Where does the tri-tip cut get its name from?

The tri-tip cut of beef gets its name because of its triangular shape. This cut of meat is lean, tender and boneless and makes a great roast in the oven or a steak on the grill.

The trip-tip was most often used for sliced beef until the 1950s. In the late 1950s, a man named Bob Shutz began to market it as a cut for grilling in Santa Maria, California, by cooking it over red oak and coating it with salt, pepper and fresh garlic. The tri-tip is still a popular cut of beef in the area and sometimes goes by the name Santa Maria Steak.