GUERRILLA GRILLER

I RECENTLY MET A GRILLING MAVERICK. HE WAS standing behind the 6-by-4-foot black iron barbecue pit in which he burns logs of a scrub red oak tree that thrives on the camel hair-beige hills running from Thousand Oaks to Monterey. This wood burns hot, really hot, and long, too. He lets it sizzle and pop for about an hour before grilling over it, and even then, with the woven iron grate cranked two or three feet above the logs, the cooking temperature probably hits 600 degrees or more, though he’d never be inclined to measure it. This man doesn’t work with gadgets and gizmos like thermometers or timers. He cooks with instinct.

Frank Ostini, an unreserved fellow sporting a safari hat and a Groucho Marx mustache, is the chef-owner of The Hitching Post in Buellton, about an hour’s drive north of Santa Barbara. He is one of an ardent band of grillers in the area drawing on the spirit of Santa Maria barbecue, a tradition that began at least 100 years ago in the surrounding cattle country. Way back then, adjoining ranches gathered for annual spring roundups, and after the vaqueros had finished roping, branding and ear-notching calves, they slow-cooked slabs of beef over the glowing embers of red oak and sliced them thick and juicy for the evening meal. With many of the ranchers of Spanish ancestry, they filled out their dinners with pinquito beans (grown only in the Santa Maria Valley) and fresh tomato salsa. Buttered garlicky bread was almost always within arm’s reach to sop up the juices on the plate.

What makes Ostini a maverick is that he doesn’t cook Santa Maria barbecue just the way the cowboys did 100 years ago, or even as some rodeo and county-fair concessionaires do today. He’s taken a firm hold on the guts of the tradition, but he’s broadened it with his own sensibilities, which obviously appeal to the throngs of people who go out of their way to eat in his remote roadside joint. Ostini is committed to grilling over pungent red oak, and he seasons his steaks in much the same way the old cowboys did--with granulated garlic and three kinds of cracked pepper and salt. He also faithfully adheres to the practice of basting the beef with a mixture of olive oil and red wine vinegar, which he says gives the surface a glistening crust and prevents scorching. But Ostini has forgone the most hallowed cut of meat for Santa Maria barbecue--the tri-tip, a chewy hunk of muscle and sinew sliced off the bottom sirloin of a cow. Cooked over low flames for hours, this meat surrenders its chewiness, but in his restaurant Ostini doesn’t have time for slow cooking, so he has opted for dry-aged filet mignon, T-bones and other premium cuts of meat that he can grill to order in a matter of minutes.

Straying a bit further from tradition, Ostini doesn’t serve the local pinquito beans but accompanies his steaks instead with thick, hand-cut French fries cooked twice in rendered beef fat. And you won’t find salsa or any kind or garlic bread on the plate. Some people might argue that he has gone too far. What would the cowboys think? Is this still Santa Maria barbecue?

It seems to me that as much as Ostini’s food differs from its ranchero origins, it is more aligned today with traditional California food, which is to say, food that treats traditions rather casually. Evolution defines our style of cooking here better than any particular ingredients or methods. We were the ones who caused a gastronomic uproar by embracing so much of French cooking in the 1960s but then eating the salad before, not after, the main course. We turned the concept of Japanese sushi on its side by making avocado (previously unheard of in Japan) an essential ingredient in America’ s most popular sushi rolls. Look what we’ve done to pizza, blurring the boundaries of what’s appropriate by topping the crusts with everything from smoked salmon to lettuce. So really, it should come as no great surprise that someone like Ostini feels justified in stretching the bounderies of Santa Maria barbecue. He’s just like so many other California culinary mavericks. We’re drawn to this area in part because our restless imagination is encouraged and people expect the integration of new ideas. As Ostini says, “Tradition is a good excuse not to work at it, but I like to take tradition into the future, where it’s even better than before.”

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Recipes adapted from “Weber’s Art of the Grill,” by Jamie Purviance (Chronicle, 1999).

MIXED VEGETABLE GRILL WITH ROASTED-GARLIC MARINADE

Serves 6

2 heads garlic

2 tablespoons plus 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 red or yellow bell peppers, 7 to 8 ounces each

6 pattypan squashes, about 2 ounces each

1 Japanese eggplant, 4 to 5 ounces

1 green or yellow zucchini, 5 to 6 ounces

10 asparagus spears, about 8 ounces total

1 ear of corn, husked, 7 to 8 ounces

1 head Belgian endive, about 4 ounces

4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, about 1 ounce each

1 baby bok choy, 6 to 7 ounces

2 plum tomatoes, 1 to 2 ounces each

Remove as much papery skin as possible from garlic heads. Using a sharp knife, slice off top quarter of heads to expose pulp. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each head, then wrap each separately in aluminum foil. Place on the cooking grate directly over medium heat and cook until pulp is golden brown and tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from cooking grate and allow to cool. (The garlic can be grilled up to a day in advance.) Unwrap bulbs and carefully squeeze pulp into a food processor or blender, discarding skins. Add remaining 1 cup olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Transfer marinade to bowl (or lock-top plastic bag) large enough to hold vegetables.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove stems, core and seeds and flatten peppers with palm of your hand. Trim stem ends from pattypan squashes, eggplant, zucchini and asparagus. Cut ear of corn in half crosswise. Cut eggplant, zucchini, endive, bok choy and tomatoes in half lengthwise. Core plum tomatoes. Place all vegetables in bowl (or bag) with marinade. Toss to coat thoroughly. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour to 4 hours.

Grill vegetables directly over medium heat with barbecue lid closed, 7 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve warm.

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SANTA MARIA TRI-TIP SANDWICH

Serves 6

THE SAUCE:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup steak sauce

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

11/2teaspoons ground coffee

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

THE RUB:

1tablespoon cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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2-1/2 pounds tri-tip beef, about 11/2 inches thick

12 slices French bread

Oak, mesquite or hickory chips soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.

To make barbecue sauce: In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, ketchup, steak sauce, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, ground coffee and black pepper. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Puree sauce in food processor or blender. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To make dry rub: In small bowl, mix together black pepper, garlic salt, mustard, paprika and cayenne. Press mixture into surface of tri-tip, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours or as long as 24 hours.

Follow grill’s instructions for using wood chips. Sear tri-tip directly over medium heat, turning once, until both sides are seared, about 5 minutes total. Then grill tri-tip indirectly over medium heat, turning once, until internal temperature is about 140 degrees for medium-rare, 20 to 30 minutes more. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly on diagonal against the grain.

Build each sandwich with slices of meat and a dollop of sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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BARBECUED OYSTERS, WEST COAST STYLE

Makes 12 oysters

THE SAUCE:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons mild chili sauce

12 fresh oysters

To make the barbecue sauce: In small saute pan over medium heat, cook butter and garlic, stirring occasionally, until garlic aroma is apparent and butter begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and chili sauce. Mix until well blended.

After removing top shell, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of barbecue sauce over each oyster. Grill oysters directly over high heat. When sauce boils inside shell, after 2 to 3 minutes, cook oysters for 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve warm.