LAist: The Best and Easiest Grilling Recipe Ever - Santa Maria Tri-Tip

duckydj12

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:19:32 -0800

I lived in/near the Central Coast for 6 years. My son was born in Santa Maria. Almost 11 Years ago we moved back to the Midwest and the one "thing" I missed the most is Tri-Tip! Everytime I visit Santa Maria, Tri-Tip is a must have! On several occassions we have even frozen it and brought it back in our suitcases! I have searched high and low to find Tri-Tip in this neck of the woods. Only in the last few years have I been able to find any. It is usually frozen and very expensive! This past weekend I found a meat market that will cut it fresh for me for UNDER $5 a pound!! So thank you for the wonderful recipe. I, of course used SusieQ to season mine this evening and you can't forget the salsa and ranch style beans. Mmmmm, Mmmmm, good.

penny Gould

Sun, 11 May 2008 15:04:59 -0800

Thanks for the great recipe and pictures. It was good to know the difference between charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal, and the temperature distinctions. Your recipe looks easy to follow! And yes, as a Santa Maria resident, I agree that most Santa Maria tri-tip cooked by others is way too salty for my taste, and I have tracked that down. Although SusieQ's is popular, it contains MSG. MSG is a super salt, and it is something that I am allergic to. Probably a lot of people are having an allergic reaction to the MSG. SusieQ's now has 2 formulas for the tri-tip rub, so be sure to ask for the MSG-free version! That should solve the too-salty problem! If you're driving around town on the weekend, and find a public barbecue (they're mainly charity fund raisers) just ask if they use Susie Q's or Accent, another MSG containing rub, and skip those!!! Here's a link to my simple Tri-Tip recipe, pretty much like yours but you need 6 long-neck cold beers... http://www.onlinegamerkid.com/bbq

guest

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:20:22 -0800

This is about the best seasoning you can get for Santa Maria Style BBQ- http://www.susieqbrand.com/

Elise Thompson

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:44:58 -0800

Foil-wrapping is a classic rib-smoking technique. The steam makes the meat ultra-tender.

guest

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:27:13 -0800

this is definitely an...interesting...take on santa maria style tritip. im sure its good, ive just never seen anyone here wrap it in foil after cooking it. plus we actually have santa maria tritip seasoning that you can buy in any local grocery store, and they are perfect. your version looks good though...

C

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:53:02 -0800

Thanks for your comments. Sorry the SM style was too salty for you. I have experimented with the garlic salt, but it really does make it too salty. With the method described above, it really isn't too salty, in my opinion. As you can see from the spice photos, I don't cake them on really heavy. This isn't a salt-crusted roast, although it is heavily seasoned with the 3 spices, they are not so heavy that they mar the taste. Salt is key for creating the light outside crust, but you can definitely overdo it. Have a great weekend! ©

guest

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:12:45 -0800

Your photos look really tasty. I love barbeque. My wife loves barbeque. We actually spent a few days in the Santa Maria area and tried their version of barbeque. I should've realized there would be a problem when it seemed every restaurant description of "Santa Maria Barbeque" listed salt, garlic salt (not just powder), and even more types of salts in the ingredients. It's like they wanted to advertise how salty their barbeque is. Well, their barbeque IS salty. So salty that we couldn't bear to finish our dinners. So, if you like salty food and have diuretic pills with you, ENJOY YOURSELF! We still like the Santa Maria/Central Coast, but we'll probably never order their barbeque again. I hope to have some barbeque links up soon on my website/blog: LA Kompany Best, Brian Aldrich

Elise Thompson

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:45:23 -0800

You have to scroll down a bit to get to them... http://www.northwoodssmokeofmn.com/chips.htm

C

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:30:11 -0800

Elise - it was my pleasure. Jack chips made from their oak barrels? Uhhh. Why don't I know about these and where can I get them. That sounds too good! ©

Carrie Meathrell

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:28:20 -0800

awesomeness. I am drooling! I think I might show this to my boyfriend as a "honey we need a grill!!" sort of incentive.

Elise Thompson

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:18:48 -0800

Thanks for putting so much work into this...I know what a pain it is to keep taking photos in the middle of que-ing. I like Jack Daniels wood chips made from their oak barrels for a Santa Maria flavor with a little kick.