Tender beef roast with a simple dry rub is a barbecue maven's specialty.(The Orange County Register) From: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service | Date: June 3, 2002| Author: Thomas, Cathy | COPYRIGHT 2002 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Kathy Murphy knows how to herd beef on a barbecue.

She nurses her dry-rubbed tri-tip roasts like a calm but cautious mother. Strategically, she shifts and turns them, building layer upon layer of delectable smoke-scented crust. Seductively seasoned, the tri-tips glisten, black as a crow's wing. Inside, the meat is juicy pink and irresistibly tender. Perfect fare for a summer picnic.

Her tri-tip barbecues _ offered through Ranch Hands Inc., the Santa Ana-based ...