Shaved Tri-Tip Sliders with Bacon and Cheese Sauce

[FTC Disclosure]  I have received free samples from Flame Boss. However, I have also bought units from them at full price as well.  SABER is our infrared grill sponsor.

Shaved beef tri-tip sliders, why haven't I thought of that before?

Crispy toasted rolls, tender seasoned beef, homemade bacon, and a cheese sauce.  These were ideally suited for the Carolina/Tennessee basketball game this weekend.

We did a reverse sear and then let the tri-tip rest in the fridge overnight.  I used an almost 0 setting on a meat slicer to get the slices extra thin. We already had the bacon in the freezer.

The cheese sauce is a blend of Swiss, Gruyere, and cheddar cheeses.  What makes the sauce special is the roasted garlic, horseradish, and a little bacon fat.  It has got a depth of flavor going on.  This sauce would be fantastic on a dinner roll with a piece of leftover prime rib.

Horseradish and Roasted-Garlic Cheese Sauce for Beef Sliders

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tablespoon roasted garlic paste
• 2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar blend
• 1 teaspoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Make a roux.  Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the butter and bacon fat.  Once melted, add the garlic paste and whisk in the flour, whisking continuously until it is thoroughly combined together.  Keep cooking until it starts to emit a nutty smell, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Gradually whisk in the half and half.  Add the half and half about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking to combine it with the roux before adding more.  
3. Add the cheese.  Once the sauce is simmering, add the cheeses in small batches.  I use a 4 finger pinch each time.  Then whisk the sauce until the cheese is melted before adding more.
4. Whisk in the horseradish, white pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Add salt to taste.
5. Serve with beef sliders, as a dipping sauce for pretzels, etc.

Notes/Substitutions 

• Roasted garlic paste - We regularly roast our own (cut off tops, drizzle with oil, season, put in indirect heat at 350°f for 1 hour, squeeze out paste).  You can substitute Gourmet Garden or other brand garlic paste, but it won't be as flavorful.
• Horseradish - If you hate it, leave it out, but it does add to the overall flavor.

I seasoned the tri-tip with BKW Original Pepper and Obie Cue's Double Strength Garlic Pepper then let it rest at room temp for an hour.

I had been smoking a prime brisket for a friend of the family (Translation:  I was playing with flavor profiles and used them as a Guinea pig)...

...and my Flame Boss already had the Deep South Smokers GC36 running low and slow at 250°f.  So I used the Deep South to smoke the tri-tip to an internal temp of 125°f, a little under an hour.

Then after the tri-tip rested, I seared it on my SABER 1500 Elite SSE.

Typically, I would have done this on one of our kamado grills (Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Kong, etc.).  The slow roast would be indirect at 250-275°f.  Then while it rested, I would remove the indirect piece and open up the lower vent to bring the heat up to 500°f.  Then after the internal temperature of the tri-tip started to drop, I would sear it about 2 minutes per side.

I put the tri-tip in the fridge overnight and then on Sunday, sliced it just above a setting of zero on my slicer.  

I found a pack of homemade bacon in our freezer and cooked it on the stove top.

I toasted the buns in a little butter and piled up the sliders with sliced tri-tip, cheese sauce, and bacon.

These sliders were a definitive winner, and we'll be putting a version of these on our event menu sometime this year.  The seasoned roast beef, creamy sauce, and crisp bacon make it taste delicious.  Even better, you can make virtually all of this ahead of time.