The Santa Maria Barbecue is a traditional, cowboy barbecue from Central California. This meal makes a great budget entertainment meal for summer. The focus of the meal is on the tri tip roast which has a great smokey, garlic flavor. The garlic comes from the marinade and spice rub. The smoke comes from the grill.

City Catering likes to serve this with Guacamole. To round out your meal, serve the roast with pinto beans, grilled bread, salsa, a fresh green salad, and the guacomole. You can find the recipes for the tri tip roast, guacamole, and pinto beans on City Catering's Web site.

Tri Tip Roast

1. 4 lbs Tri tip beef roast (24.00) Beef Rub

Rub for beef:

·16 garlic cloves

·6 Tablespoons olive oil

·2 ¼ teaspoons salt

·2 cups red oak wood chips

·3 teaspoons pepper

·2 ¼ teaspoons garlic salt

·½teaspoon sugar

Place garlic, oil, sugar & salt in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Dry the meat and prick on each side. Rub the marinade on the roast. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hours before cooking. Soak the wood chips in cold water for 15 minutes (don't soak them for too long).

Using paper towels, wipe the rub off the meat. Rub with pepper & garlic salt.

On a gas grill: Place the soaked chips in a foil packet and put them on one of the gas burners. Turn all burners to high, and close lid until the grill begins to smoke (this should be about 15 minutes). Grill the roast on the side of the grill opposite the wood chips. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Turn the burner under the meat off and continue to cook the meat over indirect heat until an instant read thermometer reads 135 degrees in the thickest part of the meat.

On a charcoal grill: begin charcoal and spread over ½ of the grill. Open the grill vents and cook the meat over the coals for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the cooking grate and spread the wood chips over the coals. Move the meat to the cool side of the grill. Vent the area above the meat and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 135 degrees.

Allow meat to rest while tented with foil for 20 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain of the meat. Enjoy.