The Best Homemade Santa Maria Style Beans (California Barbecue Beans

Being native Californians, we love Santa Maria Style Tri-tip. A classic side dish are Santa Maria-style beans. The beans are made with a special variety of pink beans called pinquitos. These ‘little pink’ beans are prepared in a spicy, smoky, bacon and pork. These are smoky, tart and spicy– and so good!

One of my most viewed recipe is the Santa Maria Style Tri-tip.  My husband and I loved it when we first tasted it as we were passing through the town of Santa Maria, California.  In an issue of Cook’s Country, I found a  a recipe about Santa Maria and their special style of BBQ. The article included the tri-tip, beans and salsa—  and  how to easily recreate that nice smoky flavor that Santa Marian’s accomplish.. The traditional way is to grill  this cut of meat over dry oak; we use our Weber and soaked wood chips.  I was so excited to make it, and it’s become a grilling favorite in our home.

The night before, the tri-tip meat is prepped with lots of fresh garlic and olive oil. It’s wrapped in plastic. Right before grilling, the garlic is wiped off (so it won’t burn) and more garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper is rubbed on to the meat.  You can click here if you’d like a step-by-step on how to make this.

Beans are an essential side dish, whenever I make tri tip.  Cook’s Country included a recipe for Californian Barbecued Beans, which features the pinquito bean– native to Santa Maria.  I can’t find these beans, but pink beans are considered a great substitute.  I made this dish a year ago, but wasn’t pleased with it.  I decided to tweak the recipe and the end result– I watched husband and brother go for seconds….then thirds.  Here’s how I made it:

Soak one package of beans, overnight, and rinse them.

Please forgive this fuzzy photo. My first adaptation was to increase the amount of bacon that I use. I didn’t care for the deli ham, that Cook’s Country used. It was just too odd a flavor, so I skipped that ingredient this time. I buy bacon pieces at a good price at my butcher shop.  I love the thick chunks of pork. The fat is what gives the beans great flavor. I cut up about 2 cups worth.  Once the fat was rendered, I added one whole chopped onion and cook that until tender. Then I added  four big cloves of fresh minced garlic, for about 30 seconds (don’t let it burn).

Add the beans, and then add 6 cups of water. Let the beans simmer on medium-low, covered, for about an hour.  While that was cooking, I made taco sauce. This is a key ingredient, so don’t skip it. Go ahead and buy bottled taco sauce, or you can follow my easy recipe.

It’s time to add tomato puree, the taco sauce, brown sugar, dry mustard and kosher salt. I decreased the original amount of brown sugar by half (I thought it made the beans too sweet) and doubled the amount of dry mustard.  I also doubled the amount of taco sauce from 1/2 cup to 1 full cup.  I thought it was perfect! I let the bean simmer for one more hour, and the sauce thickened perfectly.  Cook’s Country says to add apple cider vinegar and fresh cilantro at the end.  I didn’t like that, (thought I do love cilantro) the first time. It left an “off” taste,  so I skipped those ingredient additions.

TASTING NOTES: First, let me emphasize  that Cook’s Country (an America’s Test Kitchen sister site) is one of my most trusted recipe sources.  I’m not saying that their version of Santa Maria Style Beans isn’t a good recipe.  It’s just that, having eaten the real deal all over regions of my beloved California– it just didn’t quite match the taste I had grown accustomed to.  So, back to my version: The beans were cooked perfectly– not mushy, still a bit firm. The brown sugar, tomato puree and balance of dry mustard and the taco sauce gives a slight note of barbecue sauce.  There’s a subtle tang of tomato and a nice balance of garlic.  I’m much happier with my little tweaks.  I might even had more chunks of bacon, though. I think that would be great.

The tri tip was juicy.  The balance of smokiness and the garlic is spot on to the tri tip we had in Santa Maria. One more thing– garlic bread and salsa are necessary condiments.  I made The Pioneer Woman’s Restaurant Style Salsa.  I still don’t have ripe tomatoes, but this recipe makes canned tomatoes taste great.  Oh yeah, for dessert… we had Lemon Custard Ice Cream— with a drizzle of homemade raspberry coulis sauce. 

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California Barbecue Beans (Santa Maria Style Beans)

Being native Californians, we love Santa Maria Style Tritip. A classic side dish are Santa Maria-style beans. The beans are made with a special variety of pink beans called pinquitos. These 'little pink' beans are prepared in a spicy, smoky, bacon and pork. These are smoky, tart and spicy– and so good!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Bean soaking time8 hours hrs

Total Time9 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: Barbecue Beans, Santa Maria Beans

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

• 8 slices thick cut bacon chopped
• ½ pound deli ham chopped fine NOTE: I omitted this the second time I used it, and liked the beans better
• 1 onion chopped fine
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound pink kidney beans soaked overnight and drained
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup canned tomato puree
• 1 cup bottled taco sauce* or make homemade taco sauce (below)
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon dry mustard
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves optional
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar (optional, I did not use)

Homemade Taco Sauce (optional)

• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant minced onion
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

• Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until fat renders and pork is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add beans and water and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until beans are just soft, about 1 hour.
• Stir in tomato puree, taco sauce, sugar, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are completely tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 hour. (If mixture becomes too thick, add water.)
• Season with kosher salt, if needed.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
• Serve.
• (Beans can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

IF MAKING HOMEMADE TACO SAUCE:

• Place ingredients into a sauce pan and stir well, simmer at a very low temperature for 15- 20 minutes.
• Remove and cool.
• May be kept in refrigerator for several days.

Notes

If you can find them, pinquito beans (a variety grown in the Santa Maria Valley) are traditional in this dish. Bottled taco sauce is available in the Mexican aisle of most grocery stores. Don’t add the tomato puree, taco sauce, brown sugar, and salt before the beans have simmered for an hour; they will hinder the proper softening of the beans.

TASTING NOTES: I made this recipe twice, and I didn’t feel that the ham added much flavor to the beans, so I omitted the ham in the second go-round.  I also didn’t care for the cider vinegar at the end.  I liked this recipe much better this way!

Recipe source: Slightly adapted from Cook’s Country Magazine June/July 2007

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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