Sep 04 2026
Restaurants›Silver Creek BBQ›Ragin’ Bull – Hot! Recipe

Ragin’ Bull – Hot! Recipe

Inspired by Silver Creek BBQ
Time3h 30m
Serves8

Smoked tri-tip cooked in our spicy BBQ sauce

Jump to Recipe

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Smoked Tri‑Tip

Spicy BBQ Sauce (Ragin’ Bull Sauce)

Assembly & Serving

Method

Smoked Tri‑Tip

  1. 1

    Prepare tri-tip

    Pat the tri-tip dry with paper towels. Rub the olive oil evenly over the meat. In a small bowl combine kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Rub the dry rub thoroughly over all sides of the tri-tip. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight (bring back to room temperature before smoking).

  2. 2

    Preheat smoker

    Set your smoker to 225°F (107°C) for low-and-slow smoking. Add 2 wood chunks of oak or hickory for a steady mild smoke. Allow smoker to stabilize to temperature and smoke level for 10–15 minutes.

  3. 3

    Smoke tri-tip

    Place the tri-tip on the smoker grates, fat-side up. Smoke until internal temperature reaches 125°F–130°F (52°C–54°C) for medium-rare, approximately 1.5–2 hours depending on size. Monitor with a probe thermometer. Spritz lightly with water every 30–45 minutes if the surface is drying too much.

  4. 4

    Rest and slice

    Remove the tri-tip when 5–10°F below target (about 120°F for rare, 125–130°F for medium-rare). Tent loosely with foil and rest 15–20 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain into 1/8–1/4 inch slices for sandwiches.

Spicy BBQ Sauce (Ragin’ Bull Sauce)

  1. 5

    Sauté aromatics

    In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to brown at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

  2. 6

    Build the sauce

    Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize. Add ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and chopped chipotle. Whisk to combine.

  3. 7

    Season and simmer

    Add smoked paprika, ground cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Pour in 1/4 cup water to loosen. Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 12–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a brushable consistency. Taste and adjust heat with more hot sauce or red pepper flakes, or sweetness with brown sugar if needed.

  4. 8

    Finish

    If you prefer a smooth sauce, pulse the cooled sauce briefly in a blender or use an immersion blender. Rewarm before using. Sauce can be made 2–3 days ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature and reheat gently before serving.

Assembly & Serving

  1. 9

    Toast rolls

    Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Spread softened butter on the cut sides of the rolls and toast, butter-side down, until golden brown, about 1–2 minutes. Keep warm.

  2. 10

    Warm tri-tip with sauce

    Place sliced tri-tip in a shallow pan. Spoon 3/4 of the warmed spicy BBQ sauce over the meat and toss gently to coat — reserve 1/4 cup for serving. Warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes to meld flavors, or heat gently in a skillet until warmed through (do not overcook).

  3. 11

    Build sandwiches

    Open toasted rolls and pile a generous portion of sauced tri-tip on the bottom half. Drizzle additional sauce to taste. Top with pickle slices or pickled jalapeños and cilantro or green onions if using. Close sandwich and serve with extra sauce on the side.

  4. 12

    Portioning

    This recipe yields roughly 8 sandwich servings (about 4–5 oz cooked meat per sandwich). Serve immediately while hot.

More from Silver Creek BBQ