# Tri Tip in Cambro Hotbox



## phillipgee1 (Mar 9, 2017)

I'm new in the Catering Business and I have a large event where I'm cooking Tri Tip.  If I  pull my Tri Tip off the grill Medium cooked and keep want my Cambro Hot box (it may stay in the hot box 1-2 hours), will it stay medium cooked or will it turn to medium well?  Any cons to using a Cambro Hot box?


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Bbq caterer here. Putting meat in cambro is what I do. The cambro cant raise the temperature, only slows how fast it drops. Its like resting the tri tip over a long time. Like any meat, the outside is cooked more than the middle. As you rest, carry over cooking will raise the temp in the center more as the outside cools. Once the outside cools down there is no more heat to raise the temp. Tri tip isnt that big a cut, 2 lbs on avg? I wouldnt worry about that much carryover cooking, even with cambro full of em. Tldr pull it out at 140 internal for medium. Internal temps could rise to 145-150 range at peak and then sloooowly drop which is how it should be.

The downside of cambro is it is very humid when you cover up hot food. Any nice crust or bark on your meat will soften.


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## phillipgee1 (Mar 9, 2017)

Thanks Million Knifes, very detailed. Just the information I needed!


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## quelper (Feb 28, 2007)

Phillip,

If you take your Tri-tip right off the grill (no resting) and pack the cambro, then yes it will be well done. If you cook it to rare, and pack the cambro hot it may get you the med rare you are looking for.

Trouble is, if put in a true rare, the holding temperature will likely fall quickly because of the center being cold, or at least non-hot. Travel time?

Now meat is quite stable so if you do this it probably won't go bad, but you will be working outside the realm of legal holding temperature.

415-760-8311 direct if I have a moment I will take your call.

Also, tri-tip if fully cooked slowly (180f - 200f max) will retain some of it's color and will be very tender because the stuff inside has had time to break down.

Rare/med rare tri-tip should be sliced very thin whereas the fully cooked stuff if not turned to shoe leather, can be sliced thick and still be tender.

Mark


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