Local Cuisine: Tri-Tip

Local Cuisine

Tri-Tip

Although barbecue is ubiquitous throughout the United States, the Central Valley is home to a cut of meat that does not exist anywhere else in the world: Tri-Tip. Weighing a scant 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, this tiny triangular muscle (tensor fasciae latae) lies at the bottom of the sirloin subprimal cut and seems to only be found on cows butchered in Central California.

It seems obvious to Central Valley butchers now, but its success was not so certain back in the early 1950s, when this bovine section was overlooked due to its tough, sinewy texture. Credit for the discovery of this sacred-cow part is shared by Otto Schaffer, a German immigrant butcher and former owner of Schaefer Meats in East Oakland, and Bob Schutz, a one-armed butcher and former meat manager at a Santa Maria Safeway. Both men are recognized as the founders and promoters of this previously unknown cut of meat. It just so happens that within the same year and within only a few hundred miles of each other, these two strangers each posed the same question with similar results: What if, instead of being ground for hamburger or chopped for stew, this tough little muscle got seasoned and slow roasted and carved just right? The delicious answer to that question has made food history in the Central Valley.

This tasty cut is a must-try for those coming to Fresno. There are two possible locations, depending upon which end of town you find yourself. On the north side of town, located in a strip mall off Cedar and Herndon, is a tri-tip kiosk called Mike’s Grill. This spot is for those who want a picnic-like experience, as it offers only folding chairs and rickety card tables beneath a tarp on hot pavement. These sacrifices may be worth the flavorful, tender tri-tip Mike offers, but those with fussy kids who are looking for fries, a decent bathroom, and a temperature controlled dining room may want to look downtown where you can find Big D’s Tri Tip & More. Located on a triangular corner, very much shaped like the tri trip itself, Big D’s is in an old brick building that has recently been renovated as part of the revitalization of downtown Fresno. It has tables and chairs beneath a real roof and plenty of space to accommodate the tri-tip-hungry customers. They offer tri-tip plates, tri-tip tacos, tri-tip chili, tri-tip chili dogs, and tri-tip frito boats all for reasonable rates. One thing to note is they close at three each day, so don’t plan on this spot for supper.

If you are a do-it-yourself kind of grill man (or woman) and you want to take a bit of the Central Valley dining experience home with you to Connecticut or wherever you hail from, I have included a recipe for grilling this yourself. However, you may need to stock an ice chest full of the meat to take back with you, as you will likely be disappointed trying to find it at meat markets in your hometown where the butchers are probably grinding up this muscular gem instead of proudly placing it in the display case for the culinary pleasure of the true meat connoisseur.

Bob’s Simple Tri-Tip Recipe

2-2.5 lb. tri-tip roast

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Salt

Rub the seasonings to cover the entire tri-tip roast. Place the roast on a spit and grill over an open flame (if available, use red oak wood to start the fire). Roast for 45 minutes or until the thick juices are dripping from the meat into the fire and you can wait no longer. Take it off the spit and be sure to slice against the grain, as this is what ensures a tender texture. Enjoy this Central Valley favorite and share it with friends!

Food: Fresno Grizzlies

Food

Fresno Grizzlies

 

In downtown Fresno, there is a relatively new attraction. Strategically placed next to the historic Fulton Mall, there is a new and improved ballpark. This premier ballpark is located on the corner of Tulare and H Street. Chukchansi Park houses the Triple A affiliate team The Fresno Grizzlies. The team has proudly worn this badge of honor, for the last 17 years the Major League Baseball’s (MLB) San Francisco Giants. Now, the Grizzlies have been dropped as the farm team; their contract null and void, but the community still rallies around the team. Clearly, by the surroundings of the Grizzlies Stadium such as the catty-cornered Greyhound Bus Station, vacant rundown factories, and the Fulton Mall, the community values and makes America’s favorite pastime accessible by all and allows fans to come in by the busload from all over. A great attraction and popular event in the ballpark is called “Thirsty Thursdays” during the summer months has crowds coming in by the droves. Thirsty Thursdays is when vendors sell Tecate Tall Cans for only two dollars each, making it a great compliment to watching America’s favorite pastime. So while players are playing their hearts out trying to qualify for the major leagues, the fans in the ballpark are consuming inexpensive, skunky alcohol for a cheap price. This specific event brings out the best in people and the attendees grow drunker by the inning. But be sure to purchase all the beer you plan to consume by the bottom of the 7^th inning, because they stop selling at the top of the 8^th which is at least one reason to pay close attention to the game. While some fans become disgruntled by this last call for alcohol, an advantage for the crowds is that you can purchase up to two tall cans at a time and with that knowledge, crowds can be more efficient with their consumption. An even bigger event is the Taco Truck Throwdown Challenge. Crowds from all over the Central Valley come to taste test homemade tacos served by various competing trucks. The Taco Trucks come from all over the Central Valley to win the title of Fresno’s favorite roach coach. This event is huge and it only happens once a year. Last year, over 12,000 “fans” (of food not baseball) attended the game this night. The tickets go on sale at the beginning of July (approximately a month in advance) starting at $20 which includes a t-shirt to wear as a reminder of the event. This t-shirt can be worn at the event to hide the inevitable spillage of salsa, kept as a novelty souvenir of the time you participated in a taste-testing, or often, participants give the shirts to each truck upon purchase of a taco for a signature and draw a creative picture representing the different trucks. Due to the creative nature of being a cook, many (at least one person per truck) has the artistic ability to keep the crowd commenting on their artwork for the duration of the taco consumption. The drawing serves as a reminder when it is time to cast votes and is somehow representative of their signature ingredient. While the intent is to bring crowds to watch Fresno’s very own baseball team, the crowds tend to be consumed with consumption and frequently miss the game plays, but not the food. This event reportedly uses at least:

2625 pounds of beef

1000 pounds of shrimp

1300 red onions

28,000 tortillas

550 heads of lettuce

75 pounds of Sugar

500 bunches of cilantro

1200 Limes

200 Liters of Sunflower Oil

300 gallons of Pace salsa

800 pounds of Lard (Manteca)

600 packets of McCormick taco seasoning

1100 avocados

200 pounds of sour cream

500 wax peppers (after running out of 2000 jalapenos)

400 Bottles of Tapito

Not to mention the unmeasured amounts of sweat and tears that goes into cooking for hours on end for insatiable crowds.

If you think this sounds good, you’re right. It truly is a delicacy to the crowds and worth the trip to Fresno—even if that means traveling by Greyhound.