and stole their name for it, aiguillette baronne.  Sounds much prettier and appetizing. Just don't ask me to pronounce it.

For those of us CrossFitters, a muscle is a matter of importance.  So here's a little info on the Tri-Tip, straight from wikipedia:

The tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut.[1] It is a small triangular muscle, usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. (675 to 1,150g) per side of beef.
The scientific name of this muscle is Tensor fasciae latae, inserted in the Fascia lata, the connective tissue covering the Quadricep femoris, also called Quadricep extensor, a group of four muscles which in turn insert in the Patella, or knee cap of the animal.

And here's a picture (I only wanted to add this photo because they highlighted the sirloin in pink. Shallow, I know).

So...would you like to know how to cook it?  Here it is (and don't say I never gave you anything)

aiguillette baronne (a.k.a. Russ's bad-A Tri-Tip Roast)

Ingredients and Utensils:

One Tri-\Tip Roast, trimmed of excess fat
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Other Favorite Steak Spices

Meat thermometer (I recommend the button kind, not the digital techie-nerd kind)
Grill

Method:

Heat up the grill to HOT (500+ degrees)
Rub meat with olive oil and spices
Place roast on grill and sear until outside appears cooked (usually 3-4 minutes per side)
Reduce heat to medium-ish (250-300 F) and continue cooking.
Remove meat from grill every 5 minutes and check temperature.  Once internal temperature reaches 140 F, remove from grill.
Allow meat to stand for about 5 minutes, then slice across the grain.

Super delicious when served with broiled brussels sprouts or asparagus and cauliflower mashers.

Setbacks Schmetbacks

Alright...time to be honest with myself (and you as well).  As of late, I haven't been the most dedicated when it comes to clean eating and training hard.  Life gets in the way sometimes and we resort to pizza and cookies.  Let's face it...we pay consequences from eating this way:  we don't fit into our jeans, we get sick, and worst of all, we suck in the gym!  A good friend and fellow CrossFitter stepped up and intervened the other day; basically I got called out on my ill behavior.  I was told that my intensity sucks, my diet is ridiculous, and I need to get my butt in gear.  This spoke volumes to me because I really thought I was only fooling myself.  But to have a friend call me out means others are noticing and I really need to make some changes.  So...I've started back on my own challenge.  I'm Paleo-zoning again, I'm keeping a food log (to which my dear friend is holding me accountable), I'm working harder in the gym, and I'm incorporating some running into my routine because, well, I really suck at running.  Why am I posting this on my blog?  Because I am hoping that this will also open the window for me to start making some new recipes and posting them again!  I also feel that if those of you who read this are given visability to my plan, I am held that much more accountable.

Another friend and I went to Lululemon the other day.  On my bag is a beautiful quote:

"Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks."

What do you do to "handle" your setbacks? 

Do you tackle it? Do you fight it until it no longer exists as a setback? Do you run from it?  Hide?

Here's to identifying setbacks, developing a plan to conquer them, EXECUTING your plan, and moving on!