The cut was known in the United States as early as 1915, called "the triangle part" of the loin butt.

[4] Rondo (Ron) Brough, a butcher for the US Army during World War II working in Southern California, claimed that he created the "triangle tip" cut as a way to gain an extra portion of meat for the troops by reorienting nearby cuts and eliminating scrap.

This practice caught on with Brough's Army colleagues and after the War, they began cutting and serving triangle tip throughout restaurants and butcher shops in California.

[3] Triangle tip, cooked in wine, was served at Jack's Corsican Room in Long Beach in 1955.

[7] The cut was marketed under the name "tri-tip" as early as 1964, at Desert Provisions in Palm Springs.

This cut of beef can be sliced into steaks, grilled in its entirety, or used in chili con carne.