I’ve always thought that the migrant Mexican citrus workers brought the pink bean to California in the 1950s, along with the tri-tip cut. I don’t know about the meat but the beans were apparently here during the Mission era, according to Mark Preston’s out of print, but enjoyable, California Mission Cookery.
The pink beans are one of our best sellers as they’re good on their own or in a typical chili. In Santa Maria, the barbecues with the beans and tri-tips are legendary.
This recipe is from California Mission Cookery. Remember that the author was using old cookbooks from the era as his source and sometimes these can be loopy. I’d suggest using this as guide and definitely using fresh chiles and Rancho Gordo Prepared Hominy instead of the canned versions.
Frijoles de Valle de Santa Maria
2 cups Santa Maria Pinquitos
Water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 can green chile
1 Small can hominy
1/2 pound of Monterey Jack, or Queso Fresco, diced
1 small can whole Green Chile for each diner
1 clove per canned chile
garlic slivers
salt and pepper
Cook the beans, covered with water for 2 hours or until they are tender. When ready, remove the beans from the pot, reserving the cooking liquid. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and fry until golden brown. Then add the beans and mash some of them with a spoon to make a little puree. Add the chopped green chile, cheese and hominy, stir a bit and then add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved bean liquid. Simmer 10 minutes.
Make 2 chiles for each diner. Rub the whole chiles with salt and pepper. Prick the chiles in 2 or 3 places, putting slivers of garlic into them. In one slit, put the clove. Put the chiles in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours. Baste with some of the bean liquor several times. When ready to serve, pour the beans over the chiles and bring to table in a heated casserole.
The missions had cattle herds and traded the hides and tallow. The tri-tip would have been available during the Mission era, but I don’t know how often people would have eaten it.
My mother, born in Lompoc, CA in 1923, told stories of her father out on cattle drives with the Vaqueros, that they would cook pinks and tri-tip on the trail. She was always incensed to hear “Santa Maria beans or Santa Maria BBQ”. We were brought up refering to Lompoc Beans and a Lompoc BBQ. As a kid I remember going to the bean warehouse in Lompoc to pick up a burlap sack of Lompoc Beans.