It’s Turkey Time…Santa Maria Style!
Tired of the same old turkey, with the same old flavors, every Thanksgiving? Then spice up your holiday table by adding a Santa Maria-style twist to your culinary festivities.
Indeed, barbecuing your bird is a great way to energize the traditional Thanksgiving menu, particularly if you do it with two staples of Santa Maria Style Barbecue: red oak and Santa Maria seasoning. The red oak imparts an amazingly smooth and distinctive smokiness to the flavor profile, while the seasoning further enchants the palate
If you’ve never done it before, you have to be a little adventurous to put your bird on the barbecue. After all, no one wants to mess up their holiday meal right before the guests arrive. But it’s really not that difficult if you do a little research. You may want to start with this basic overview of how to do it. The key is to not scorch the outside of the turkey while making sure it gets fully cooked on the inside.
As for adding the Santa Maria-style components, it’s pretty easy. Just sprinkle some red oak chips onto the hot coals while the turkey cooks, and the resulting smoke will work its magic. As for the seasoning, add some to the baste, and then add more to your liking after you slice the meat. For even more Santa Maria-style flavor, enjoy your meal with a side of pinquito beans and a glass of Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley.
Happy Thanksgiving from California’s Barbecue Capital!
Santa Maria Sizzles in SkyWest Magazine
Santa Maria BBQ and the Santa Maria Valley are once again in the spotlight as SkyWest Magazine devotes a full page travel feature on the region in its latest issue. SkyWest Magazine is the in-flight publication for SkyWest Airlines and United Express.
Aptly headlined “Valley of Variety,” the story explores the magnificent diversity of the Santa Maria Valley visitor experience, including barbecue, wine, nature, culture and family entertainment. As the story states, “This historic picturesque area an hour northwest of Santa Barbara lures visitors off the beaten path with plenty to see and do.”
Among the story’s featured attractions are the treasures of the Santa Maria Museum of Flight; the children’s delights at the Discovery Museum; the towering ocean views of the Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes; the “naturalists nirvana” of Los Flores Ranch Park; and the relaxed appeal of the local wine country: “Santa Maria Valley offers visitors an unpretentious opportunity to meet with winemakers at more than a dozen tasting rooms, all set among the valley’s rolling hills and lush landscape.”
Of course, Santa Maria Style Barbecue also takes center stage in the story, including a photo of Cowboy Flavor’s Billy Ruiz cutting into a steaming piece of tri-tip.
Thanks to SkyWest Magazine for their high-flying coverage of the Santa Maria Valley!
Load Up on BBQ at Local Costco
Who doesn’t love a trip to Costco? From clothing to computers, furniture to kitchen appliances, Costco is just loaded with good stuff at a great price.
But what some folks might not know about Costco is that the company is also attentive to local flavors—and in the Santa Maria Valley, that means you can load up on locally produced Santa Maria Style Barbecue products at the Costco store on South Bradley Road in Santa Maria.
For example, at the local Costco you will find gift cards for the legendary Hitching Post restaurant in Casmalia—specifically two $50 gift cards for just $79.95!
Also, in the meat department, you will find the Hitching Post’s fully prepared Santa Maria Style Barbecue Tri-Tip, cooked over red oak and seasoned with the Hitching Post’s signature rub. It’s the same quality meat used at the restaurant. All you have to do is re-heat the tri-tip and it tastes like you just barbecued it. The gift cards and tri-tip are also available at the Costco stores in Goleta and San Luis Obispo.
Meanwhile, the Santa Maria Valley’s Susie Q’s Brand is also a fixture at the Santa Maria Costco, with their Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning considered a staple for preparing authentic Santa Maria Style Barbecue. This seasoning is also a delicious accent for a wide variety of dishes. The 22-ounce Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning is also available at Costco stores in San Luis Obispo, Goleta, Oxnard and Bakersfield.
The Santa Maria Costco also features a fine selection of Santa Maria Valley and Central Coast wines, as well as other homegrown products, including local organic spring salad from Babé Farms.
In other words, if you want to go big on local BBQ flavor, you know where to go!
The Story of The Santa Maria BBQ Copyright
Santa Maria Style Barbecue is so distinctively delicious that the official menu is actually copyrighted to protect its authenticity and integrity.
Indeed, in 1978, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce requested a copyright to protect the name, concept and menu of Santa Maria Style Barbecue, and the copyright was granted by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress in March of that year.
