Santa Maria BBQ
Don’t click away. I did say California. I also said cooking…bbq. Partly because this version of beef barbecue recipes is a bit more active and short- grilling to those from a Southern persuasion. But, made well, this barbecue style is damn good eating. So it belongs on this site. But first what is Santa Maria BBQ? Simply it is beef- traditionally top sirloin, but in every case I have seen, the meat is steak tri tip, grilled over coals. There’s a bit more to it than that, but that comes later. First, a bit more “back story:” this type of cooking originated in and around Santa Maria- on California’s central coast. The tradition started in the 1800’s when cattle was king, and basically is this region’s version of a round-up dinner: Cowboys- Mexican cowboys to be exact- grilled meat- hmmm we’ve got a lot of cattle so how about beef?- over coals. A word here about beef. Much has been written recently about grass fed beef. It has better health benefits and is environmentally superior. But I love it for the taste,especailly a rustic preparation like this. And, being opinionated, the best grass fed beef I have found is:La Cense Beef The fuel was the wood that was available: California red oak. Simple and delicious.. After the meat- is there really anything else?- comes: French bread --for sopping up the juices Pinquito beans- small pink beans typically made ala charra style Macaroni and cheese Tossed green salad Santa Maria salsa Coffee and dessert. That’s the story. So, unless you’re an anthropologist, you care more about how to make this type of'cue, than read its history. It’s really simple: on the steak tri tip page, I’ll explain the cut of meat a bit more and offer the traditional way of cooking, and my recipe for a tri-tip marinade that I prefer… Steak tri tip page Learn more about making this piece of bovine bliss.... Return from the santa maria bbq page to the bbq recipes for foodies home page
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