SeeCalifornia.com

Food is good, but BBQ is divine! Here are recipes for Santa Maria Tri-tip, Salsa and Pinquito beans.  What makes this meal so special? The oak wood from local oak trees dotting the landscape provides an out-of-this-world flavor that people will drive to the Central Coast just to savor.  For those who want to keep it simple, go buy yourself a famous Pink’s hot dog, or cook your own over a grill. Then top it of with some delicious watermelon.

4th of July is about keeping it simple, keeping it fun. And believe it or not, the Santa Maria style BBQ tradition is actually fun for families and chefs who often cook their meals in the public parks. In Santa Maria and on the Central Coast you’ll see massive BBQ pits big enough to cook an entire side of beef, roast a pig or feed an army in some of the parks. It’s a throw back to the founding of Santa Maria BBQ cooking that began on ranchos in the mid to late 1800’s. While modern amenities are ever present, the rural lifestyle remains an important aspect providing quality of life for Central Coast residents who wouldn’t live anywhere else!