[El Ropo]

It's as tender as you want to make it. And the degree of tenderness goes way up if you can find some with good marbling. Most of the tri tips I see in my local stores are select grade, and I'd guess low select grade by the lack of marbling. I look for the ones that have more lines of fat in them, and never have a problem with tenderness.

Another thing that affects it a lot is the temp it's cooked to. Med rare is wonderful, med is barely edible to me. This is one cut that changes in texture and flavor a lot if overcooked. And of course you really need to pay attention to the grain when carving. Across the grain and on a bias will get you the best results every time.

I personally hate donut syndrome on a roast. This is when a roast is cooked at a high temp and the outside is well done, then there is a small center section of pink. This is why I like to to this type of cut with a reverse sear now. Low n slow till internal of 110ish, so the meat is pink from edge to edge, then toss it on a hot fire to quickly sear the outside. Remove no later than 130 (I prefer 125). Then rest before carving. This will get you great results every time.