Santa Maria Style TriTip
Grilled beef? Hmmm, good. Spicy food? Hmmm, good. Grilled spicy beef, now, that’s something good!!! This Santa Maria style TriTip is going to ravish more than one meat connoisseur. You get to enjoy the fire of the spices along with the high heat from the fire that seared the meat!
Ingredients for the Rub
– 2 chopped garlic cloves
– 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (coarse)
– 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (coarse)
– 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
– 1 teaspoon onion powder
– 3 tablespoons salt (kosher)
Steps for the Rub
– Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Ingredients for the Basting Sauce
– 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
– 1/3 cup olive oil
– 2 chopped garlic cloves
Steps for the Rub
– Whisk together vinegar and oil in a small bowl.
Cooking instructions
– Rub each sides of the tri-tip with the seasoning.
– Leave the meat out for 30 minutes (if you don’t feel comfortable leaving the meat out, you can put it back in the fridge, but keep in mind you may need to cook it a bit longer)
– Preheat the grill to high for 10 minutes
– Cook for 10 minutes, turning once. Baste after you turn using the Basting Sauce
– Then reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes more, turning and basting each time, at least till the internal temperature reaches 120+ F
– Cover with foil for 10 minutes.
– Slice and enjoy!
Turning often is the key to a perfect TriTip: you need to turn often so that the heat does not suck up all the juice out the top.
Preparation: 10 minutes
Marinate: 30-60 minutes
Cooking: 20-30 minutes depending on size (about 20 minutes for 1.5lbs)
Santa Maria style BBQ, eh? Where did you first taste this local delight? Have you encountered it anywhere beyond the SLO/Santa Maria area? I live just a few miles from Santa Maria and have enjoyed this version of BBQ tri-tip many, many times.
There’s nothing like it and if you like BBQ beef, I recommend you try this recipe! Throw some spicy beans together and a loaf of garlic bead and you’re set, bubba!
@Renela, even though I’ve driven a few times on 101, and stopped in San Luis Obispo, or Santa Barbara, or even Carpinteria, I’ve never stopped in Santa Maria, yet. But that’s what’s great about cooking, where you get to experience the food without having to be there! And that combination of garlic, onion, and multiple peppers is quite somethind 🙂