Marinated Tri-Tip Roast in Caramelized Onion Sauce

Tri-tip is one of my favorite cuts of beef. Marinated and roasted, it has a wonderful texture and flavor. For this recipe, I'm using a "cooked" marinade with caramelized onion, dark soy sauce and port wine. This tri-tip recipe goes very well with pan-fried potatoes and a vegetable.

Ingredients

Marinating

• 1 whole tri-tip beef roast
• 1 medium onion, cut into ½ in / 1 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp port wine
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Roasting

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into ½ in / 1 cm pieces
• ¼ cup / 60 ml port wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Marinating

1. Set a heavy pan over high heat. Add olive oil and onion. Cook until golden brown, stirring frequently and reducing the heat to medium as necessary.
2. Add sugar and cook until coffee brown.
3. Add soy sauce, port, crushed garlic and pepper.
4. Reduce for a few minutes until the marinade starts to thicken. Let cool.
5. Rub tri-tip roast with marinade. Put it in a sealable container or plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 1 day (2-3 days is better).

Roasting

1. Preheat oven to 410°F / 210°C.
2. Place a heavy ovenproof pan over high heat and add olive oil and onion. Cook until lightly browned.
3. Place the marinated tri-tip in the pan and put it in the oven. Cook to a core temperature of 135°F / 57°C for medium-rare.
4. Remove roast from oven and pan. Wrap in aluminum foil and let rest for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, add the port to the sauce in the pan, reduce and season with salt and pepper.
6. Slice the meat and serve.

Yields 4-6 servings

Preparation time 1½ hours plus 2-3 days for marinating