Another SW Swell...Plus Chef Tim Hollingsworth's Tri-Tip!

Surfing changes you as a person. It really does. Since I began this adventure, for example, I have become far more aware of my relationship with nature. Do we need to use so much plastic? Because lots of plastic ends up in the ocean and that's bad. Do we need to spray poison and other crap on our front yards? Because those poisons end up in the ocean. So we now reuse as much plastic as we can and recycle the rest, and we ripped the grass out of our front yard and put in natives that have turned the space into a wonder zone of bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, who seem to visit on a daily basis. Meanwhile, you begin to learn more about nature, about things like ocean currents and what's doing with monsoons down in Baja because these have an effect on where and when you might surf. Before I starting getting in the water, I couldn't have told you the difference between a SW swell and a hole in the wall. Now I have learned a few things -- for me, SW swells pack a lot of energy and usually bring waves that are far bigger than I'm happy with so now I know those are good days to probably stay out of the water. Lately there have been a couple of SW swells, not majorly huge ones, mind you, but enough that things were out of my comfort zone. So my weekend session consisted of practicing like a dork in the whitewash. Yesterday things had eased and I paddled out, but conditions were very choppy and it was hard to catch anything. still, in earlier days I would have been put off by chop too. Thanks to my former teacher I can deal with choppy days.

Speaking of teachers, a good mentor in the kitchen would be a dude like Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, who I think I first stumbled upon at some point after we were treated to an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime meal at The French Laundry in Yountville. How did this happen? Well, a dear, dear friend was given a gift certificate allowing him to treat about 6 of his closest friends to dinner at the restaurant. This was a truly epic meal of many courses, and wine pairings with each course were also included! God only knows what this cost, but it was definitely something everybody should do at least once in life. Of course we saved the menu, and it is framed in the kitchen. A picture of it is below so you can take a look. Anyway, Hollingsworth was Chef de Cuisine at the French Laundry (and a competitor in the Bocuse d'Or), and I started following him on Twitter (bonus points…I think I read somewhere that he surfs) so it could only be good news when he left Yountville to come south to LA where, with some partners, he's already opened barbecue joint Barrel and Ashes in Studio City, with Otium set to come downtown as part of Eli Broad's museum, which is scheduled to open in September. I've been meaning to get to Barrel and Ashes one of these days and just haven't made it (they have Frito Pie!) but recently I clipped from the LA Times Hollingsworth's recipe and technique for tri-tip, which is one of my favorite cuts of meat. It took a while to get around to making this, but here's the results, co-starring hand-cut twice fried Frites!

I made a couple of adjustments to this recipe (minor things, of course, because you don't mess with a master). For one, it doesn't say in the recipe to remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it come to room temp so I've added that step. Also, I served the salad on the side (and I had romaine to use up so I substituted that for the arugula. It would definitely be more peppery with the arugula though. Also, I added some seeded, diced cucumber because I also had some to use up). As always, source your meat carefully -- this tri-tip was from McCall's Meat and Fish, and it's excellent.

Tim Hollingsworth's Tri-Tip and Salad
(recipe adapted from the LA Times)

1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 2 - 2 1/2 pound tri-tip
1 onion, sliced thin
3 tbsps. chopped garlic
1 bunch thyme, chopped (I totally forgot this…just saying)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1. In a small bowl stir together onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and red pepper flakes. Mix in about 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper. Rub this mixture all over the meat and set aside for at least 1 hour. Top with sliced onion, chopped garlic and thyme. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. Transfer the tri-tip and the rest of the ingredients from the bowl to a zip-loc bag. Add the olive oil and vinegar. Press out any air, seal tightly and then rub to distribute evenly. Refrigerate at least 6 hours, or overnight.
3. Get your grill going -- I used a chimney full of Kingsford briquettes and hickory chips that had been soaked for a couple of hours in water. When the coals were ready, I kept half the grill free for a cool side, but you want it hot at first for the sear. Sear all sides of the meat, then move to the cooler side and cook, turning frequently, until well-browned and medium-rare to medium (about 130 degrees), 30-40 minutes. The meat should feel firm to the touch, but still give with pressure.
4. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice meat thin, across the grain, holding the knife at a slight angle to make larger slices. Serve either over the salad below or with the salad on the side, as I did, with Fries!

For the Salad

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large shallot, minced

2 tbsps. balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cups diced tomato

1 small onion, diced

1 avocado, diced
Juice of 2 limes

2 tbsps. chopped cilantro

Optional: 1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

3 cups arugula (or lettuces)

1. Combine garlic, shallot and vinegar in a bowl. Let stand five minutes or so, then whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Combine tomato, onion, avocado, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl. Set aside 30 minutes, then drain excess liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place arugula in a large bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to moisten lightly. If serving the whole dish as a salad, line a platter with arugula. Arrange sliced tri-tip on top, then spoon over tomato mixture.  If serving salad and meat separately simply spoon tomato mixture over arugula and serve alongside the sliced tri-tip.

So that's it. Oh, below is the French Laundry meal we had.  Again, it was an incredible experience so if you ever get a chance…grab it!