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[Hank D Thoreau]

I was viewing some web blogs on regional BBQ styles. It seems the focus is always on the same states from Texas, through the south to the lower east coast.

I did not see a single mention of Santa Maria style BBQ. Not sure why. Maybe folks don't believe that California can have a BBQ style.

Certainly, the south did not invent BBQ. People have been cooking over wood fires for centuries

If you want to see the land where Santa Maria BBQ comes from then watch the movie Sideways. Hitching Post II is the famous BBQ frequented in the movie. My wife and I finally ate there.

We made reservations a week ahead of time. You have to plan ahead. It is a popular place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria-style_barbecue

[Bar-B-Lew]

I am not sure I agree with your assessment 100%.  I have seen many TV food shows talk about Santa Maria BBQ.  A difference I see between Santa Maria and other parts of the country is that I have never seen anything other than a tri-tip mentioned as a Santa Maria specialty.  That is not a negative assessment in my opinion though.  I think another challenge that Santa Maria BBQ has is that the tri-tip is not regularly available throughout the 50 states like the meat BBQ'd as a specialty item in other regions of the country.  Another challenge may also be if the Santa Maria BBQ uses the Argentinian style grill to cook the tri-tip.  While those grills are very effective for cooking that type of BBQ, they seem like they are not multi-facet grills/smokers to cook other types/cuts of meat like other units.

I would be interested in your thoughts on why you think Santa Maria BBQ should be a national BBQ style.

For me, I would like to have a reasonable priced specialty grill to cook the tri-tip and other meats.  I would also be interested in you helping me understand what other cuts of meat that you think could be BBQ'd on the same equipment that would make great Santa Maria BBQ.  I could be very wrong about this as maybe Santa Maria BBQ is something more than tri-tip on an Argentinian grill. That is all I have seen it to be.

[Hank D Thoreau]

Steaks and fish also work. Vegetables to. I have seen the grill setup hot and cool sides so you can do different types of food at the same grill height. Tri-tip is one of the most common cuts of beef where I live. I would have a hard time estimating how many I cook each year. I probably average at least one per week--maybe more. There was a time when I used to cook 3 or 4 per week. It is a very consistent cut of beef. You rarely get a bad one.

[Bentley]

To me Santa Maria is grilling and not BBQ, and for me there is a difference.

[pmillen]

To me Santa Maria is grilling and not BBQ, and for me there is a difference.

I was thinking the same thing.

Where I live BBQ is the low and slow kind of cooking (smoking).  Grilling is hotter and faster.  I think of Santa Maria as grilling.  Am I wrong about that?


BTW, I have a Santa Maria attachment sitting on top of my Weber Kettle.

[Hank D Thoreau]

We call it BBQ. So does the Wikipedia article. Maybe that's the issue. Not all parts of the country define BBQ the same way. I BBQ'd for years before I ever did low and slow.

[pmillen]

Maybe that's the issue. Not all parts of the country define BBQ the same way.

Yeah, I think that's the case.  Apparently, the further we get from home the more we'll encounter variances in word use.  I continually hear the Australian phrase, "Put something on the barbie."  So, it appears that in Australia barbecue is a noun—it's what the grill is called.

[hughver]

When I got out of college in 1963, one of my first jobs was with Western Electric doing missile guidance design at Vandenberg AFB. I lived in Santa Maria and the Hitching Post was my favorite place to eat. I'm not sure if I've ever had a steak better than the ones that I had there. 

[Ralphie]

To me Santa Maria is grilling and not BBQ, and for me there is a difference.

I was thinking the same thing.

Where I live BBQ is the low and slow kind of cooking (smoking).  Grilling is hotter and faster.  I think of Santa Maria as grilling.  Am I wrong about that?


BTW, I have a Santa Maria attachment sitting on top of my Weber Kettle.

That is really cool!  What size kettle and where do I find the Santa Maria attachment?  I need this in my life.
Is it sturdy?

[pmillen]

It's a 22-inch Weber Kettle w/the Gabby’s Santa Maria Attachment.  Be careful with it.  The grate is mild steel and wants to rust.

[Hank D Thoreau]

It's a 22-inch Weber Kettle w/the Gabby’s Santa Maria Attachment.  Be careful with it.  The grate is mild steel and wants to rust.

They have a version of that with a rotisserie. Looks great but I already have a lot of BBQ stuff and it is a bit pricey.

[JoeGrilling]

I learned of Santa Maria style from a coworker years ago.  He used to make Santa Maria style tri-tip sandwiches for little league fundraisers. The method he used was quite simple.  The tri-tips were covered in garlic powder and kosher salt and grilled.

My recipe for Santa Maria style tri-tip evolved over the years.  It's a combo of smoking and grilling.  Here's my hybrid recipe:
1. Puree maybe 12 gloves of garlic with a little cooking oil to aid in the puree process.
2. Process the tri-tips with a bladed tenderizer.  I use a four row of blades version.
3. Butter both sides of the tri-tips with the garlic puree.
4. Salt both sides of the tri-tip with kosher salt.
5. Fire up the pellet grill at 225 F and let stabilize.
6. Smoke until the internal temperature of the tri-tips hit 110F and fire up the gasser.
7. Remove the tri-tips from the smoker when their internal temperature hits 120F.
8. Place the tri-tips on the gasser and sear both side until an internal temperature of 135 F is reach.
9. Remove them from the grill, cover with foil, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
10 Slice and serve.

This reverse sear method really makes a great tritip.

-Joe

[4given]

I have read that Pappy's Choice was the traditional Santa Maria Tri-Tip seasoning,

[Bentley]

Pappy's was huge in Central California starting about 35 years ago (I would venture to guess 9 out of 10 tri-tips in that area were rubbed with it) and has grown to a National, if not Super Regional rub company.  I think Suzie-Q was more prevalent in the Santa Maria and Central Coast area.  Very different rubs, but both are excellent!

[yorkdude]

When we lived in Arizona, very often you would, 1st. smell amazing smells, when you got to the next intersection there it was. Either 1/2 chickens or tri-tip. They had a charcoal fire ( Santa Maria grill, big though) and they had the racks cranked all the way up. They were loaded with either one and slowly they would lower them. The smell, especially the chicken was incredible. My barber shop (back when I had hair) was in a big strip mall in Mesa. Haircut, Bloody Mary a few doors down and some chicken. Oh man it was great.