Have You Found The World’s Best Steak?

Terri Stricklin - CFO of BBQ2YOU shot us this one:

I often half jokingly tell people it is a good thing I don’t work in a donut shop, or I would be as wide as the door frame. Their response is usually, “you would tire of eating donuts everyday” or some such nonsense. Having worked in our family’s steakhouse, The Hitching Post, for 40 years, I have never tired of steak! Of course, this isn't your run-of-the-mill steak either. And now, no matter where you are, you can get these steaks shipped directly to your door via BBQ2YOU.

The original Hitching Post Restaurant, locate in the tiny hamlet of Casmalia, California, has for over 57 years been owned and operated by the Ostini Family and is known around the globe as having the “World’s Best Steak”. Quite a bold statement you would say, especially with all the great steakhouses in America. But this well kept secret (Santa Barbara County Historical Landmark #37), nestled near Vandenberg Air Force Base and half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, blows the socks off the competition. At least that’s what customers have been telling us for six decades. And these are folks that have eaten steak all over the world.

The new business venture, BBQ2YOU, is also a family enterprise. With business plan in hand, HP owner Bill Ostini’s daughter Stacey Ostini Mosti, presented her vision of taking the steak business to a new level. Her concept was much different than Omaha Steaks, Allen Brothers and others in the food shipping industry. Instead of shipping raw steaks for the end consumer to cook, The Hitching Post barbecues and seasons these steaks over a live oakwood fire (known as Santa Maria Style BBQ), flash freezes them and ships the items 2^nd day air.

From freezer to table in under 20 minutes, your family and friends will think you just grilled these delicious steaks yourselves-and we did all the work for you! And the next tme you want to send an exceptional gift to a client, colleague or friend-send them BBQ2YOU-they will be amazed at the ease of preparation and the quality of our product. After trying our steaks you will understand why after 40 years of steak eating, I’m still hooked on Hitching Post Products.

----- Terri Stricklin

Wine In The Pines

Escape for the day….
With Wine in the Pines

I couldn't think of a better way to spend June 13, 2009 than with forty wineries, fabulous food, live music, a wine art show, a wine auction, and beautiful weather! Wine in the Pines is a breath of fresh air. Your tastes buds will sore as you sample wines in a higher elevation. Experience incredible wine and great food as you never have before.

The Village of Pine Mountain Club has hosted wine festivals in June of each year beginning in 2003. Wine in the Pines 2009 will be hosted by the Pine Mountain Club Commercial Property Owners' Association, Inc. The Bakersfield Symphony will perform in Lampkin Park immediately following Wine in the Pines. The free concert is open to the public. The Village is located between the coastal communities, Bakersfield, Santa Clarita and the San Fernando Valley. Choose to stay for the night in one of the cozy cabins. Escape for the day….
With Wine in the Pines

Including These Top Chefs

Chef Rick
The up-tempo american cooking prepared by one of the central coast premierchef's, Rick Manson is a blend of southern louisiana, southwest, and southernCalifornia influences, seasoned with a hint of rhythm and blues, a splash ofcolor, and a touch of irreverence.

The Hitching Post
Casmalia, California, former cow-town of the Old West, is where California-style barbequeing was brought to perfection by the pioneers. The Hitching Post has brought this live-oak California-style barbequeing to perfection bringing choice, aged beef to the ultimate of gourmet flavor and tenderness. Known for the best oak grilled steaks in the Santa Maria Valley since 1952, Grill Chef Bill Ostini and GM Terri Stricklin will bring their barbequeing team to Wine in the Pines this year. Bring a few extra bucks because you might be hungry for an oak grilled New York steak while sampling some excellent “reds.”

Trattoria Uliveto
The restaurant features classic Italian music, a warm and comfortable color scheme, and artistic pieces to add the final touches. Come and escape for the evening to enjoy a sumptuous repast. Alfonso Curti, former executive chef of "Grappolo" in Santa Ynez, is a native Calabrian who moved to California from Italy a little over ten years ago and made a name for himself working at his family's restaurant in Santa Ynez.

Featured Wineries

Lane Tanner Winery
Lane started her own wine making company in 1984 with one client. She began making wines for the Hitching Post restaurant (A locally famous Santa Barbara Co. steak house). In 1989 she started the Lane Tanner label and her methods for Pinot production have not changed much in the last 20 years. Lane uses the best Pinot grapes available in Santa Barbara Co. working with Julia's Vineyard and Bien Nacido Vineyard fruit as well as the new, Melville Vineyard. She harvests the grapes when they taste right, not when the sugar hits a certain number. She looks for maturity and complexion but still with the sparkle of youth.

