SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | CHILLING TIME: 30 MINUTES–4 HOURS | GRILLING TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: CHARCOAL GRILL, 2 LARGE HANDFULS OAK OR PECAN WOOD CHUNKS, INSTANT-READ THERMOMETER
1 top rump, 1.1–1.4kg/2½–3lb and
3–4cm/1¼–1½ inches thick
1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic granules
Freshly ground black pepper
50g/2oz salted butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12 slices sourdough bread, each
about 1cm/½ inch thick
Shop-bought salsa
Santa Maria BBQ has quietly persevered in a swathe of central California since the mid-1800s, when the region was still part of Mexico. To this day cooks from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo continue to cook like the vaqueros (cowboys), who grilled rump roasts over a hot fire of coastal red oak, turning and flipping the meat occasionally to avoid scorching it. Another approach is to first roast the meat over indirect heat and then char it directly over the fire. Most Santa Maria locals still use top rump, but I’ve seen rib eyes and hefty sirloin steaks cooked there in a similar fashion – with just a simple rub and no sauce to speak of. The usual accompaniments are a mixed green salad, pinquito beans (small pink beans similar to kidney beans) and fresh salsa. Sometimes there is a cold macaroni salad and always there is excellent garlic bread.
1 Rub the joint all over with the oil. Combine the salt and garlic granules, and then rub evenly all over the meat, pushing it into the nooks and crannies. Place the meat on a rack set over a baking tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2 Fill a chimney starter one-third full with charcoal (about 30 briquettes), and ignite. When covered with grey ash, dump the coals on one side of the charcoal grate, place half of the wood chunks on the charcoal, put the cooking grate in place and preheat the grill until the temperature is 93–130°C/200–250°F. Grill the meat over roasting/indirect very low heat for about 20 minutes, with the lid closed, until the interior temperature of the roast reaches 49–52°C/120–125°F.
3 Soon after the meat begins cooking, light a full chimney starter filled with briquettes on a heatproof surface away from the grill. When the coals are very hot, transfer the meat from the grill to a plate. Remove the cooking grate, dump the hot coals over the remaining coals and add the remaining wood chunks to the charcoal. Replace the cooking grate, close the lid and preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (230–290°C/450–550°F). Grill the beef over grilling/direct high heat for 10–12 minutes, with the lid closed, until the interior temperature reaches 55–57°C/130–135°F and the exterior is nicely charred, turning every 2–3 minutes or as necessary if flare-ups arise. Transfer to a carving board, season with pepper and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, combine the melted butter and garlic, and then brush both sides of each piece of bread with the garlic butter. Grill the bread over grilling/direct high heat for about 1 minute until golden brown, turning once
or twice. Cut the roast across the grain into 5-mm/¼-inch thick slices and serve warm with the garlic bread and salsa.
SANTA MARIA-STYLE RUMP ROAST WITH GARLIC BREAD
73