California’s Homegrown Barbecue Has a Centuries-Old Story to Tell

California’s Homegrown Barbecue Has a Centuries-Old Story to Tell
The open-air pit room at Santa Maria Elks Lodge in Santa Maria, Calif. Courtesy of Santa Maria Valley
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Billy Ruiz is holding his hand over a 550-degree Fahrenheit fire.

It might be low-tech, but Ruiz is old school—and so is the cuisine he prepares: California’s Santa Maria barbecue.

Eric Lucas
Eric Lucas
Author
Eric Lucas is a retired associate editor at Alaska Beyond Magazine and lives on a small farm on a remote island north of Seattle, where he grows organic hay, beans, apples, and squash.
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