Marinade:
The cloves (20-30 cloves) from 4 heads of garlic, separated from the base, but not peeled (there is a lot of flavor in the papery skin)
1 fresh jalapeño chili pepper, stem removed, the rest left whole
Juice of one lime
2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Tri tip and sauce:
One tri tip roast, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds, with a layer of fat on one side left on
Olive oil
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
6-8 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, chopped
1 to 2 cups fine dry red wine, such as a Cabernet
Salt and pepper
1 Prepare the marinade by putting the marinade ingredients into a blender, and blend for 10 to 15 seconds until well blended. Place meat and marinade in a airtight plastic bag or plastic container. Place in refrigerator and let marinate overnight.
2 Remove meat from refrigerator and still wrapped, let come to room temperature.
3 Pre-heat oven to 500°F. Rub olive oil all over the roast surface. Place on a roasting pan, fat side up. Include the juice from the marinade in the roasting pan, up to a half inch high in the pan. Bake in oven for 20-40 minutes (depending on the size of the roast) until the internal temperature is 130-135°F for rare, 140-145°F for medium. If you have a smaller roast (1 1/2 lb), take it out on the low side of the range of temps. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 2-5 minutes (but no more than 5 minutes) before carving.
4 While the roast is cooking, you can prepare the mushrooms. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with about 4 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic and sauté for several minutes, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms get browned and the onions translucent. Add a cup of wine. Reduce the wine, adding more wine as needed if the mushrooms absorb too much.
5 Slice the roast against the grain and serve slices with the mushrooms.
Serves 4-8, depending on the size of the roast and your appetites.
