The Official Santa Maria Style Barbecue Site

In the latest edition of its food section, the Sacramento Bee turns the spotlight on tri-tip, the cut of meat that was popularized in the Santa Maria Valley and that is considered a signature cut (along with top block sirloin) of traditional Santa Maria Style Barbecue.

Senior writer Allen Pierleoni begins his story with the following observation: “When it comes to beef, tri-tip rules as the king of the California grill. Now this humble, easy-to-cook cut is gaining a toehold in other parts of the nation and is even wowing diners in the Big Apple.”

Later in the story, he delves into the origins of tri-tip, revealing how this once-overlooked cut found its mojo in the Santa Maria Valley: “Fast-forward to the late 1950s, when Santa Maria butcher Bob Schutz experimented with the cut, which is one of the three muscles in the bottom sirloin of the steer. Meat cutters routinely diced it into stew meat or ground it into hamburger, but not Schutz on that day. Instead, he seasoned it Santa Maria-style and cooked it on a rotisserie. His ‘creation’ was surprisingly delicious. He named it ‘tri-tip’ because of its shape and promoted it locally. Its popularity spread statewide.”

As the story notes, tri-tip’s recognition is beginning to spread beyond California, but we still hear from people in other parts of the nation who say that even their butcher doesn’t know about it.

In the Santa Maria Valley and across the Central Coast, however, tri-tip is ubiquitous, not only in the form of classic Santa Maria BBQ, but also in the tri-tip sandwiches that you will find in delis, markets and restaurants all over the region. Visit the valley soon for a taste of this sensational local cut.

KSBY Televison recently featured the Santa Maria Valley’s Far Western Tavern in its popular news series titled “No Place Like Home,” which focuses on the unique flavors and experiences of the Central Coast.

Founded in 1958, the Far Western Tavern is a local landmark of Santa Maria Style Barbecue, and joins the Hitching Post, Shaw’s and Jocko’s as Santa Maria BBQ bastions that have been going strong for more than half of a century. Click here for more information on local restaurants that specialize in this regional culinary tradition.

The Far Western Tavern, which was recently named as one of the West’s top 10 barbecue restaurants by Sunset Magazine, is located on Highway 1 in the town of Guadalupe.

In the story produced by KSBY, anchor Jeanette Trompeter observes, “Generations of families, farmers and ranchers have come to the Far Western when they wanted a good meal, and a connection to the agricultural community it calls home. And even as times changed, cities around here grew up and chain restaurants moved in, the Far Western has held it’s ground.”

This is an apt description of not only the Far Western Tavern, but of several local barbecue establishments and even the phenomenon of Santa Maria barbecue itself. Just more proof that good taste never goes out of style!

When someone mentions Santa Maria Style Barbecue, a few things come immediately to mind. The tri-tip cut, the signature local seasoning, the accompanying pinquito beans…But there is one other crucial ingredient that is sometimes overlooked, and that is red oak wood.

Indeed, the traditional and authentic Santa Maria Style Barbecue is cooked over coals of native red oak. And trust us, red oak isn’t mere fuel for the fire. It’s an integral part of the flavor profile of classic Santa Maria barbecue. The aromas and flavors that red oak imparts are both sweet and smoky, rich yet mellow, and utterly distinctive.

Red oak is indigenous to the foothills of California’s Central Coast, making it the go-to wood for the original Santa Maria barbecues in the mid 1800s, long before commercial charcoal was a retail staple. Over time, red oak’s aromas and flavors become synonymous with the local barbecue tradition.

Several purveyors offer red oak products for barbecuing, including Susie Q’s Brand of the Santa Maria Valley, which offers red oak barbecue chips. Just a handful of red oak chips will transform your barbecue and give you an authentically natural taste of how it’s done here in the Santa Maria Valley.

“Wow!”

That’s all we could say when we received the new July 2010 issue of the Wine Enthusiast and discovered a two-page feature spread on Santa Maria Style Barbecue. Thanks to article author (and famed wine critic) Steve Heimoff and the Wine Enthusiast for turning the spotlight on California’s BBB capital!

The article is titled “Santa Maria Style Barbecue,” with a subhead that declares: “Steak is the sizzle in the Central Coast’s oldest culinary tradition, and the region’s wines match perfectly.”

The story delves into the history and traditions of Santa Maria Style BBQ, with quotes from Frank Ostini of The Hitching Post, Rick Manson of Chef Rick’s Ultimately Fine Foods and Kevin Plemmons of Plemmons Catering. It also features Susie Q’s Brand and other local purveyors of Santa Maria Style Barbecue.

Of course, wine is also a big part of the local culinary story. Writes Heimoff, “Such a huge spectrum of flavors calls for a variety of wines to match. Steakhous reds of course—Santa Barbara produces some outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons and Syrahs. A rich, oaky Santa Barbara County Chardonnay goes surprisingly well with everything.”

He concludes, “But this isn’t the time to be fussy. Santa Maria-style BBQ is all about relaxation with family and friends…As Eli Parker puts it, ‘This was all about feeding a bunch of hungry cowboys. In a way, it still is.’”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!