1Trim all silver skin and excess fat from both tri-tips using a sharp knife and pat dry with paper towels.
2In a large container, combine 1 gallon of raw honey with 1 cup of red chili flakes and stir thoroughly to distribute the flakes evenly.
3Submerge both tri-tips completely in the honey mixture, ensuring they are fully covered, and weigh them down if needed to keep them submerged.
4Cover the container tightly and refrigerate for 5 days.
5Turn the tri-tips once daily for 5 consecutive days, checking that they remain fully submerged and adding more honey if the level drops.
6After 5 days, remove the tri-tips from the honey, scrape off excess honey leaving a thin sticky coating, and season generously with kosher salt.
7Rest the tri-tips for 15-30 minutes at room temperature.
8Preheat your grill to 450-500°F for high direct heat on one side and indirect heat on the other side.
9Clean and oil the grill grates.
10Sear the tri-tips over high direct heat for 2-3 minutes per side on all surfaces until the honey caramelizes into a dark crust, watching carefully to prevent burning.
11Move the tri-tips to the indirect heat side of the grill.
12Close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 135°F for medium-rare or 140-145°F for medium, which will take about 15-25 minutes.
13Remove the tri-tips from the grill and rest for 10-15 minutes tented with foil.
14Slice the tri-tips against the grain in quarter-inch slices, adjusting the cutting angle when the grain direction changes.
Ingredients
2 whole tri-tips, silver skin removed
1 gallon raw honey
1 cup red chili flakes
Kosher salt for seasoning
Equipment
sharp knifepaper towelslarge containerlong spoon or clean handsmall plate or lid (optional)aluminum foilcutting boardwire racksheet panbench scraper (optional)instant-read thermometerslicing knife or chef’s knifetongsgrillwire brush
Tips
Use raw honey specifically – it contains natural enzymes that processed honey lacks
Don’t rinse tri-tips after marinating – scrape only
The honey coating burns easily, so watch carefully during searing
Tri-tip has two grain directions – rotate slicing angle partway through
Leftover marinade honey can be strained and used for glazing other meats
For more heat, increase chili flakes to 1½ cups
For less heat, reduce to ½ cup chili flakes
Can marinate 4-6 days but not longer or meat becomes too soft