In this simple recipe, Tri-Tip Steak is cooked in a rich gravy flavored with fennel, coriander, and paprika until it's so tender that it falls apart. It's a deeply comforting meal that's satisfying in a heart warming, soul gratifying, stick-to-your-ribs kind of way.

The recipe includes instructions for cooking trip-tip in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot.

"I’m still in shock! The recipe serves four but it didn’t last beyond the two of us in one sitting." - Mike

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Why This Recipe Works

Tri-tip is a lean, flavorful cut of beef that comes from the tender, triangle roast that's right in front of the hind quarters. It tends to be quite a bit less expensive than other types of steak, especially for the amount of flavor it delivers.

Typically, recipes call for tri-tip to be cooked quickly on a grill, under the broiler, or in a super hot skillet. But, it's also the perfect cut of beef to cook low and slow in a slow cooker or under pressure in an Instant Pot.

Cooking tri-tip in a slow cooker or instant pot creates tender, flavorful chunks of beef that beg to be smothered in gravy. Which is exactly what's happening here.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Steak

This recipe was originally published on alittleandalot.com. For more detailed instructions, please see the original recipe: Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Steak

• 3 pound Tri-Tip Roast (Tri-Tip Steak; see note)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoons dried oregano
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Cut tri-tip into three pieces. Dab each piece on all sides with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. (Damp meat will not brown.) Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on all sides of each piece.
2. Add the oil to a 12-inch skillet and set it over medium high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmery, add the pieces of steak. Let them cook on one side until a rich brown crust forms. Turn each piece in the hot oil to create a brown crust on both sides.
3. Remove the pieces of steak from the skillet, setting them into the bowl of a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot.
4. Leave the skillet on the stove, but turn the heat down to medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are light golden brown. Add the garlic, coriander, fennel, paprika, oregano, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to the onions and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute longer.
5. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. (There's a lot of flavor in those brown bits!)
6. Pour everything in the saucepan into a blender and add the anchovies. Puree until smooth, about 20 seconds, and then pour the gravy over the meat. Pour in the remaining chicken broth.
7. Slow Cooker: Cook the meat on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, until the meat is so tender it's falling apart.
8. Instant Pot: Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and the timer to 35 minutes with a natural release.
9. Remove the meat to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan.
10. Put the cornstarch into a small bowl and slowly pour in about ½ cup of the sauce, whisking constantly as you pour to prevent lumps.
11. Whisk the cornstarch mixture back into the rest of the sauce in the saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes, until the gravy has thickened.
12. Taste the gravy and add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve the gravy with the meat.

Recipe notes:

"Tri-Tip Roast" and "Tri-Tip Steak" are sometimes used interchangeably in packaging:

The tri-tip roast is part of the bottom sirloin suboptimal cut of beef. Tri-tip steaks are cut from the roast. I have found that in supermarkets, both terms can sometimes be used interchangeably. What you want to look for is cut that is about 3 pounds in weight.

If all you see in the supermarket are smaller pieces of Tri-Tip, they are probably steaks. That's ok. Just get three pounds of steaks and ignore the step in the recipe instructing you to cut the 3 pound roast into smaller pieces.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

What to Serve with Tri-Tip Steak and Gravy

Potatoes, of course. There's something about tender beef and rich gravy that begs to be eaten with potatoes. Here are a few of my favorite options...

• If you want to get kind of fancy, Potato Gratin with Smoked Salmon and Paprika Cream Sauce rocks - with or without the smoked salmon. Sometimes I add the smoked salmon and sometimes I don't. It's super delicious either way.
• Equally awesome with gravy covered steak is a big bowl of Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes. To be fair, there are very few things not made better with a generous serving of Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
• One of my all-time favorite super fast and delicious recipes from my Grandmother: 10-minute Au Gratin Potatoes.
• Simple, Perfect Roast Potatoes are exactly how roasted potatoes should be – richly flavorful, creamy on the inside, crisp and crackling on the outside.
• Crispy Fried Potatoes {Country Potatoes} are soft and creamy on the inside, and golden and crispy on the outside.

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

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