I Miss California...

..weather. Let me clarify that; I miss the California weather in winter. 

Well, for a couple months anyway. Other than that, I'm good. OK, and Mexican food. San Diego Mexican food such as Roberto's and Old Town cafes and Eden Gardens. I miss those. But that's IT! (I miss my Family/Friends- this goes without saying.)

So Saturday night I was getting a little frustrated with the Facebook postings about the perfect weather and The Husband was watching the golf tournament at Torrey Pines and the sunshine was blinding me and I was craving something...Californian, as only a native can do.

And then I thought about all the tri-tips we used to BBQ at our home in San Diego and I got a little verklempt. (A G.D.Vegan is now living in my ex-house. The horror!)

 My stomach began to growl and I  sucked it up and got to work creating a tri-tip almost as good as the best-tri-tip-I-ever-ate-in-San-Louis-Obispo-Oh-God-Julie-remember-how-good-that-was!

I marinated and chopped and bundled up and went out into the 20-something degree evening and this is what I created. So California- I'm good now. Ignore the crying phone calls.

California is a nice place to live - if you happen to be an Orange. (Dec 1945, American Magazine)   

Ingredients for California Tr-Tip

• 2 to 2 1/2 lb beef tri-tip roast
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic

Preparation:

Combine the black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub on to all surfaces of the tri-tip. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove and let sit out for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Add the Dijon, vinegar, vegetable oil, and crushed garlic to a jar with a lid and shake vigorously until emulsified.

Prepare your charcoal or gas barbecue grill. Place the tri-tip on the grill and brush with the oil and vinegar mixture. Cocktail in hand, turn every 3-4 minutes, basting generously each time. Grill for 25-30 minutes for medium-rare (internal temp of 135 degrees F.). The outside of the roast will get very dark and develop a charred crust, this is desired and one of the signature characteristics of this barbecue recipe.

Remove the tri-tip from the grill to a large platter. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing in 1/4" thick pieces across the grain. Serve leftovers the next morning with two friend eggs and sourdough bread. And a Bloody Mary.