This California Valley Copyrighted the Region's Whole Barbecue Menu

California cuisine is known for its fresh ingredients, with 40% of the state’s land used for agriculture, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Amid the farmland of Santa Barbara County on the state’s Central Coast, California’s farm-to-table ethos extends to barbecue in Santa Maria. The valley’s signature style dates back more than 150 years to the days of the Rancheros when California was a territory of Mexico.

Vaqueros would roundup cattle during the fall and spring equinoxes for gatherings around flaming ground pits. The grilled beef was served with the bounty of the land: fresh lettuce, salsa, and beans. As wheat became more prominent in California, toasted bread was served to scoop up the pinquito beans. “Vaqueros brought the beans from Spain or perhaps they traveled up from Mexico in a saddle bag,” says Nick Priedite, owner and pitmaster of local Priedite Barbecue.

Over time the cooking process evolved into an open-flame iron grill, where the meat is lowered and raised into the burning pit of coastal red oak wood. In 1978, The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce was granted a copyright of Santa Maria-style barbecue to protect the name and integrity of the cooking style: The meat, usually top sirloin or tri-tip, must be grilled over coastal red oak wood and served with bread, pinquito beans, green salad, and salsa.

Priedite has made a name for himself in the area with his weekend pop-up barbecue at Bodega in Los Alamos. As a newcomer, Nick understands the importance of maintaining the local tradition. “It’s imperative to cook everything over red coastal live oak, which is endemic to California, meaning it can’t survive anywhere else,” he says. “The simple mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic is dry rubbed on the meat before placing it on the open fire grill.”

Here’s where to sample the best Santa Maria-style barbecue on a visit to the Central Coast.