This small town in California is home to two different food specialties- Santa Maria wineries and Santa Maria barbecue. The latter has become synonymous with both beef tri-tip and famously huge flavor. In a world full of new and exciting flavors internationally, sometimes you will be lucky enough to find a new, truly exciting flavor right here in the United States. Santa Maria Seasoning is inspired by one of those cases.

Story

Santa Maria is known for its meat. Considered the barbecue capital of California, this particular style of barbecue involves tri-tip beef and lots of flavor. We wanted to capture this flavor through a new blend. This was achieved using our incredible Smoked Oak Flake Salt. Our inhouse chef does some extensive research for our recipes- he’s always looking to bring new uses to common ingredients to the table without compromising on health or deliciousness. While exploring for some recipe inspiration and after a comment from one of our customers, he discovered the hype coming from this tiny part of California and was intrigued. After much trial and error, he formulated a seasoning blend that brings some of the best flavors of Santa Maria right to your kitchen cabinet. The reason he chose to incorporate oak salt and not another type of salt is because the authentic Santa Maria barbecue is smoked using only oak wood! It wouldn’t be Santa Maria tri-tip beef without that signature smoky oak flavor.

What’s in it?

Our Santa Maria Seasoning is hand blended from Smoked Oak Flake Salt, Black Pepper and Garlic.

Flavor Profile

This seasoning is wonderfully savory with a nice smokiness from the salt and a slight bite from the black pepper.

Where to Use

Use this anywhere you use salt for some extra depth of flavor. We like it on eggs, with gravies, and in cheese-based dishes. It’s a great topper for avocado toast, bagels with cream cheese, and on top of sour cream in things like tacos or black bean soup. It’s also great as a topper on a bowl of cottage cheese served with crackers.

You can use this seasoning as a nice dry rub for meat too. It is particularly delicious on beef. Brisket, tri-tip steak, or roasts are all excellent choices. While beef is the most common companion for this seasoning, it is tasty with chicken, turkey, or even seafood as well. Mix a tablespoon of Santa Maria Seasoning in a half cup of lime juice and stir for a few minutes to let the flavors mingle. Drizzle your seasoned lime juice over freshly cooked shrimp, using as much or as little as desired. Use this for grilling particularly, or to give that “just grilled” flavor to foods in the dead of winter when it’s too cold to even think about going outside without your fingers freezing off. When added to sauces, pasta dishes, and soups there is a nice burst of savory flavor. It is fantastic on roasted vegetables or baked potatoes.

Helpful Hints

Our Santa Maria Seasoning is quite flavorful and does contain a flake salt, which makes it great for really sticking to your food. Use less than you think you will need at first and taste as you cook! It is important to keep up with your flavors as you are adjusting them in the cooking.

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