Unforgettable Cardiff Crack Recipe: Delight Your Senses

The culinary journey leading to the Cardiff crack recipe started in California with a special cut; the tri-tip beef cut from the bottom of the sirloin. The name comes from the triangle-like shape with a conical tip at the bottom.

The tri-tip cut has a history dating back to early 19th century America. People at the time ground this part of the beef for burgers or chopped for stews. It became popular as a barbecue cut in Santa Maria Valley in the 1950s, only after a local butcher, Bob Schutz perfected the cut of tri-tip.

In 1986, the Seaside Market’s take on this special cut elevated things to a new level. Infused with a burgundy pepper marinade, Cardiff crack became an instant specialty of the Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, in San Diego, California. The fame of the dish transcended local communities. Although the marinating process is still a secret, inspired by its taste and tenderness, many chefs and grill masters have developed versions of Cardiff crack.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Our Cardiff Crack Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Beef tri-tip — 1 pc. (2 ½ to 3 pounds, outer fat trimmed)
• Dry red wine — 2 cups
• Garlic — 3 cloves, crushed
• Extra virgin olive oil — 2 tbsp.
• Soy sauce — 2 tbsp., low sodium
• Molasses — 1 tbsp.
• Ground black pepper — ½ tsp.
• Smoked paprika — 1 tsp.
• Salt — 1 tsp.

Instructions

Preparing the marinade

1. Put all the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl except for the beef tri-tip and stir until homogeneous.

2. Place the tri-tip in a zip seal food bag and pour in the marinade. Make sure all of the tri-tip is covered with the marinade.

3. Put the food bag in the refrigerator. Let the beef rest in the marinade for 24 hours. 

4. Remove the tri-tip from the food bag and dry it with a paper towel. Let it warm to room temperature for about 20 minutes before cooking.

Instructions for the grilling

1. Prepare the grill. Set the grill for direct and indirect medium-high heat.

2. Sear each side of the beef cut for 5-7 minutes on the heated grill over direct heat. Make sure you sear each side until nicely browned and lightly caramelized.

3. Take the tri-tip off the direct heat area and replace it in the indirect heat area. Grill again on each side for 12-15 minutes. This should be enough for medium rare. If you have a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature with it, which should be about 130 F.

4. Take the tri-tip off the grill and transfer it onto a cutting board. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve by slicing. It’s best to slice thinly against the grain.

Instructions for oven roasting

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. or gas mark 8 for 10 minutes.

2. Place the tri-tip in a shallow baking pan and place the pan at the center of the heated oven. Lower the temperature to 350 F. or gas mark 4. For every pound, cook for about 12-14 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. For medium rare, it should be about 130 F.

4. Take the pan out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve.

Substitutions

• Molasses — You can use the same amount of honey if you don’t have molasses at home.

• Low sodium soy sauce — If that's not at your disposal, you can use regular soy sauce instead. If you are going for regular soy sauce, it’s best to leave out the salt since the sodium in the regular soy sauce will provide enough saltiness.

Variations

• Make it alcohol-free — You can leave out the wine if you prefer your tri-tip to be alcohol-free. You will need the same amount of milk to replace the wine as marinade liquid and two teaspoons of Burgundy pepper seasoning.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups

• Mixing bowl and spoon

• Zip-seal food bag

• Grill

• Oven

• Chopping board

• Knife

• Baking pan

• Meat thermometer

• Paper towel

Storage

• After cooling it to room temperature, you can store the tri-tip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

• You can freeze the slices of the tri-tip. You can put the slices in a zip seal food bag or bags if you are going to divide them. You can store frozen beef in the freezer for up to three months.

Pro Tips

• To be sure about the steak's doneness, it is best to use a food or meat thermometer. But if you don’t have one, try this tip. With your finger, poke the lean surface of the stake. If the flesh yields easily, the meat is rare. More resistance means the meat is medium rare, and firm meat is well done.