Bear,
That was the leanest Tri-tip I've seen yet. No wonder it was a tuffin".
When I do Tri-tip I pull it at 130 always. It's very rare but tender. I know a lot of people will not eat red/pink beef. I used to be that way until I had Tri-tip. I usually smoke mine for about 1.5 hours at 250 degrees or lower if I can get there. I recently tried grilling one indirect on
the kettle, it was a disaster. The grill was too hot. Meat came off tough and dry. I will stick to smoking them from here on.
I think this is one of the better cuts of beef, not real fat and not
too expensive. My biggest issue is getting pictures. I swear my son absorbs these things just by being near it. It's gone as soon as it's sliced. My wife is the same way.
My next endeavor will be getting a Santa Maria style grill for
the kettle. I will probably get better results that way.