Bob Seavers, the secretary-manager of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce at that time, was quoted as saying that the copyright was necessary “because restaurants and organizations in other communities were beginning to advertise and serve a fare represented as ‘Santa Maria Style Barbecue,’which, in reality, bore little resemblance to the true Santa Maria Style Barbecue. The copyright will help to preserve the tradition authentically, as the barbecue becomes more and more famous.”
It proved to be a prescient decision, because more than 30 years later, Santa Maria Style Barbecue continues to gain both fame and fans largely as a result of its inherent authenticity and regional roots.
As noted in the copyrighted menu: “In the early days of the huge ranchos, the rancheros, with their vaqueros, friends and neighbors, gathered frequently under the oaks of this serene little valley for Spanish barbecues. The present Santa Maria Barbecue grew out of this tradition and achieved its “style” some 50 years ago when local residents began to string their beef on skewers and cook it over the hot coals of a red oak fire…This tradition has been carried on throught the years by the many groups and organizations in the Santa Maria Valley who have made the barbecue a specialty of all major events. Visitors to the city having the good fortune to be exposed to this gourmet’s delight return again and again to enjoy a unique experience in eating.”
For this blog’s introduction to the official menu, click here. For tips on preparing genuine Santa Maria Style Barbecue, click here. Bon appetit!
Authentic Santa Maria BBQ…in Minutes!
Traditionally, Santa Maria Style Barbecue is an exercise in anticipation. First, you light the red oak and let it burn until the coals are very hot with little flame. Then, after initially searing the meat, you raise the grill and wait patiently for the meat to reach medium rare or so, which can take up to 20 minutes per inch of cut thickness. Of course, the wait is always worth it!
But let’s face it. In this fast-paced age, not everyone always has the time to cook, let alone stage a traditional Santa Maria Style Barbecue. And that’s where the Santa Maria Valley’s BBQ2You comes in.
Established by the Ostini family, the owners of the famed Hitching Post restaurant, BBQ2You offers ready-to-heat authentic Santa Maria BBQ (and other meals) shipped right to your doorstep: “Bring a Santa Maria Style BBQ Steakhouse experience to your family’s kitchen table in just minutes! There’s no grilling necessary, and no thaw time. From freezer to plate in under 20 minutes. These are fully prepared meals, all you have to do is boil water, drop the boil-in-bag meal in, and dinner is served.”
If mail-order BBQ strikes you as questionable, consider that the Ostini family is renowned for the quality and authenticity of their food. In other words, they serve only the finest…even when it comes via FedEx!
Among the many meal options offered by BBQ2You is the Tri-Tip for $65 (pictured above), featuring three separate packages of 1.5 to 2.25 pound cuts that will “feed a small army,” all perfectly seasoned and grilled over red oak.
Visit the BBQ2You web site to check out their innovative line of convenient meals, and note that they are currently running a special for free shipping to California residents.
Plan Your Visit to BBQ Country
Are you thinking about visiting the Santa Maria Valley? Well, you are not alone!
Indeed, in its 2011 Annual Report, the Santa Maria Valley Visitor & Convention Bureau reports a 12 percent increase in city “bed tax” revenues over the previous year, meaning that even amid a challenging economy, more and more people are coming to the area and staying at local hotels and motels.
It can’t hurt that Santa Maria Style Barbecue continues to garner widespread attention, with recent media coverage in FoxNews.com, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Wandermelon.com, American Cowboy Magazine, Reuters, LA Weekly, TastingTable.com and elsewhere. No doubt, more folks are following the red oak smoke to experience California’s BBQ Capital!
Other local flavors are a major draw as well. For example, word is spreading about the remarkable quality of Santa Maria Valley wines. In fact, the Wine Enthusiast named three locally grown wines to the top 10 slots on its most recent list of Top 100 Most Coveted Wines in the world! Think about that for a second…Then there’s our famous Santa Maria Valley strawberries and fertile fields of everything from cilantro to broccoli.
The valley’s award-winning theater presentations, stunning Guadalupe-Nipomo dunes and adjacent beaches, affordable world-class golf and unique cultural experiences are also beckoning you.
To help plan your next visit, check out the following three resources presented by the Official Santa Maria Valley Barbecue Blog: our Santa Maria Valley Welcome Guide, our Arts & Culture roundup, our Visitor Resources and our Santa Maria BBQ restaurants page.
Celebrate Harvest in The Santa Maria Valley
Come out and enjoy a epicurean afternoon in the Santa Maria Valley on Saturday, October 8 as Ranch Sisquoc Winery once again hosts the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association’s annual Celebration of Harvest from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $65 per person.
