Howdy, watching a YouTube Video on Tri Tip. We love Tri Tip, do it in BGE at 250, and for the 4 lbs size we get takes approx 1.5 to 2 hours to 125 internal. This video showed the use of Brown Sugar as well as K Salt and Pepper to rub the Tri Tip. I have NEVER used Brown Sugar as part of a rub on beef. Is this just for the final appearance of the Tri Tip or does it add flavor, sweet????

Do any of y'all do this, add Brown Sugar to a beef rub? What does it do/add to beef?

Help Me Obi Won!

Off the top of my head the only time I add sugar of any kind to a beef rub is for something that cooks super fast because it helps with searing/browning thin cuts of meat. I have sugar in the marinade when I grill skirt steak for fajitas. I've butterflied tri-tip before to make fajitas as well so I'd have no issue using sugar in that application. Cooking it for a couple of hours though I have not done with sugar in the rub/marinade. My thoughts are the only way to know whether or not it works is to give it a try.

Thanks All, y'alls thoughts ring true with me, No Brown Sugar on beef, ribs yes, beef Big NO! Thanks, just wanted to check with the experts as this sounded very strange to me.

Max Power said:

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Off the top of my head the only time I add sugar of any kind to a beef rub is for something that cooks super fast because it helps with searing/browning thin cuts of meat. I have sugar in the marinade when I grill skirt steak for fajitas. I've butterflied tri-tip before to make fajitas as well so I'd have no issue using sugar in that application. Cooking it for a couple of hours though I have not done with sugar in the rub/marinade. My thoughts are the only way to know whether or not it works is to give it a try.

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How did that come out? Seems like I can almost always find a tri-tip at HEB, not so much for skirt steak. I might give this a try! Assume you butterfly it first into thin strips, like 1/2 thick? 1/4 inch?

Sugars burn quickly when searing and will be off putting. If going low and slow they will also burn eventually which is why you would wrap them when you reach the color you want when using runs with a high sugar content. This is also the reason you glaze ribs the last 10-15 minutes of the cook. It's long enough to tack up the glaze but not long enough to burn the sugars.

Tailgate88 said:

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Max Power said:

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Off the top of my head the only time I add sugar of any kind to a beef rub is for something that cooks super fast because it helps with searing/browning thin cuts of meat. I have sugar in the marinade when I grill skirt steak for fajitas. I've butterflied tri-tip before to make fajitas as well so I'd have no issue using sugar in that application. Cooking it for a couple of hours though I have not done with sugar in the rub/marinade. My thoughts are the only way to know whether or not it works is to give it a try.

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How did that come out? Seems like I can almost always find a tri-tip at HEB, not so much for skirt steak. I might give this a try! Assume you butterfly it first into thin strips, like 1/2 thick? 1/4 inch?

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Tri-tip makes awesome fajitas, just hold it flat and cut it across to make thinner pieces. Make sure you've got a really sharp knife. I normally cut a tri-tip into thirds to get close to skirt steak in thickness. Cook it just like you do skirt steak. I live in the Midwest and have had issues finding skirt steak, but I recently discovered Aldi has it regularly even though the other grocery stores and Coscto don't around here.

I thought this had something to do with Joy Taylor

Brown sugar on pork, lamb or goat, absolutely
On beef, absolutely not

Alton Brown's babyback ribs rub has brown sugar and I've used it on spare ribs, it's great. But of course not beef.

I am always concerned with sugar burning.