COOKING I

HEBREW NATIONAL BRINGS
NEWYORK YOUR WAY

Cooking For A Crowd:
Santa Maria Barbecue

ix months ago, if you
had told me I would be
hosting a barbecue for
35 — and serving other than
the usual fare of hamburgers
and hot dogs — I would dis-
missed the idea as pure tom-
foolery.
But a few weeks ago, that's
exactly what I did. However,
I must add that it was not ac-
complished alone. First of all,
my loving spouse, who's a
sucker for auctions, bid on
and won a barbecue prepared
and cooked by Merle Ellis, the
nationally syndicated food
authority. The date was set
and Merle was to fly across
the country from California,
bringing all but the most
basic ingredients.
In a couple of outsized ice
chests, along with his knives
and apron, he hauled in 30
pounds of beef, 10 pounds of
red oak chips and a few
pounds of pink beans — all
essential to the authenticity
of a Santa Maria Barbecue.
Since a celebrity was in
charge, the family decided to
go all out and make this a
real summer celebration at
the shore. Guests could bring
swimsuits and towels and
spend the day on the beach
before cocktails at 5.

for guests to sit (they
wouldn't; it was more fun to
circulate). Music was provid-
ed by a Hofman son and
friends and, of course, our
auction bargain — Merle's
succulent beef barbecue, San-
ta Maria Style.
"Why Santa Maria?," asked
every guest. Sitting on the
bleached wood steps and
grass around the glowing
coals, Merle Ellis told us the
story, only interrupting to
turn the hunks of beef with a
flick of the wrist and a long
fork.
"It's (barbecue) both a tradi-
tion and a way of life to the
people of the Santa Maria
Valley (south of Santa Bar-
bara, California). In the ear-
ly days of the huge ranchos,
the ranchers with their va-
queros (cowboys) would gather
under the oak trees for a
Spanish barbecue. A special
kind of barbecue grew out of
this tradition. Local residents
began to season the beef with
a mixture of simple spices,
then strung hunks of beef on
flat steel rods which were
gradually lowered over a bed
of redhot coals. rIbday, in the
Valley, the same seasonings
and cooking methods are
used. The cooked beef hunks
are sliced thinly right at the
pit and served in large stain-
less steel pans. Exact timing

Sound great? Sure it was.
But even with the best laid
plans, Murphy's Law will hit.
For us, it was how to cook 30
pounds of beef on a family-
size grill so that it's all ready
at once. And what if it rains?
Thirty-five hungry people in
one small seashore house just
won't fit. "No problem," corn-
! forted a friend experienced in
the art of throwing wild and
wonderful parties. "For $40
you can rent a five-foot grill."
We did and that's how it
started. From there, a tent
was added in case it rained (it
didn't) and tables and chairs

is essential so that all the
meat can be ready at the
same time. Among the delica-
cies are the natural beef
juices and toasted sweet
French bread which dips up
the juices from the servng
pan," he said.
The menu below has been
slightly adapted for our
kosher kitchen and is easy to
plan for a crowd. Almost
everything can be prepared
ahead except the beef, which,
says Ellis, "cannot be allowed
to wilt." Give each guest a
glass of wine and they'll be
delighted to pitch in with last

ETHEL G. HOFMAN

Special to The Jewish News

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