What Distinguishes California Bbq

[Aaron Lucas]

Let’s discuss what California Bbq is and isn't!!!

This is my first foray into distinguishing California Bbq. I’m specifically from the Central Valley and I think we have a history with bbq that I’d like to say is our own. I’d like to compare and contrast, look for similarities and learn something.

A couple cool things I’ve noticed our Bbq around these parts is that we tend to take bits and pieces from around the country and it feels to me that if there was one thing about bbq out here it’s that it’s got a lot of great influences and we don’t have strict adherence to one style. I’ve noticed, in my own experience with friends and family we’re about sausages, brisket, pork ribs, tri tip and chicken. And sweet sauces with tomato and spices. Robs frog sauce is a store bought example of this.

I’d love to hear people talk about their California bbq traditions and what they feel connects their family recipes to their geographic region

I personally have grown attached to almond wood. It’s not something you can get anywhere. I think it’s sorta a valley thing since we have all the almond orchards

Anyways I thought I’d start the thread and see what responses/interest it got. It would be cool to put into words something about California Bbq and it’s regional differences.

 

[Joan]

Isn't Cal. just like Florida? It's residents come from all over the country and bring with them what they like as far as BBQing. Variety, the spice of life. lol

 

[EricV.]

Tri-Tip via a Santa Maria grill & red oak wood!

 

[Brett-EDH]

wow, great topic and very wide interpretation.

classic CA for us is a santa maria style TT, flipped and crusted over live oak. we use white oak as it's what we have in Folsom/EDH/Sacramento area. we have access to a huge expanse of fruitwoods too and almond as the orchards are all around us. i'd say we're pretty blessed on wood selections.

but, is it just BBQ or grilling too. lots of fresh flavors are my influences. and a lot of fusion profiles too. like grilled thai shrimps and scallops. or char siu pork on the WSK.

and then we do the regulars, of packer butts and briskets. but we also love salmon too. and homeground burgers with various cuts as the grind. a great CA burger is loaded with flavors; grilled hot peppers, local cheeses, funky toppings.

BBQ pizzas are a thing for us. and non-standard toppings are always on the menu. it's that CPK vibe but in your own backyard.

steaks are usually thick cut, hand cut, as i like to make my own sizing.

and Mexican influences abound in my cooks and flavors; chicken boneless skinless, bone in halves, wings and of course carne asada and pollo asado and grilled seafood too (lobster, shrimps, red snapper too).

i'd pin my cooking down to fresh ingredients, locally sourced when possible, using the highest quality ingredients/meats i can afford/find/buy witinin reason.

but most importantly, always having a full table of friends to eat and drink with. THESE two items alone make CA BBQ/Grilling fun for us. and that we have a 9-10 month season helps too.

 

[MartinB]

I know of very few pure american BBQ "styles ", they are usually their their own unique thing.


Kansas City... Sticky and sweet
Texas..... Smokey and basic
South Carolina.... Mustard
Memphis rib... Dry rub
There's a few areas that like a very vinegar sauce



Seems everything else is a blend of sorts to me.

I'm sure anybody that has competed can name many more styles than I am aware of.
Since they tailor their food to the judges of the area and what they expect.

As for me I like Kansas City sauced ribs , pork, and chicken
And Texas brisket. Keep it simple let the meat shine thru.
Never had a tri-tip. Don't know why I ever would.
But I do love some thin sliced smokey pork loin.
One of my favorite things. An amazingly enough it's dirt cheap by comparison... Probably because unless you slice it really thin it's chewy. A meat slicer fixes that

 

[Bruno]

I know of very few pure american BBQ "styles ", they are usually their their own unique thing.


Kansas City... Sticky and sweet
Texas..... Smokey and basic
South Carolina.... Mustard
Memphis rib... Dry rub
There's a few areas that like a very vinegar sauce



Seems everything else is a blend of sorts to me.

I'm sure anybody that has competed can name many more styles than I am aware of.
Since they tailor their food to the judges of the area and what they expect.

As for me I like Kansas City sauced ribs , pork, and chicken
And Texas brisket. Keep it simple let the meat shine thru.
Never had a tri-tip. Don't know why I ever would.
But I do love some thin sliced smokey pork loin.
One of my favorite things. An amazingly enough it's dirt cheap by comparison... Probably because unless you slice it really thin it's chewy. A meat slicer fixes that

Please find and cook a tri-tip.

 

[Bruno]

Lots of grilling in California, steaks, chicken, veggies and fruits.

Love me some pork butts and briskets but I grill way more than I do low and slow.

 

[John K BBQ]

When I think CA BBQ, I first think of my forum friends in CA- y'all are doing it right! Next thought is definitely Santa Maria tri-tip out of the Weber Cookbook with this really special rub & crazy tomato, horseradish and green chile relish.... it's like pico de gallo but more complex that really pairs well with smokey tri tip. I need to make it again before the weather turns to crap here in the midwest....

