Santa Maria-style barbecue

Last updated

Tri-tip on the grill, with a saucepan of beans and loaves of bread Tri-tip, baked beans and toast.jpg
Tri-tip on the grill, with a saucepan of beans and loaves of bread

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]

Contents

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.

History

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]

Beans

Santa Maria-style barbecue made with pink beans, due to unavailability of pinquito beans SantaMaria-StyleBBQ.jpg
Santa Maria-style barbecue made with pink beans, due to unavailability of pinquito beans

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]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkish cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Turkey

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of California</span> Culinary traditions of California

The cuisine of California reflects the diverse culture of California and is influenced largely by European American, Hispanic American, East Asian and Oceanian influences, and Western European influences, as well as the food trends and traditions of larger American cuisine.

<i>Bulgogi</i> Korean meat dish

Bulgogi is a gui made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirloin and rib eye are frequently used cuts of beef for the dish. Bulgogi is a very popular dish in South Korea, where it can be found anywhere from upscale restaurants to local supermarkets as pan-ready kits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asado</span> Meat dish traditional in Uruguay, Argentina, Rio Grande do Sul, Peru, Paraguay and Chile

Asado is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries: especially Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event. An asado usually consists of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, and morcilla; all of which are cooked using an open fire or a grill, called a parrilla. Usually, red wine and side dishes such as salads accompany the main meats, which are prepared by a designated cook called the asador or parrillero.

<i>Churrascaria</i> Type of Brazilian restaurant

A churrascaria is a place where meat is cooked in churrasco style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese word for "barbecue".

<i>Churrasco</i> Portuguese and Spanish name for beef or grilled meat

Churrasco is the Portuguese and Spanish name for grilled beef prominent in South American and Iberian cuisines, and in particular in Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. The term is also used in other Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries for a variety of different meat products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chimichurri</span> Green, uncooked sauce for meat

Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce used as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat. Found originally in Argentina and used in Argentinian, Uruguayan, Paraguayan and Brazilian cuisines, it has become widely adopted in most of Latin America. The sauce comes in green and red varieties. It is made of finely chopped flat leaf parsley, red fresno chili peppers, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano and vinegar or lemon juice. It is similar to Moroccan chermoula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of the Southwestern United States</span> Food eaten in the southwestern United States

The cuisine of the Southwestern United States is food styled after the rustic cooking of the Southwestern United States. It comprises a fusion of recipes for things that might have been eaten by Spanish colonial settlers, cowboys, Mountain men, Native Americans, and Mexicans throughout the post-Columbian era; there is, however, a great diversity in this kind of cuisine throughout the Southwestern states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pig pickin'</span> Whole hog barbecue

A pig pickin' is a type of party or gathering held primarily in the American South which involves the barbecuing of a whole hog. Females, or gilts, are used as well. Boars and sows generally are too large.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri-tip</span> Cut of beef

The tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef from the bottom sirloin subprimal cut, consisting of the tensor fasciae latae muscle. Untrimmed, the tri-tip weighs around 5 pounds. In the US, the tri-tip is taken from NAMP cut 185C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional variations of barbecue</span>

Barbecue varies by the type of meat, sauce, rub, or other flavorings used, the point in barbecuing at which they are added, the role smoke plays, the equipment and fuel used, cooking temperature, and cooking time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spice rub</span> Spices rubbed on food before cooking

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haitian cuisine</span> Culinary tradition

Haitian cuisine is a Creole cuisine that originates from a blend of several culinary styles that populated the western portion of the island of Hispaniola, namely African, French, indigenous Taíno, Spanish and Arab influences. Haitian cuisine has some similarities with "criollo" cooking and similar to the rest of the Caribbean, but differs in several ways from its regional counterparts. Flavors are bold and spicy demonstrating African and French influences, with notable derivatives coming from native Taíno and Spanish techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbecue in the United States</span> Culinary tradition originating in the southern United States

Barbecue is a tradition often considered a quintessential part of American culture, especially the Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean barbecue</span> Regional style of food preparation

Korean barbecue is a popular method in Korean cuisine of grilling meat, typically beef, pork or chicken. Such dishes are often prepared on gas or charcoal grills built into the dining table itself. Some Korean restaurants that do not have built-in grills provide customers with portable stoves for diners to use at their tables. Alternatively, a chef uses a centrally displayed grill to prepare dishes that are made to order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit barbecue</span> Method of cooking meat and root vegetables buried below ground

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texan cuisine</span> Food and drinks from Texas

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oaxacan cuisine</span> Regional cuisine of Oaxaca, Mexico

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bottom sirloin</span> Animal meat used in restaurants in steaks and hamburgers

The bottom sirloin steak is a steak cut from the back of the animal below top sirloin and above the flank. This cut can also be referred to as sirloin butt and thick flank. The meat is further cut into three different portions called ball tip, tri-tip and flap steak for consumption. Ball tip cuts are used for common steaks in restaurants and are often advertised as sirloin. Tri-tip is found in roasts or used for barbecue since it is common for it to be cooked over long periods of time. Flap portions are found in hamburger meat or can be made into stews or even fajitas since it is too tough to be used in steaks.

References

  1. 1 2 Nabhan, Gary Paul (2008). Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods. White River Junction, Vt.: Chelsea Green Pub. Co. ISBN   9781933392899.
  2. "Pink Bean". RecipeTips.com. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Santa Maria Visitor & Conference Bureau
  4. 1 2 3 Tesene, R. H. (1997). Santa Maria Style Barbecue. Los Olivos, CA: Olive Press Publications. ISBN   9780933380110.
  5. California Farm Bureau Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Santa Maria Valley: A Brief History of Santa Maria Style Barbecue
  7. 1 2 "Pinquito Beans". susieqbrand.com. Susie Q's Brand. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  8. "LOCAL INGREDIENTS". www.farwesterntavern.com. Far Western Tavern. Retrieved August 18, 2017.

Further reading