If you'd like, trim any excess fat off of the tri tip.

Place tri tip on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish and sprinkle both sides and all edges liberally with sea salt. Transfer to your refrigerator to dry brine overnight (at least 1 hour, preferably 24 hours). No need to cover the tri tip! Leave it open to the air in your fridge.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F. Sprinkle the tri tip liberally with garlic powder and black pepper. Be sure to get both sides and all edges!

Place the tri tip on the preheated smoker and smoke until it reaches the internal temperature you desire. For a 2 pound tri tip, smoke for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and a half for medium-rare. For a 3-pound tri tip, smoke for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours for medium-rare.

Transfer the tri tip to a large baking sheet, so that it catches any juices that come out as it sits.

If you love a crispy exterior on your tri tip, you will need to sear the outside using your preferred method, as the smoker doesn’t always achieve an amazing crisp.

You can sear it in a cast iron skillet over high heat with a generous amount of avocado oil or butter in the skillet for a few minutes per side. You can also sear the tri tip on a regular grill. If you have a large hand torch, that works too!