Over the past couple of months the weather has started to get a bit warmer. This is usually the time that online searches start to heat up for all things Barbecue. All in all this is great for me as I run a company that sells barbecue products. I also notice a growing interest in something I've promoted on my site Jake's BBQ Sauce http://www.jakesbqsauce.com from the very beginning...Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip Dry Rub and recipes. For those of you who don't know Santa Maria Tri-Tip barbecues came into existence in the 1800s primarily in the region known as Santa Maria. Santa Maria is situated on the Central California coast about 70 miles north of Santa Barbara and 30 miles south of San Luis Obispo, CA. The Vaqueros and Caballeros or essentially the western ranch Cowboys held Bar-B-Ques in which every part of the cow was actually cooked. Those Bar-B-Ques were popularized at gatherings and broadened in towns surrounding the central coast. For that reason this style of barbecue has been known as a primarily western style held mostly in this region.

The meat however can be located in different parts of the country but unfortunately few butchers east of Denver have even cut a Tri-Tip let alone know what it is. That is unfortunate for them becasue once they've tried it they ask the same question every time. Where can I get the meat? Well we can't get you the meat be we can get you the dry rub formulas. Now, keep in mind when these barbecues became really popular the cuts of meat became more expense so cooks opted for the use of Top Round Sirloin. But over the years there was a re-birth of all things western which was considered unique so Santa Maria laid claim to that old style of barbecue now called Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip and even went so far as to copyright the name. The Santa Maria Elks Club went one step further by gravitating back to the original style of meat used in these barbecues know as Tri-Tip. This cut was both flavorful and easy to cook. And it took care of a cut of meat that would have normally been discarded or sold for soups.

To help people better utilize this excellent cut of meat I've laid down a series of Tri-Tip Dry Rub Recipes that I've collected over the years. Each is labeled with a name that's easy to remember and the ingredients I'm sure you can find most of them in your kitchen. But, in the big scheme of things making recipes is "work" it takes time and energy and a great deal of focus to make a really great recipe...believe me I know. If you find that you don't have the ingredients, time or just don't want to do the "work" then I would suggest you shortcut the process and just buy Jake's Tri-Tip, Steak and Rib Rub, it's simpler and the taste we believe is far superior than some of the rubs shown below.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. One other note in the coming days I'm going to begin a new series devoted to global barbecue. I've traveled the globe for years doing barbecues so it's time to start laying out how barbecue is done all over the globe. I'll also have a new eBook out that focuses on global barbecue as well as some of my adventures, you'll see that on my BBQ site.

-- Jake

Tri-Tip Rub Standard Format
• 1 part coarse salt, such as sea salt
• 1 part coarse ground pepper
• 1 part dried parsley flakes
• 1 part dried garlic flakes
• Mix and shake as normal

Culinary Style Tri-Tip Dry Rub Recipe
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic

Basic Tri-Tip, Dry Rub Recipe
A simple recipe that works best when the meat is cooked over red oak fire.
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Citrus Style Tri-Tip, Dry Rub Recipe
• 4 teaspoons Garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Paprika
• 2 teaspoons Dried orange peel
• 1 teaspoon Chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Herb Based Tri-Tip, Dry Rub Recipe
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

Beef Roast Tri-Tip, Dry Rub Recipe
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard

Sandwich Style Tri-Tip, Dry Rub Recipe
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Quick Version Tri-Tip, Dry Rub Recipe
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper

Enjoy. Jake (http://www.jakesbbqsauce.com)