BBQ tri-tip sandwich at TriTiperia, San Diego, Calif.

Tri-tip is a cut of beef you occasionally see as a special on Texas barbecue joint menus.

It’s a tough sell – both literally and figuratively. Compared to brisket, tri-tip is leaner and has what barbecue aficionados politely call “chew,” a euphemism for its occasionally tough texture when compared to the buttery richness of a well-rendered brisket.

A triangular cut from the bottom sirloin, tri-tip has a cult following in California, particularly in the Santa Maria Valley just north of Santa Barbara where it’s seared over red oak and sliced against the grain.

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In Texas, however, my encounters with tri-tip have been underwhelming.

Too often, it’s cooked like brisket , which is a mistake – it lacks the intramuscular fat to........

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