1 tri tip steak, approximately 2.5 pounds

2 T. of olive oil

3 T. of fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

1 T. of freshly ground pepper

1/4 C. finely chopped pitted oil-cured black olives

Cayenne pepper

1 T. kosher salt

 

Place steak in a small, nonreactive baking dish. Combine the olive oil, rosemary and black pepper in a small bowl and stir well. Rub the mixture evenly over the tri tip. Cover with plastic and wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to 24 hours. (I marinated the steak for about 1.5 hours on the counter while working out, tasted great). Remove the tri tip from the refrigerator for 1.5 hours before cooking. Prepare and light a charcoal grill for direct grilling, or heat gas grill on high. While the grill is warming up start the aioli. When the grill is ready, remove the tri tip from the marinade and season with a liberal amount of kosher salt on both sides. The more the better, don’t be shy. Place the steak on the cooking grate directly over the coals, cover the grill, and cook, turning once, for 18 to 24 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 130 degrees for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The meat should be ready to cut now. You will want to cut it into thin slices, across the grain of the meat. Serve with aioli, which was awesome!

 

Black Olive Aioli

 

1 small clove garlic

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. of fresh lemon juice

2 egg yolks

1 C. olive oil

 

To make the aioli in a food processor, place the garlic and salt in the work bowl and process to chop as finely as possible. Wipe down the sides of the food processor to push the pieces back to the bottom. Add the mustard and lemon juice and pulse to combine. Add the egg yolks and, with the motor running, add the olive oil in a SLOW, thin, steady steam until all of it has been incorporated and the mixture is thick and completely emulsified. Add the olives to the aioli, mix and season with cayenne to taste.