Beef
Santa Maria Tri-Tip with all the Fixin’s

Barbecue in southern California means tri-tip, and in the Santa Maria Valley, about three hours north of Los Angeles, this slab of bottom sirloin turns up at all manner of public celebrations and backyard cookouts, seasoned with garlic and spiced pepper, then oak grilled, and thinly sliced. Unlike Texas brisket, the meat is tender enough to serve rare or medium-rare, so it combines the smoke flavor of true slow-cooked barbecue with the sanguine succulence of steak. In Santa Maria, tri-tip is usually served with salsa, toasted French bread, and pinquito beans—distinctive, small, pinkred beans that are unique to these parts. Tri-tips make magnificent party fare—the accompaniments can be cooked ahead and the beef grilled at the last minute. (A tri-tip is large enough to be fairly forgiving in terms of timing. If it comes off the grill too rare, you can simply put it back on for more cooking.) You carve it to order, basking in the admiring gazes of your company. It’s slam-dunk barbecue, because just about everyone loves beef, beans, bread, and salsa. Although it’s customary for the tri-tip to be seasoned only with salt, garlic salt or garlic powder, and black pepper, I also like to add dried oregano and rosemary.
Santa Maria Tri-Tip Recipe
Santa Maria Tri-Tip with all the Fixin’s
Recipe Notes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Method: Direct grilling
Ingredients
For the Rub and Tri-Tip
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled between your fingers
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crumbled between your fingers
- 1 tri-tip (2-1/4 to 2-1/2 pounds), or 1 piece bottom sirloin (2 to 2-1/2 inches thick and 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 pounds)
You'll Also Need
- Red oak chunks or logs for building your fire, or 3 to 4 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak), unsoaked
Recipe Steps
1: MAKE THE RUB: Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and oregano in a small bowl and stir to mix. (Actually, your fingers work better for mixing than a spoon or whisk does.) Place the tri-tip in a baking dish and sprinkle the rub on all sides, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips. Let the meat cure in the refrigerator, covered, while you set up the grill.
2: Set up the grill for direct grilling using a two-zone fire. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or a smoker pouch and run two burners on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat of one burner to medium-high and the other to medium. If using a charcoal grill, preheat one zone to medium-high and one zone to medium. Toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals once they are preheated.
3: When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the tri-tip over the medium-high zone of the grill and grill until cooked to taste, about 10 minutes per side for medium-rare. If the meat starts browning too quickly, move it to the medium zone. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the side of the tri-tip. The internal temperature should be 140° to 145°F for medium-rare.
4: Transfer the grilled tri-tip to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice it crosswise across the grain. Serve the meat slices with the grilled bread (you can make a sandwich if you like), salsa, and pinquito beans.
Recipe Tips
Tip: The first thing you’ll need to make this recipe is a tri-tip, of course—a thick, flavorful slab of meat cut from the bottom of the sirloin. If you live on the West Coast, you can probably find tri-tip at your local supermarket. If not, ask your butcher to cut a 2- to 3-inch thick slab of meat from the bottom sirloin.