Santa Maria-style barbecue centers around beef tri-tip, seasoned with black pepper, salt, and garlic before grilling over coals of native coast live oak, often referred to as “red oak” wood. Along with this grilled beef, a side dish of Pinquito beans rounds out the meal perfectly. When summer corn is in season, we par-cook it in the microwave, then finish it off on the grill, slathered with plenty of butter.
Labor Day can be a bittersweet farewell as summer is ready to pack up and leave us until next year. Already, my cooking magazines are featuring roasted turkey recipes and pumpkin pies! Excuse me? We folks on the Central Coast of California are just now gearing up for our typical Indian Summer weather! My Weber grill is still longing to be fired up! My local farm stand is still picking luscious strawberries and there are still plenty of corn stalks waiting to be harvested and thrown onto the grill. That’s exactly what we will be doing for this three day weekend. My soups and stews recipes can wait a few more weeks– as far as I’m concerned, we love to grill year-round. Period.
A few weeks ago, I received a lovely email from “Christopher”. Apparently, he spotted my blog post on my version of Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip. He asked if I could like to try some of Susie Q’s Santa Maria seasonings. I thought about it for a non-second and immediately replied “please and thank you“. I received the box above. This weekend blessed us with the perfect grilling weather, so I headed off to Whole Foods to buy tri-tip. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this cut of beef, tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut. It is a small triangular muscle (hence, the name), usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.
First, I made the beans. These are Santa Maria Pinquito beans. This is the first time that I’ve tried them, as I cannot find them in my area.
That’s probably because, Pinquito beans grow well in the fertile soil and mild climate of the Santa Maria Valley, which is the only place where pinquito beans are grown commercially.
I live in the Salinas Valley of California– home of one of the biggest Rodeos in the World. I grew up riding on ranches, have owned horses and have hung out with plenty of cowboys and ranchers. I’ve been fortunate to experience authentic ranch style barbecue. Nothing beats cooking over authentic oak wood! It’s such a great flavor. But, I now live in the ‘burbs. A Weber grill will just have to be a substitute. Craig grilled the meat until it reached 130F (we like ours medium-pink) and we let it rest, knowing it would continue to cook.
Craig has mastered the art of making great corn. He microwaves the corn, in the husk, for 3-4 minutes per ear of corn. My brother joined us for dinner, so we cooked three ears of corn. After 8 minutes, he lets them cool enough to peel back the husk. They are grilled until lightly golden, using the husks as a handle.
The beans! Let me tell you a little about those. We like our beans a bit thick. After three hours, of a low simmer, they were definitely ready. At first, I tasted heat… as in spice. But, then my tongue adapted and I could taste a background of smoky cumin. Still, I didn’t want watery beans. No problem. I ladled out a lot of the liquid and then pondered what to do. I finally decided to make a slurry of some cornstarch and water and whisked it into some liquid. Once it thickened, I slowly added it until the beans were thick– to our liking. My brother quickly ate the bowl of beans I had photographed. He loved them!
Now, for the moment of truth on the Tri-Tip…
My husband, who really doesn’t like to cook (and swears he can’t) has really learned how to grill meat. This is exactly how we like our beef to be grilled. It’s a perfect pink!
I had to blow up this shot. Please tell me you can see how juicy this slice of beef is! I took a bite…
TASTING NOTES: Let’s start with the beef. (Doing a happy dance). The seasoning is spot on! It’s not too salty, not too much garlic. The pepper ratio is perfect. To me, Tri-Tip doesn’t need sauce. No way! The meat is tender, and the smoky oak flavor… I can almost hear the cattle lowing, the cowboys are coming home! This is Santa Maria Style barbecue. The corn was sweet and tender and the seasoning was perfect for the cilantro-lime butter. The beans were a hit. The oak chips are such a treat for adding a smoky flavor, even with a weber (or you can also make a foil smoke packet for a gas grill). I still like my other version of Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip, but it takes more work and time prep. I think this technique is easier.
Craig and I live less than four hours from Santa Maria, California. The next time we drive south, I hope that we can visit to the family restaurant, at the Far West Tavern. I hope that’s sooner, rather than later.
Santa Maria Tri-tip (California Tri-tip
Equipment
- Charcoal Grill
Ingredients
- 1 2 pound tri-tip roast trimmed
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups wood chips preferably oak
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Pat roast dry with paper towels. Using fork, prick roast about 20 times on each side. Combine garlic, oil, and salt and rub over roast. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes.
- Open bottom vents on grill.
- s Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 100 coaland burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash.
- Pour hot coals in even layer over one half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, open lid vents completely, and let grill heat for 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean.
- Using paper towels, wipe garlic paste off roast.
- Rub pepper and garlic salt all over meat.
- Grill directly over coals until well browned, about 5 minutes per side.
- Carefully remove roast and cooking grate from grill and scatter wood chips over coals.
- Replace cooking grate and arrange roast on cooler side of grill.
- Cover, positioning lid vents directly over meat, and cook until roast registers about 130 degrees (for medium-rare), about 20 minutes.
- Transfer meat to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain. Serve.
Notes
Are you kidding? I'd love to try the pinquito beans. They look wonderful, and your tri-tip….well, no need to talk about that. Your beautiful pictures say it all. Thanks.
