Complimentary Booklet Contains Santa Maria Style BBQ Recipes and More

Expanded Santa Maria-Style BBQ Booklet Now Available To Locals and Visitors Alike:

Recipes, Restaurants and More Featured in Booklet Offered by Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce

 Santa Maria, CA—The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau is ringing in the new year with an expanded version of its popular Santa Maria Style Barbecue booklet.

The booklet is complimentary upon request by visiting the Chamber of Commerce at 614 South Broadway in Santa Maria or calling (800) 331-3779.

It can also be downloaded in PDF form at http://santamariavisitor.com/cm/santa_maria_barbecue/barbecue.html.

The booklet will also be available at businesses and visitor centers throughout the Santa Maria Valley, and at the California Welcome Centers in Oxnard and Pismo Beach.

In addition to showcasing the rich history of Santa Maria Style Barbecue, the 14-page booklet features an updated list of restaurants, caterers and purveyors who specialize in this regional culinary tradition.

The booklet also contains recipes for Santa Maria Style Pinquito Beans and Santa Maria Style Barbecue Salsa, as well as pairing suggestions from 12 local wineries.

“Santa Maria Style Barbecue continues to be a huge draw for our area, particularly with the rise in ‘foodie’ tourism and the complementary attraction of the local wine country,” said Gina Keough, manager of the visitor bureau. “This booklet is designed to capture the interest of potential visitors and inspire them to come experience our barbecue and all that our region has to offer. At the same time, it’s a great resource for locals as well.”

The booklet also complements the Official Santa Maria Style Barbecue Blog at www.santamariavalleybbq.com, which the chamber launched in early 2009.

The origins of Santa Maria Style Barbecue date back to the mid 1800s, when local rancheros would host Spanish-style barbecues each spring for their vaqueros, or cowboys, as well as family and friends. Under the trees of this serene coastal valley, they would enjoy feasts that included beef barbecued over earthen fire pits.

The traditional cuts are top-block sirloin and tri-tip, a triangular bottom sirloin cut that originated in the Santa Maria Valley. The meat is rolled in a mixture of salt, pepper and garlic salt before being barbecued over coals of red oak, a native local oak species that contributes a smoky, hearty flavor. The menu includes fresh salsa, grilled French bread dipped in sweet melted butter, tossed green salad and slow-cooked pinquito beans, small pink beans that are indigenous to the valley.

Today, Santa Maria Style Barbecue is enjoyed across the region at restaurants, events and celebrations, providing a perfect complement to the wines, strawberries and other locally grown flavors of the Santa Maria Valley.