Light My Fire

Barbecue.  In the United States, the origins of barbecue trace back thousands of years to Native Americans cooking in buried pits, including the tribes of California. When the territory became Spanish Las Californias and then Mexican Alta California in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Missions and ranchos of California had large cattle herds, primarily for hides and tallow.  Large pit barbecues cooked the remaining meat when the culling and leather tanning season came to an end.  The outdoor cooking tradition continued in the early days of California statehood for fiestas, becoming popular across the country in various shapes and forms.

Barbecue in my family meant chicken, pork ribs and/or beef tri-tip.  With only one cut per side of beef, for decades the tri-tip found itself cut into cubes for soup meat or ground into hamburger. When butchers carved their own beef it didn't make sense to try and market one of something.  With institutionalized beef packing,  the tri-tip became a staple for the grill.  Once an overlooked piece of meat , it is relatively inexpensive, flavorful and a favorite among those who have tried it.
 
For decades, the big draw for tri-tip was California.  With expatriate Californians came the pull of the tri-tip, and now it can be found in many areas of the country.  The tapered shape makes it an ideal cut of meat to produce a range of doneness from medium in the center to well done at the narrow tip.

Barbecue is the story of a social institution, acting as powerful social magnets, drawing people together.  Cindy and I were in Santa Barbara last weekend to celebrate my sister's 50th birthday with family, friends and barbecue.  The chicken and ribs were wonderful, but it was the tri-tip that drew me back to the serving table.

Spring has sprung here in the Great North Wet, and like the natives we have learned to take advantage of a sunny day.  I snuck in some grilling yesterday, and yes, it was a tri-tip.  While our family footprint here is smaller than in Southern California, we nevertheless gathered around the table, gave thanks for our meal and enjoyed each others company.