Porter Road · The cut itself
Buy Tri-tip from a butcher who cuts it
Dry-aged and cut to order by a US butcher — this is the cut itself, not a search result.
Tri-tip roast
Also called
🇦🇷Colita de cuadril🇪🇸Rabillo de cadera🇮🇹Spinacino🇩🇪Bürgermeisterstück🇧🇷Maminha↗🇫🇷Aiguillette baronne↗
Mark Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — Tri tip.JPG
The tri-tip is a triangular muscle from the bottom sirloin, known for its rich flavor and moderate tenderness. It has a distinctive grain that runs in two directions, which makes proper slicing against the grain essential. Popular in California barbecue culture, it is typically roasted or grilled whole and then sliced thin for serving.
Names by country
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Tri-tipprimary | Also called Santa Maria steak in California |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Tri-tip | Relatively uncommon in the UK, sometimes called triangle steak |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Tri-tip | Loanword: Mexican foodservice and retail sell it as "Tri-Tip" (Sigma Foodservice). "Empuje" appears in cut tables but is rarely used at the counter. |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Colita de cuadril | A popular asado cut in Argentina |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Rabillo de cadera | |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Spinacino | Italian butchers sell tri-tip as spinacino; codone is the rump cap (picanha). |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Bürgermeisterstück | Literally 'mayor's piece' — traditionally so prized it was reserved for the mayor. |
What to ask for
Shopping outside the tradition Tri-tip comes from?
Source this cut
Select a primal to see its cuts
Classic recipe
Get this cut right
$49.99 · Ships free in the US · Grill Masters Club
Season the whole roast, then sauce it at the board
- Steak rub blended for beef
- Steakhouse steak sauce
- Smoke-roasted Pitmaster Blend coffee
- Honey BBQ roasted peanuts
Rufus Teague Steakhouse Bundle
Affiliate link — CarneAtlas may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Price checked 31 Aug 2026.
Want one useful cut guide each week?
Every Thursday: one cut like Tri-tip, its names around the world, the best substitute, one dish, and one useful tool.
Free. No password. Unsubscribe anytime.
