In yesterday’s blog, we shared the history of the Santa Maria-style barbecue, as well as my favorite place to partake of this unique regional cuisine — a restaurant just north of Santa Maria called Jocko’s.
Today, we share a recipe for one of the key ingredients of a Santa Maria-style barbecue meal. It’s a popular side dish for grilled tri-tip steak, and we suggest serving it all family-style with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel.
SANTA MARIA STYLE PINQUITO BEANS
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Pinquito beans
- 1 strip diced bacon
- ½-cup diced ham
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ¾-cup tomato puree
- ¼-cup red chili sauce
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
Preparation
1. Cover beans with water and let soak overnight in a large container.
2. Drain, cover with fresh water, and simmer 2 hours or until tender.
3. Sauté bacon and ham until lightly browned. Add garlic, sauté a minute or two longer, then add tomato puree, chili sauce, sugar, mustard and salt.
4. Drain most of liquid off beans and stir in sauce. Keep hot over low heat until ready to serve.
