Recipe In Progress: Real Deal Santa Maria Tri-Tip

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PatioDaddio

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Today I am cooking up a couple tri-tip in real-deal Santa Maria fashion. Some
of you might be familiar with my typical East of Santa Maria recipe. Well, this
time out I'm using the Oakridge rub that I recently reviewed, and I have red
oak to cook it over.

RealSantaMariaTriTip_2_630.jpg


I'll be serving this with Santa Maria-style beans, grilled salad, and grilled garlic
bread. My wife grew up on Santa Maria barbecue, so I have a trusted
in-house taste tester.

More later...

John
 
very nice. can't wait to see. i wish i could get real tri-tip instead of what apparently mississippi butchers think tri-tip is.
 
Looks like a good start, John. With all the rain we're having, I'm guessing you are cooking under cover?
 
Looks great so far, John. Can't wait till you try them!

Mike

Ps... if you still have time, make some compound butter with our Santa Maria rub for your bread and also to finish your tri-tips...
 
I'm looking forward to hearing how it turns out. My wife just came home w/ some tri-tip. Haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do it yet.
 
Oh, it turned out very fine, indeed. The Oakridge shined, although I had to
cut it 50/50 with their pork and beef rub for the tender palettes. It's just a
little too spicy for typical use.

I'll post the full recipe soon, but suffice it to say that I seasoned them
about two hours before the cook. I then started a hot fire of Kingsford
Competition and red oak chunks.

I cooked them indirect to 127*.

RealSantaMariaTriTip_3_630.jpg


I then finished them direct for about two minutes per side.

RealSantaMariaTriTip_4_630.jpg


Then I tented them with foil, let them rest for about ten minutes, and
sliced them across the grain to about 1/4".

RealSantaMariaTriTip_5_630.jpg


T'was very good eatin', indeed! I will say that the red oak imparts a great
flavor. If you can find it in your area, I recommend it very highly.

John
 
PatioDaddio said:
...T'was very good eatin', indeed! I will say that the red oak imparts a great flavor. If you can find it in your area, I recommend it very highly. John
Click to expand...

Excellent looking tri-tip, I wish I could find it up here.
On a slightly different note, is "red oak" a local name for some oak other than northern red oak or southern red oak? I ask because I have read about people cooking with "red oak" in the northwest and neither northern or southern red oak occur there naturally. Is it the coast live oak associated with Santa Maria BBQ?
 
Thanks Daddio!! Just the Oakridge rub? No schmear?

I like this rub too, though it does have a bit of heat. How did the combo work out? Still waiting to try all my samples.

BTW really nice pics John!!
 
FamilyManBBQ said:
Thanks Daddio!! Just the Oakridge rub? No schmear?

I like this rub too, though it does have a bit of heat. How did the combo work out? Still waiting to try all my samples.

BTW really nice pics John!!
Click to expand...

Yup, it was just straight rub. I really liked the combo.

John
 
landarc said:
That looks great. Heck, I live here and can't always find good red or coastal oak.
Click to expand...

I am with you!! I am prepared to drive down to the Paso Robles area and pick up a cord or two because I will have a Santa Maria pit in my backyard someday.....
 
John
That tri-tip looks great! I am cooking one tomorrow and have 5 more just yelling at me to cook them. I think they will win the argument soon.
 
Had my wifes 2 boys and all 3 grandkids out today and put 2 Tri's on the newly acquired Whalen King Kettle along with some asparagus. I think I will try the post searing technique next time because yours look so darn good. I planned on PRON and hose 2 young men are awesome but they are NOT awesome help...lol...I did everything (Tri's, twice baked tators, veggies, bread and double batch of brownies) and just did not have time for proper photos. Your Pron, on the other hand, makes me ready to do it all again this next week! Wish I could get red oak here in MO.
 
have you ever considered using oak wine barrel wood? I remember reading about the history of Santa Maria BBQ'ing and I thought that the cooking method revolved around the harvesting and bottling of wine in the surrounding areas.
 
cliffcarter said:
Excellent looking tri-tip, I wish I could find it up here.
On a slightly different note, is "red oak" a local name for some oak other than northern red oak or southern red oak? I ask because I have read about people cooking with "red oak" in the northwest and neither northern or southern red oak occur there naturally. Is it the coast live oak associated with Santa Maria BBQ?
Click to expand...


Red Oak is indeed just a local name for Coast Live Oak (Quercus Agrifolia). TRue Rd Oak (Quercus Rubra) does not live in CA.
 
Doing a Tri Tip today
Marinated overnight in Red Wine
Pappys Tri Tip Rub hits the spot
(would have preferred low sodium, store was out of stock)
I like to smoke at 250 to 100 internal
then direct fire at 350 to a internal of 145
Cooked on the FE1000
Served in a sammy with gorgonzola cheese
and just a kiss of Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
I will take a phone camera pic
But it wont be anywhere as nice
as the others in this thread
 
Last edited:
Wine Barrel Oak is not the same oak, it makes a fine smoke wood, but, with few exceptions, they are all French or Hungarian oak, a few more are coming out of eastern Europe forests now as well. Bourbon barrels are almost all Eastern White oak and work fine, although it is stronger flavored. Maddeningly, I have seen two different oaks used for Santa Maria, both called Red Oak, neither actually being Red Oak. Quercus agrifolia is one of them, I forget the other, it may be one of the natural hybrids between Q. agrifolia and Q. keloggii. I suspect nobody really cares about this at this point.
 
landarc said:
Wine Barrel Oak is not the same oak, it makes a fine smoke wood, but, with few exceptions, they are all French or Hungarian oak, a few more are coming out of eastern Europe forests now as well. Bourbon barrels are almost all Eastern White oak and work fine, although it is stronger flavored. Maddeningly, I have seen two different oaks used for Santa Maria, both called Red Oak, neither actually being Red Oak. Quercus agrifolia is one of them, I forget the other, it may be one of the natural hybrids between Q. agrifolia and Q. keloggii. I suspect nobody really cares about this at this point.
Click to expand...

Some of us wood geeks care:thumb: Oak barrels that you will find are all a variety of white oak, whether for whiskey or wine. The pore structure in white oak is such that it is more watertight than red oak.
 
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