This event features more than 100 wineries pouring tastes of their most current wines, as well as more than two dozen local chefs, caterers and specialty food purveyors showcasing fresh regional ingredients amid live music and a silent auction. Several Santa Maria BBQ specialists will be among the culinary participants, including the Hitching Post, Far Western Tavern and Susie Q’s Brand.
The festivities actually begin today as local wineries host winemaker dinners and open houses. On Saturday evening, the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum will present the Harvest Moon Dinner Dance, featuring wine, barbecue, and dancing
You may also opt to purchase a “Vintners’ Visa” for the entire weekend for $35. The 12 wineries participating in this program will “pull out the stops” for visa holders. And while you’re at it, you are encouraged to stay and play in the Santa Maria Valley for the entire weekend, so that you can enjoy scrumptious Santa Maria Style Barbecue, stunning beaches and world-class golf, among other attractions.
For tickets and information regarding Celebration of Harvest and the Vintners’ Visa, call the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association at (805) 688-0881 or visit www.sbcountywines.com.
The Salad Bowl Festival Returns on Oct. 22
Here in Barbecue Country, the local flavors aren’t limited to those that come off the grill.
Indeed, the Santa Maria Valley’s temperate climate and fertile soils also yield world-class wines, strawberries and produce.
So it’s fitting that the agricultural community of Guadalupe is home to the Salad Bowl Festival, an innovative celebration of “all of the produce that makes a great salad.”
The second annual Salad Bowl Festival begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 22 in downtown Guadalupe. This year’s festival will feature live entertainment, a farmer’s market, an agriculture history display, food booths, children’s activities, “cabbage bowling” and a salad dressing competition.
A “Grease & Greens” car show will showcase a variety of custom autos and motorcycles, and a preceding Friday night downtown cruise will get things rolling.
Featured bands will be Pryor Baird and The Deacons, The Hydramatics, Electric Grease and Valente Pastor. The festivities will be preceded by a half-marathon and 5k run. The event will conclude with a barbecue.
For more information on attending or participating, visit the Salad Bowl Festival web site.
Don’t miss this festive and flavorful immersion into the agricultural bounty of Guadalupe and the Santa Maria Valley.
Sweet Sounds Abound in Santa Maria Valley
We take a break today from our regularly scheduled BBQ programming to celebrate another delight for the senses, specifically the sweet strains of the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society.
It’s no secret that, amid the challenges of a rough economy, the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society was recently faced with the possibility of shutting down. Well, we are happy to report that the society has rallied and will be offering a suite of tantalizing performances this winter and into 2012.
The excitement begins with a November 19 performance by Café Musique at Grace Baptist Church. Hailing from the Central Coast of California, this group presents a musical collage of waltz, tango, gypsy, and folk. Then, on December 2 at First United Methodist Church, Maestro John Farrer and the Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra will present a Holiday Fantasy Concert. Additional performances are scheduled for February, April and May.
In addition to providing the Santa Maria Valley with a diverse range of concerts, the society reaches out to more than 5,000 elementary school students each year, thus playing a vital cultural role in the community. “We are committed to keeping the classical music art form alive in the Santa Maria Valley,” says Executive Director George J. Majoue.
It’s yet another reminder that good taste in the Santa Maria Valley isn’t limited to barbecue, wine and strawberries! Indeed, the valley abounds with concerts, theater, museums and other cultural attractions that await your exploration.
A Tribute to Santa Maria BBQ
In one of the more creative tributes to Santa Maria Style Barbecue we’ve encountered, veteran food and travel writer Laurel Miller recently posted a story on her self-described “(not a) blog” about our local culinary tradition, leading with her own personal account of experiencing another distinctive ranch-style offering: “prairie oysters.”
Indeed, it turns out that Laurel, when she was just ten years old, got rounded up to help with a spring cattle gathering here on the Central Coast, where she was not only introduced to Santa Maria BBQ, but also to this, ahem, more exotic delicacy.
In reflecting on that experience, she delves into the history and menu of classic Santa Maria Style Barbecue. Along the way, she features local landmark restaurants such as the Hitching Post and Far Western Tavern, as well as Susie Q’s Brand barbecue foods and Old Town Market in Orcutt.
You may recall that Laurel also penned a recent piece on Santa Maria BBQ for American Cowboy magazine. Our thanks go out to her for spreading the sizzling good word about Santa Maria Style Barbecue!