 

[Aaron Lucas]

Isn't Cal. just like Florida? It's residents come from all over the country and bring with them what they like as far as BBQing. Variety, the spice of life. lol

That may be very true. Although when I was in florida the BBQ guys I talked to seemed to use a bunch of pecan wood and had the georgia/bama influence

 

[Chris Allingham]

Tri-tip has become synonymous with California barbecue. Strong Mexican influences on barbecue in SoCal and Central Valley and parts of NorCal. There's lots of borrowing from other parts of the country...you'll find people making Texas-inspired, KC-inspired, Carolinas-inspired, etc. You've also got African-American barbecue that migrated from Alabama and other southern states to California during WWII, with Everett & Jones in Oakland being the one that immediately comes to mind where sauce is just as big a player as the meat itself!

Everett & Jones photos

Ribs with potato salad and BBQ beans

www.yelp.com

As for wood, we've got lots of good choices...so many fruit woods, several types of oak, and almond coming out our ears!

 

[Aaron Lucas]

I know of very few pure american BBQ "styles ", they are usually their their own unique thing.


Kansas City... Sticky and sweet
Texas..... Smokey and basic
South Carolina.... Mustard
Memphis rib... Dry rub
There's a few areas that like a very vinegar sauce



Seems everything else is a blend of sorts to me.

I'm sure anybody that has competed can name many more styles than I am aware of.
Since they tailor their food to the judges of the area and what they expect.

As for me I like Kansas City sauced ribs , pork, and chicken
And Texas brisket. Keep it simple let the meat shine thru.
Never had a tri-tip. Don't know why I ever would.
But I do love some thin sliced smokey pork loin.
One of my favorite things. An amazingly enough it's dirt cheap by comparison... Probably because unless you slice it really thin it's chewy. A meat slicer fixes

Outside California nobody seems to consistently know about tri tip. I believe it might be a santa maria cut. like the santa maria grills. not exactly sure about the history. but I've heard it came from southern california. If you are not on the west coast most stores don't offer the cut. What region of the US do you live? I've never had smoked pork loin.

wow, great topic and very wide interpretation.

classic CA for us is a santa maria style TT, flipped and crusted over live oak. we use white oak as it's what we have in Folsom/EDH/Sacramento area. we have access to a huge expanse of fruitwoods too and almond as the orchards are all around us. i'd say we're pretty blessed on wood selections.

but, is it just BBQ or grilling too. lots of fresh flavors are my influences. and a lot of fusion profiles too. like grilled thai shrimps and scallops. or char siu pork on the WSK.

and then we do the regulars, of packer butts and briskets. but we also love salmon too. and homeground burgers with various cuts as the grind. a great CA burger is loaded with flavors; grilled hot peppers, local cheeses, funky toppings.

BBQ pizzas are a thing for us. and non-standard toppings are always on the menu. it's that CPK vibe but in your own backyard.

steaks are usually thick cut, hand cut, as i like to make my own sizing.

and Mexican influences abound in my cooks and flavors; chicken boneless skinless, bone in halves, wings and of course carne asada and pollo asado and grilled seafood too (lobster, shrimps, red snapper too).

i'd pin my cooking down to fresh ingredients, locally sourced when possible, using the highest quality ingredients/meats i can afford/find/buy witinin reason.

but most importantly, always having a full table of friends to eat and drink with. THESE two items alone make CA BBQ/Grilling fun for us. and that we have a 9-10 month season helps too.

I second everything you just said. I like that you included the grilling aspect too! Because so many of my memories revolve around grilled meats. You also brought up the infusion of multiple cultures' influence into the grilling scene, it was so second nature that I hadn't thought about it. You mentioning Carne Asada, Pollo Asado, and the Pizzas really put a lot into perspective. I'd say you are right on track with encapsulating the California BBQ experience. It's definitely a broad term and maybe we use BBQ a bit looser than in other parts of the country.
I wonder, is grilling not as much of a thing in the Slow Smoked meats BBQ parts of the country?? are they just doing steaks, burgers, and dogs? You may be onto something here.

 

[Aaron Lucas]

Tri-tip has become synonymous with California barbecue. Strong Mexican influences on barbecue in SoCal and Central Valley and parts of NorCal. There's lots of borrowing from other parts of the country...you'll find people making Texas-inspired, KC-inspired, Carolinas-inspired, etc. You've also got African-American barbecue that migrated from Alabama and other southern states to California during WWII, with Everett & Jones in Oakland being the one that immediately comes to mind where sauce is just as big a player as the meat itself!

