STORIES
The Rich History of Santa Maria-Style Barbecue: A Culinary Tradition of California’s Central Coast
The history of Santa Maria-style barbecue dates back to the mid-19th century when the sprawling ranches of the Santa Maria Valley were home to Californio ranchers and their vaqueros, the skilled cowboys of the time. Each spring, these ranchers would host grand Spanish-style feasts, gathering family, friends, and vaqueros to enjoy a communal meal that highlighted the bounty of the region. The centerpiece of these feasts was the barbecue—large cuts of beef, seasoned simply with salt, black pepper, and garlic, and cooked slowly over earthen pits filled with hot coals of coast live oak, a hardwood native to the area, often referred to as "red oak."
The Legacy of Santa Barbara Tri-Tip: A Central Coast Culinary Tradition
Santa Barbara tri-tip is more than just a local delicacy; it’s a celebrated icon of California’s Central Coast culinary heritage. This unique triangular cut of beef, sourced from the bottom sirloin, was largely unknown outside California until the mid-20th century. Once considered a lesser cut, often relegated to ground beef or stew meat, tri-tip has since risen to prominence as a signature dish of Santa Maria-style barbecue.