Santa Maria-style barbecue is a regional culinary tradition rooted in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast of California. This method of barbecuing dates back to the mid-19th century and is today regarded as a "mainstay of California's culinary heritage". [1]
The original Santa Maria style bar-b-que was large chunks of top sirloin seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper, then slow cooked over red oak coals. When Tri tip was introduced back in the 50's it became the meat of choice for the world famous Santa Maria-style barbecue. It centers on beef tri-tip, seasoned with black pepper, salt, and garlic before grilling slowly over coals of native coast live oak, often referred to as "red oak" wood. The grill is made of iron and usually has a hand crank to adjust the height of the grill over the coals.
The traditional accompaniments are pinquito beans, [2] fresh salsa, tossed green salad, and grilled French bread dipped in sweet melted butter. Many of the local will also throw on some Portuguese Linguisa to keep their hungry guest at bay while the meat slowly roast to perfection. [3]
Some regional variations within the Central Coast include sausage (such as linguiça or chorizo) or venison, grilled alongside the tri-tip or in the beans, and fresh strawberries.
Santa Maria-style barbecue originated in the mid-19th century when local Californio ranchers hosted Spanish-style feasts each spring for their vaqueros . They barbecued meat over earthen pits filled with hot coals of local coast live oak. The meal was served with pinquitos, small pink beans that are considered indigenous to the Santa Maria Valley. [3]
According to local barbecue historian R. H. Tesene, "The Santa Maria Barbecue grew out of this tradition and achieved its 'style' when local residents began to string cuts of beef on skewers or rods and cook the meat over the hot coals of a red oak fire." [4]
In 1931, the Santa Maria Club started a "Stag Barbecue", which was held on the second Wednesday of every month, with up to 700 patrons attending each event. [5]
By the late 1950s, four local restaurants—The Far Western Tavern, The Valley Steakhouse, Hitching Post, and Jocko's—were on their way to becoming landmarks of this style of barbecue. [6] Elks Lodge #1538 has huge indoor barbecue pits, and hosts what is called "Cook Your Own" every Friday evening.
The original cut was top sirloin. Then, as today, the meat was rolled in a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic salt before being barbecued over the red oak coals, which contribute a smoky, hearty flavor.
In the 1950s, local butcher Bob Schutz (Santa Maria Market) perfected the tri-tip, a triangular bottom sirloin cut that quickly joined top sirloin as a staple of Santa Maria-style barbecue. [4]
President Ronald Reagan was an avid fan of Santa Maria-style barbecue. Local barbecue chef Bob Herdman and his Los Compadres Barbecue Crew staged several barbecues for President Reagan, including five feasts on the South Lawn of the White House. [4]
Pinquito beans are an essential component of the traditional Santa Maria-style barbecue menu. They are a cross between a pink bean and a small white bean, and grow well in the fertile soil and mild climate of the Santa Maria Valley. [7] Betteravia Farms began growing pinquito beans commercially in 1972. [8] Another specialty purveyor of pinquito beans and other Santa Maria-style barbecue foods is Susie Q's Brand. [1] [7]
Turkish cuisine is the cuisine of Turkey and the Turkish diaspora. Although the cuisine took its current rich form after numerous cultural interactions throughout centuries, it should not be confused with other cuisines such as Ottoman cuisine or Seljuk cuisine. Turkish cuisine with traditional Turkic elements such as yogurt, ayran, kaymak, exerts and gains many influences to and from Greek, Armenian, Mediterranean, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Eastern European cuisines.
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Spice rub is any mixture of ground spices that is made to be rubbed on raw food before the food is cooked. The spice rub forms a coating on the food. The food can be marinated in the spice rub for some time for the flavors to incorporate into the food, or it can be cooked immediately after it is coated in the rub. The spice rub can be left on or partially removed before cooking.
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Barbecue is a tradition often considered a quintessential part of American culture, especially the Southern United States.
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Pit barbecue is a method and/or apparatus for barbecue cooking meat and root vegetables buried below ground. Indigenous peoples around the world used earth ovens for thousands of years. In modern times the term and activity is often associated with the Eastern Seaboard, the "barbecue belt", colonial California in the United States and Mexico. The meats usually barbecued in a pit in these contexts are beef, pork, and goat.
Texan cuisine is the food associated with the Southern U.S. state of Texas, including its native Southwestern cuisine–influenced Tex-Mex foods. Texas is a large state, and its cuisine has been influenced by a wide range of cultures, including Tejano/Mexican, Native American, Creole/Cajun, African-American, German, Czech, Southern and other European American groups. The cuisine of neighboring states also influences Texan cuisine, such as New Mexican cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine. This can be seen in the widespread usage of New Mexico chiles, Cayenne peppers, and Tabasco sauce in Texan cooking.
Oaxacan cuisine is a regional cuisine of Mexico, centered on the city of Oaxaca, the capital of the eponymous state located in southern Mexico. Oaxaca is one of the country's major gastronomic, historical, and gastro-historical centers whose cuisine is known internationally. Like the rest of Mexican cuisine, Oaxacan food is based on staples such as corn, beans, and chile peppers, but there is a great variety of other ingredients and food preparations due to the influence of the state's varied geography and indigenous cultures. Corn and many beans were first cultivated in Oaxaca. Well-known features of the cuisine include ingredients such as chocolate, Oaxaca cheese, mezcal, and grasshoppers (chapulines), with dishes such as tlayudas, Oaxacan-style tamales, and seven notable varieties of mole sauce. The cuisine has been praised and promoted by food experts such as Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless and is part of the state's appeal for tourists.
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