Doc - does Pappy hail from good old So. Cal? I find the rub perfect for this roast. As for Tri-Tip, a couple of things. I do them all the time, but either direct or indirect (mostly) on my Weber Kettle. Tri-Tip, in my opinion is meant to be cooked at high temps for a short period of time. Medioum rare to rare is best with this cut, since overcooking it makes it chewy, with little flavor. A nice char on the outside is the key. The smokette isn't my 1st choice for this cut. Also, they're not cheap anymore, and not entirely plentiful. They are usually $3.99lb on sale, 5.99lb regular, this for choice. I only paid $2.89lb for the choice roast in the pictures.