I would also like to try those beans because they look awesome! Heck, I'd like to try the entire meal but I can't order that from Susie Q!
Wow, what a meal. The beef looks perfect.
Those beans looks outrageously good. And while I'm at ti, I'm going to eat some of that beef, too. Yum!
I'm all about grass fed local beef as well! I eat beef so infrequently, that paying the extra few dollars for it is totally worth it to know that I'm not clogging my arteries with grain-fed saturated fat.
That tri-tip is certainly perfectly cooked! Pink and juicy just the way it should be.
The seasonings sound awesome. I would love to try the California seasoning!
You've cooked your tri-tip to perfection, Debby. And I second your assessment of grass fed beef. It is worth the few extra dollars. What a meal!
I would love to try smoking meat with the oak wine barrel chips. The prices are very reasonable too. I'm a new visitor and your food looks very tasty and beautiful!
I like the Sherry Citrus Rib Glaze it looks yummy!
I'd love to try the red label seasoning. I love that it contains no MSG, which trigger migraines for me. Thanks for the giveaway.
Wow, everything you made looks so delicious. I agree on the grass-fed beef. Totally worth it.
For the giveaway, I'd love to try the sherry citrus rib glaze. So awesome. Any reason to make ribs is a good reason.
Red Label Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning – sounds good to me!
Tri Tip AKA Newport Steak when you not on the west coast.
That meat is perfectly cooked! It's funny but I never heard of tri-tip until a friend of mine from California talked about it. No one here calls it that. Those beans look intriguing, especially with those seasonings.
The beans look great! And I'd love to try the beef jerky!
I am a jerky fan so it would have to be the beef jerky with the santa maria style seasoning – Thanks for the chance to enter and have a great week.
Rick, thanks for giving a non-West coast name to Tri-tip. It also goes by another, but it escapes me for now…
Thanks for this giveaway…I would love to try the 'pie mixes'.
ramvinayak_81@rediffmail.com
Fire up the grill I am hopping on a plane for some pinto beans and tri tip barbecued to perfection.
My mouth was watering looking at all of your photos.
I'd try a custom trio==citrus glaze, wine-barrel wood chips, and pinquito beans.
I already follow you here and on FB, and while I was at it, I "liked" Susie Q's FB page, too.
Thanks for the fun giveaway.
The Santa Maria Seasoning would be my pick, as would the excellent tri-tip! Great post! Love everything that you have prepared for this meal. I'll have to keep my eye out for the pinquito beans! "Like" on FB for you and Santa Maria!
The Red label Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning looks really interesting to me. I'm closer to Sacramento, CA and have never heard of Santa Maria tri-tip. It looks delicious!
I would love either of those wood chips! We grill on our charcoal Weber grill frequently and these would sure be fun to try! Thanks for offering such a fun give away 🙂
I would love to try their Beef Jerky with Santa Maria Style Seasoning!! It sounds amazing!!!
Such a beautiful meal! You are so right about cooking over oak. So good! Your cilantro butter with the corn on the cob is divine! Yum! Great meal!
First off, your meal looks absolutely wonderful, and yes, your hubs cooked a perfectly good piece of meat.
I rarely buy tri-tip, I need to put that on my next grocery list.
Love all those seasonings that company offers, but would actually love their antiqued salt holder – its on the "sale" section for $25!
Beautiful post, as most of yours are.
Aside from being alphabetically first in my list of favorites, I would read them first anyway.
I'm a blogger also.
Here's my attempts.
http://themerlinmenu.blogspot.com
Ron
The Merlin Menu
OMG everything about your meal looks insanely delicious! The tri tip is perfectly cooked and those beans and corn look amazing. I am so happy to have found your blog & just signed up to follow you. Stop by and visit me sometime at http://www.stephaniesavorsthemoment.com – food & wine are my passion! Looking forward to your next delicious post – Cheers!
I'd like to try the Santa Maria Style Seasoning! The meal you made is mouthwatering!
I would absolutely love to try the Red Label Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning. My husband is always trying to combine spices for meat rubs and whatnot. I think he would love this!
I'm so glad Dru turned me on to your blog~ She was also my next door neighbor when we were kids~
I would so love to try all of these wonderful Susie Q products, especially the beans!
I will also try your husbands grilled corn! I have been trying to figure out the best way to grill it!!
The citrus glaze sounds amazing!
You never fail us. What a gorgeous looking tri tip. Cudos to the hubby. The entire meal looks outstanding.
I'd love to try the Sherry Citrus Rib Glaze as I love ribs!!
Hi Debby, You sure have the recipes for tri-tip beef! I've still never ever seen this in the markets! Anyhow, I was reading your post about grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef and was hoping that you'd stop by and link this post up on my fresh clean and pure friday link up. I'm getting more quality blog posts related to cleaning up our lives, and less garbage. That's good, quality is what i'm looking for and not quantity. You always have great tips and we're all trying to get healthier while eating well! Thanks for your time . . . and this recipe!!!!
The whole meal looks wonderful.
I am in the throes on Indian summer would love to open the windows and let some cool air inside.
Looks Delicious!
Following from Weekend Blog Hop…would love to have you follow back!
http://funfritzfamily.blogspot.com/