BBQ It Yourself
February 21, 2009 at 9:49 pm 3 comments
The beauty of Santa Maria Style Barbecue is that it delivers big flavors while being relatively easy to prepare. You can even take some flavorful shortcuts with Santa Maria Style Barbecue products by the Hitching Post, Susie Q’s Brand and Cowboy Flavor, among others. So fire up the grill and let’s get started!
THE MAIN COURSE
Create your Santa Maria Style Barbecue rub by mixing one tablespoon of salt with ½ teaspoon of black pepper and ½ teaspoon of garlic salt (for larger cuts and portions, increase ingredients proportionately).
Purchase premium top-block sirloin or tri-tip. Do not trim fat before putting the meat on the grill!
Sprinkle rub evenly across meat. For larger cuts, roll meat in rub, covering the entire surface.
Fill your grill with red oak or other high-quality fuel, avoiding cheap paraffin charcoal. Wait until the coals are red hot with very little flame; spread them out evenly.
Quickly sear meat to seal in flavorful juices, starting with the fat side, then raise barbecue pit screen to prevent burning. When juice appears at the top of the meat, it is time to turn it over. Cook until desired doneness. Medium rare is recommended—which typically takes 20 minutes per inch of cut thickness. (For the original classic Santa Maria Style Barbecue, you can string the cuts of top-block sirloin on rods and cook over red oak coals).
You may trim the fat after cooking. For tri-tip, slice against the grain the long way, not across the triangle. It won’t be a uniform cut, but it will be more tender.
Serve with Santa Maria Style salsa, pinquito beans, tossed green salad and fine local red wine. Finish with Santa Maria-grown strawberry dessert.
SANTA MARIA STYLE SALSA
3 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup finely chopped California green chiles
2 tablespoons snipped cilantro
1 teaspoon vinegar
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of garlic salt
Pinch of dried oregano, crushed
Few drops of hot pepper sauce
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and let stand for one hour to blend flavors.
PINQUITO BEANS
1 pound pinquito beans
1 strip bacon, diced
½ cup ham, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cup tomato puree
¼ cup red chile sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Place the dry beans in a strainer and remove any stones. Then rinse beans and place them in a pot, fill with water and allow beans to soak overnight. Drain beans and put fresh water back in pot with beans. Simmer for 2 hours or until tender.
Saute bacon and ham until lightly browned. Add garlic, sauté 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tomato puree, chile sauce, sugar, mustard and salt.
Drain most of liquid off beans and stir in sauce. Simmer for half hour more. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Entry filed under: Santa Maria Style BBQ. Tags: .
1. Kathryn Donnelly | September 5, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I miss Santa Maria & the Hitching Post so much. I can’t wait to get back there & have a good BBQ’d steak. I am a native Californian.
and miss it everyday. I relocated to North Carolina 3 years ago.
My son and I went to the Hitching Post since they first opened in 1952.
2. shauna | February 15, 2010 at 1:48 am
we tried making the beans and believe the tablespoon of salt should be a teaspoon. Also, there is no sugar measurement in ingredients, but it says to add it in. Salsa was delish, but we added more heat.
3. santamariavalleybbq | February 15, 2010 at 2:14 am
Good typo catch, thank you! Glad you enjoyed the beans. Cheers!