If you are going to throw an authentic Santa Maria style barbecue, you had best serve it with salsa, not barbecue sauce. The traditional condiment for that smoky, garlicky, and juicy Santa Maria Tri-tip, is a fresh and punchy salsa.
Santa Maria style salsa is similar to your typical salsa fresca, but typically includes celery, something you don’t often see in a salsa. While different, I think the celery adds a welcome fresh crunch to the salsa that I often find lacking in pico de gallo. Throw in a little cilantro, green onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce, and you have a damn near perfect accompaniment to that delicious tri-tip.
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Santa Maria Style Salsa
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 2 cups 1x
- Category: salsa
- Cuisine: Santa Maria BBQ
Description
A traditional accompaniment to your Santa Maria Tri-tip steak, this salsa brings a fresh celery crunch to your table.
Ingredients
- 3–4 ripe roma tomatoes (about 1/2 lb), cored and diced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, peeled and diced
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 1 poblano pepper, diced fine
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see notes)
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a small bowl.
- Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 mins to an hour to let the flavors meld.
Notes
- I prefer Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but Morton’s is good too. If using Morton’s kosher salt, use about half as much since it is saltier by volume than Diamond Crystal.
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