Rancho Sisquoc Winery
To the Chumash Indians the word "Sisquoc" meant "gathering place". Today this winery is once again a gathering place for wine lovers. Originally an 1852 Mexican land grant, the 37,000 acre ranch has been owned by the Flood Family since 1952. The winery opened in 1972 and is now under the direction of wine maker Alec Franks producing 10,000 cases annually. Current releases include Chardonnay, Sylvaner, Riesling, Tre Vini, Reserve Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec and Cellar Select Meritage.

For more information on this exclusive wine event visit http://www.wineinthepines.com/

BBQ California Style

Welcome to the world of Santa Maria Style BBQ. I am your host, Stacey (Ostini) Mosti. My blog will be dedicated to the world of BBQ on the Central Coast of California, and of course, the great wines here in our little "wine country".

Why did I choose this as my favorite topic to blog about? Well my family has been specializing in Santa Maria BBQ for over 5 decades. I went from baby food right to Filet Mignon. Now this style of BBQ dates back over a century, to the days of the Spanish Rancheros. Where BBQ meant grilling over an open fire of red oak. In fact, The Hitching Post restaurant brought Santa Maria style BBQ to perfection in 1952. Yes, The Hitching Post has been in our family for 57 years now and counting. Noted as one of the first Steak Houses to bring this type of BBQ indoors. Go to http://www.hitchingpost1.com/ for details.

Now for those of you not familiar with the Central Coast, it's just a couple hours north of Los Angeles, CA. Known mostly for it's great BBQ, the little town of Santa Maria might also ring a bell for being the location of the Michael Jackson trial that took place there just a few years back. And not too far down the road is Santa Yenz, where they shot the blockbuster movie "Sideways". (Note, The Hitching Post II was featured in the film.)

So what makes Santa Maria Style BBQ so special you might ask? It's a triple play. The wood it's cooked over, the meat you choose, and the seasoning/baste combination. It's really like no other Bar-B-Q you've ever tasted. And once you've had it, I think you will rank it as one of your favorites.

Our style of BBQ is grilling over a very hot fire. The special BBQ pits are designed so you can lower your grill closer to the flame when needed, and then quickly pull it up when the fire gets too hot. BBQ Pits like the one I'm describing are available in Santa Maria and surrounding areas. For example, Santa Maria BBQ Outfitters at: http://www.smbbqoutfitters.com/. They make all shapes and sizes of quality BBQ pits. Now this type of pit mastery is an art, don't get angry if you don't master it your first time out. For the local pit masters, it can take months, and sometimes even years to perfect.

There is a special aroma that fills the air when pulling into your favorite Bar-B-Q joints in town. That would be the smell of California Red Oak burning. That smoke actually penetrates the meat, infusing it with a full flavor. Your month starts watering even before you step foot through the front doors of The World Famous Hitching Post, or one of the great steak houses in town. Of course I am partial to The Hitching Post obviously because it's been in my family for generations and I enjoy tradition. But as I continue to blog here, I will talk about other restaurants as well, like Jockos or the Far Western http://www.farwesterntavern.com/.

Another secret to this great Bar-B-Que is the quality of meats you are working with. We use Midwestern corn fed beef. There will always be a dispute over what makes the best steak, but from what we have found in our 57 years of experience, Midwestern corn fed beef is the way to go. It's best to find beef that has been somewhat aged. That helps with locking in the natural juices of the meat. It is challenging to find that type of beef at your local market. Of course we sell ours at http://www.bbq2you.com/ , but if you do order it from some other company, make sure to order the prime or choice cuts of steak which are hand trimmed and chemical free. They should be shipped out two day air and arrive frozen. You might pay a bit more for this excellent beef, but in the end, is the result worth it?.....Heavens YES!

The most popular cut here in Santa Maria is the "Tri-Tip." Discovered by butcher Fred Schwab in the 1950's, it's known as "The Santa Maria Steak." It is difficult to just find this cut of beef anywhere throughout the states. Costco seems to be doing a good job of carrying it, but if you can't find it there, just search Tri-Tip Steak and buy online, or ask your local butcher to cut a Tri-Tip for you from the bottom portion of the sirloin.

And now for the finishing touches. A lot of times when people Bar-B-Que or Grill, the meat becomes dry and chewy. Well, the third step to the Triple Play is the secret. We don't marinate the meat, we baste it as it cooks. The baste consists of an oil and vinegar combination and the Santa Maria Traditional garlic salt seasoning amongst other ingredients. We can't give all the secrets out. In fact, our family's secret blends are stowed away under lock and key.

Well thanks for listening. Hope you learned something new today. Come back and visit this blog again real soon. We will be discussing the best cuts of beef in more detail and how to prepare them. Until then, eat BBQ, enjoy wine, and laugh often!

Talk soon...<><