Santa Maria Seasoning

Name: Santa Maria Seasoning
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp sea salt; 1 tbsp black pepper; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tbsp fresh rosemary ((minced)); 2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper ((optional))

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This Santa Maria Seasoning can take your ordinary steak and chicken and transform them into delectable pieces of meat. The secret is in the seasoning blend which adds a flavorful coating that seals in the meat's delicious juices. This rub is especially good on Tri-Tip and Ribs!

Why This Recipe Works

This Santa Maria Rub really enhances the flavor of various meats. The combination of fresh minced rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, and cayenne pepper really does the trick!

It's a favorite among my friends, so you'll want to make a few batches of this Santa Maria Seasoning to share with your friends! You can use any leftover tri-tip (if you're lucky enough to have some) to make Tri-Tip Sandwiches or sliders.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

Paprika: Regular paprika or smoked paprika can be used in this recipe, you get to decide!
Rosemary: My recipe calls for fresh rosemary, however, dried rosemary can be used in a pinch.
Cayenne Pepper: You may be tempted to leave the cayenne pepper out, however, it really adds the perfect amount of spice to this spice blend. If you have to, reduce the amount of cayenne from 1 teaspoon to half of a teaspoon.
Salt: What type of salt you use is a matter of preference, however, I like to use sea salt.

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Measure out the following spices: salt, black pepper, paprika, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.

Step 2: Add all the spices into a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.

Step 3: Rub all over a tri-tip roast, pork ribs, or seafood, and smoke or grill.

Step 4. If not using the Santa Maria Seasoning right away, store in an airtight jar for later use.

Using Dry Rub Seasoning on Smoked Meats

We recently purchased a new electric smoker to replace the smoker we wore out after years of use. Here are just some of the meats we've been smoking: fish, lamb, octopus, pork ribs, tri-tip, and brisket.

Each of the meats mentioned requires its own method of cooking. For example, using marinades, dry rubs, or wet rubs.

Some of the meats require only a few hours to smoke, while others are smoked for 24 to 48 hours. However, when it comes to tri-tip or beef brisket, this Santa Maria Dry Rub is an absolute must.

The Origin of Santa Maria Dry Rub

Before we look at what Santa Maria dry rub is, let's look at where Santa Maria is.

The Santa Maria Valley is situated midway along California's Central Coast, in Santa Barbara County. This beautiful city is located approximately 3.5 hours north of Los Angeles.

Santa Maria is known for its wineries, breweries, recreation, and Santa Maria-style barbecue.

Santa Maria-style barbecue dates back to the mid-1800s when local ranchers cooked Spanish-style feasts over open fires for their Mexican ranch hands.

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

What is Dry Rub?

A dry rub is a mixture of spices and herbs, used to flavor meat. These spices are "rubbed" into the meat to impart their rich flavor before you sear or grill the meat.

Dry rubs usually contain some of the following spices: Paprika, sea salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, and chili powder.

Additionally, herbs used in dry rubs include sage, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. You can purchase dry rubs at your local grocery stores, or you can make your own mixture. However, you may not want to recreate the wheel, in which case, simply follow this easy, and versatile Santa Maria Seasoning recipe!

What is the Difference Between Dry Rub and Wet Rub?

The answer to this question might seem pretty obvious to some, but there are those who might need further explanation. Adding any liquid to the dry rub instantly transforms it into a wet rub.

This includes adding a small amount of liquid to the rub which makes a thick paste. The paste is then smeared all over the meat to flavor it. The paste may also be thinned out by adding more liquid.

Some possible wet rub liquids include wine, beer, whiskey, vinegar, oil, and fruit juice.

You can easily add any of these liquids to this Santa Maria Seasoning recipe to make a wet rub. How you use this recipe is totally up to you and your imagination!

If storing the Santa Maria Seasoning for later use, leave out the fresh rosemary and add it just prior to using it.
If you own a mortar and pestle (affiliate link), you can use it to grind the rosemary into the other seasonings.
I don't recommend storing this seasoning longer than 3 months. As a matter of fact, I prefer making a fresh batch each time I make my Santa Maria Tri-tip recipe.

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