Everett & Jones photos

Ribs with potato salad and BBQ beans

www.yelp.com

As for wood, we've got lots of good choices...so many fruit woods, several types of oak, and almond coming out our ears!

More great points. You're really reinforcing the multiplicity of what BBQ is in California.
If you were going to plan a BBQ meal centered on CA BBQ what's on your menu?

 

[Aaron Lucas]

When I think CA BBQ, I first think of my forum friends in CA- y'all are doing it right! Next thought is definitely Santa Maria tri-tip out of the Weber Cookbook with this really special rub & crazy tomato, horseradish and green chile relish.... it's like pico de gallo but more complex that really pairs well with smokey tri tip. I need to make it again before the weather turns to crap here in the midwest....

WOW that sounds like a great recipe. I'd love a link if you can come across it.

 

[Bob Bass]

Aaron, in your first message a couple of years ago, you mentioned a possible interest in competition. By chance, have you gotten ahold of the California Barbeque Association ( CBBQA ) ? If not, their website can be found here.

 

[Bob Bailey]

When I think CA BBQ, I first think of my forum friends in CA- y'all are doing it right! Next thought is definitely Santa Maria tri-tip out of the Weber Cookbook with this really special rub & crazy tomato, horseradish and green chile relish.... it's like pico de gallo but more complex that really pairs well with smokey tri tip. I need to make it again before the weather turns to crap here in the midwest....

While you can do a great Santa Maria style Tri-tip on most any grill, cooking over open flames brings the experience to a whole new level. The flames licking at the meat and smoke from the fat vaporizing on the Red Oak coals produce the signature flavor and texture. Even without Red Oak, you'll get something different than more conventional smoking or grilling. This is a hands-on method and requires raising and lowering the grate for temperature control which adds to the experience.
Santa Maria grills are expensive but there are a few outfits that make affordable adapters that fit Weber 22" kettles and WSMs. If you really want to cook Santa Maria style, check them out.
[

https://flic.kr/p/2nPXD8U

]

 

[MartinB]

Can't forget pastrami..... That's basically Jewish barbecue.....
I've seen a tri tip in the store in the past few years, just never tried one. Never really heard of it before that so it must be getting more popular.. kind of filtering in from CA I suspect.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Can't forget pastrami..... That's basically Jewish barbecue.....

Historically, there's been a thriving pastrami scene in SoCal going back to the early part of last century.

Sorry, New York; Why Los Angeles is the Best Pastrami City in America

Quality hot pastrami is increasingly hard to find in New York as its delis disappear and its standards crumble, leaving a few pastrami sages surrounded by pre-packaged meaty mediocrity. But in LA, pastrami as cuisine is more alive than ever.

www.seriouseats.com

 

[Brett-EDH]

Historically, there's been a thriving pastrami scene in SoCal going back to the early part of last century.

Sorry, New York; Why Los Angeles is the Best Pastrami City in America

Quality hot pastrami is increasingly hard to find in New York as its delis disappear and its standards crumble, leaving a few pastrami sages surrounded by pre-packaged meaty mediocrity. But in LA, pastrami as cuisine is more alive than ever.

www.seriouseats.com

Total sidebar but I’m interested in trying this version:

 

[Rich Dahl]

Living in southern California from 1963 - 2002 Tri Tip was the thing I knew of mostly as a California thing. Although I really didn't get into BBQ until we retired and moved to Arizona, and I found this forum. It was interesting that I could buy tri tips by the boatload in the Dog Food (Marked down) section of any local Az store because no one here really knew what Tri Tip was. But in the last 20 years many Californians moved here and now no longer do you ever see a tri tip in the dog food section of the meat department or even see them at all.

 

[Brenda T]

Please find and cook a tri-tip.

I'm a believer.

When I first learned about tri-tip a few years ago, I went all-in. I read up about the history and tried to make an authentic
Santa Maria tri-tip meal. I ordered pinquito beans from Lompoc, red oak from Smokinlicious, and Santa Maria seasoning
from SuzyQ.

I cooked the tri-tip over charcoal and red oak on my Pit Barrel Cooker - the closest thing I had to a Santa Maria grill - but
it does provide that "flavor fog". I made salsa and a fresh salad, and served with the tri-tip, pinquito beans, and garlic toast.

It was very good and my guests enjoyed it.

But I found that I'm not really a big fan of pinquitos - I prefer plain old pinto beans. And I have plenty of seasonings just as good
as the Suzy Q and don't think red oak is any better than the woods I already have.

My best takeaway from this was the tri-tip. It's pretty easy to find here now and of course there is always SRF, so I cook it fairly often.
And almost always on the PBC. But now I serve sides that are more "Okie" like pintos, fried potatoes, baked beans, potato salad - that type
of thing.

It was fun, I found a great new cut of meat, and maybe we got a little "cultural" experience.