I first had smoked sirloin tip roast when I was at a friend’s cookout. Stunned that they had managed to turn this tough piece of meat into something so delicious, I begged for the recipe.
As I can’t help myself, I had to figure out how I could take things even further and produce an even better result. I will now share the fruits of my labor here!
Preheat smoker to 250°F.
Trim any excess fat from your sirloin roast.
Apply the mustard or the olive oil to the entire sirloin tip roast. Next, liberally apply the dry rub all over the cut.
If you wish to maintain the shape of the sirloin tip roast, wrap the ends and the middle with twine.
Place on the smoker rack and cook until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 135°F. This should take about 3 hours.
Remove and let the smoked sirloin tip roast beef rest for at least 10 minutes.
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Here are the top tips you need to follow:
The sirloin tip roasts falls under the category of beef roasts. What I like about this cut is that it is flavorful and affordable – often costing less than ground beef. At the same time, it can be quite tough which is why it needs to be cooked slowly, at low temperatures.
Now, make sure that you don’t mistake this section for the top sirloin roast. While the sirloin tip roast is taken from the round, the top sirloin roast is actually taken from the sirloin. This makes it more tender, but also more expensive.
My advice is to always go to a good butcher when looking for this particular section. And, opt for fresh meat for a better taste and texture.
This does tend to be a leaner cut but there should still be some fat. However, you should only get rid of any excess.
I like to keep a thin layer of fat on the top. This helps to add moisture and flavor to the cut. This is because the fat acts as insulation, absorbing the direct heat. In doing so, it ensures that you don’t over cook your roast.
Whenever I try to sprinkle seasonings directly onto the surface of any meat, a lot of it tends to fall off. This is why you need to use either mustard or olive oil as a binding agent.
I think mustard complements both the smoked sirloin tip roast flavor as well as that of the rub beautifully but I know it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you are hesitant to use the mustard just opt for the oil as it doesn’t add any flavor into the mix.
My personal favorite for this cut is a dry rub. You can keep yours as simple or as complex as you like, it is all about choosing the flavors that you enjoy the most.
Now, I do know that some people like to use certain fresh ingredients such as onion and garlic in addition to dry ones such as smoked paprika. If this is something that you choose to do, I would suggest combining and running all the ingredients through a food processor.
This way, you get a coarse rub that will result in a nice, crusty exterior once smoked for long enough.
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If you want, you can tie up the beef roast with twine at several points throughout. This is usually done for presentation purposes so that your meat is an even shape and size.
It can help to ensure that the beef roast
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Here is how to get your smoker just right for your smoked sirloin tip roast:
If you are smoking using a charcoal grill, then you will need to use the indirect heat method. Set up the coals on only one side of the grill. Place the roast in an aluminum pan and place it on the opposite side.
Next, close the lid and smoke until you reach the appropriate internal meat temperature.
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I don’t often get the chance to break out my mesquite or hickory wood chips but with this recipe, this is exactly what I can do! For one thing, the beefy flavor of this cut tastes amazing when infused with mesquite or hickory smoke flavor.
As it is a larger section, there is less risk of the meat tasting bitter or being overpowered by the smoke flavor. If you aren’t sure about going full steam ahead with only these potent woods, mix in plenty of oak for good measure.
In the recipe I have set the smoker to 250°F. I have found that this is a good balance of low and slow cooking without taking the sirloin roast too long to cook.
Of course, this is for larger sections.
If your sirloin tip roast is less than 3lbs, I would suggest going with a lower temperature. You can keep it at 180°F. Remember, there are a lot of grills and smokers that struggle with such low temps so you will need to keep an eye on this and make sure that the proper temp is maintained.
There are also people who like to start at 250°F and then smoke it at this temperature for about one and a half to two hours. This allows you to get crispy exterior. Then, they go down to 180°F or even lower to ensure that they don’t overcook the meat. This lower temperature is also great for a stronger smoke flavor as well.
Here are the guidelines to follow while smoking:
Now, your smoked sirloin tip cut isn’t going to have much of a fat cap. However, as I explained before, even the thin layer of fat can go a long way in keeping your lean cut tender and moist.
While there can be a great deal of debate about whether the fat should be facing up and down, there is actually a simple answer. The fat layer should be facing the direction of the heat source.
So, check your smoker or your grill and determine which direction the heat is coming from. It is as simple as that.
The last thing that you want to do is to overcook this cut. Keeping it in the smoker for even a little bit longer than you should can result in a very tough cut.
The sirloin tip roast is typically cooked to medium rare – an internal temperature of around 135°F. I would advise you to not let the roast cook any further than this.
This means that you need to use an instant read or digital thermometer here. It isn’t enough to just monitor the cooking time as you can get it wrong quite easily. Instead, keep a careful eye on the temperature.
Now, as you may be aware there is a phenomenon known as carryover cooking. This is where the temperature of the meat continues to rise even after it is taken off the heat source. The beef can go up as much as 10 degrees before cooling down.
It is due to this that I would suggest taking your roast out at the 125°F mark. If this feels a little rare to use, do it at 135°F instead.
There are some people who like to treat this section like a steak. Thus, they reverse sear it – this is where the meat is placed on a very hot grill for a short period of time. This creates a charred exterior which can add quite a bit of flavor.
So, is this something that you should try?
I’m not a big fan of reverse searing such a large section, but this is up to you. And, if you are curious about the results, it is certainly an experiment that you should carry out.
I will give you one piece of advice, though. Make sure to take this roast off the smoker at the right time, though, so it can still be medium rare once cooked at a higher temperature. To avoid making any mistakes, do this at 125°F.
And, even while searing the meat, watch the internal temp as this will let you know precisely when to take the meat off the grill.
Always rest the section – this allows the meat to reabsorb and distribute any juices that have been lost during the process. In the recipe, I have mentioned 10 minutes but letting it rest for a little longer certainly can’t hurt.
Remember, the larger the section, the more time that it needs to rest. I really wouldn’t rush this process if I were you.
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Here, it is all about cutting the beef as thin as possible. This ensures that each slice – and each – bit will be nice and tender. Avoid going for larger blocks as this can ruin the effect a little.
If serving for a large group, make sure to cut into lots of thin slices beforehand.
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Smoked sirloin tip roast may sound like unusual fare but it is certainly a dish that you are going to want to try out. And, now you know exactly what you need to do too!
