When Matt Dockstader and his friends Raymond Williams and BJ Anadon entered their first official barbecue contest at the Santa Maria Elks lodge, things didn’t really go as planned.
“We lost miserably,” Dockstader said, laughing over the phone. “We went down in a big ball of flames. It definitely made us go back to the drawing board.”
Something magical must have happened at that drawing board, because less than three years later the trio, known as Whiskey Bent BBQ, was back at another Elks contest. This time they walked away with the trophy for best tri-tip, and ever since then the awards have continued to roll in.
I first discovered Whiskey Bent at the Santa Maria BBQ Festival in April, where I sampled a lot of brilliant tri-tip (seriously, there was not one bad bite of food the entire day). But it was Whiskey Bent who claimed the day, walking away with three awards: best overall (in the professionals category), best beef, and best pork ribs. It was kind of a stunning sweep, considering how stiff the competition was.
When I asked Dockstader about their big wins, he was still trying to soak it all in.
“I was surprised actually,” he said. “I don’t get surprised too often. I didn’t think that would happen. I guess I was wrong.”
Dockstader was born and raised in Santa Maria, so tri-tip comes naturally to him. He learned to barbecue alongside his grandfather, who taught him some of the secrets of good barbecue.
“He taught me the patience to let the meat cook, not to rush it,” he said, “and to just use the basic Santa Maria recipe: salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder.”
Williams learned to cook at his father’s side at the Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club. When he, Anadon, and Dockstader came together to form Whiskey Bent, they didn’t know exactly where it would lead them.
“[Williams] and I both got into it hard,” Dockstader said. “We just cooked and started messing around.”
After their Elks Lodge debut, the team focused on developing a distinct flavor that would connect with tri-tip fans, who are notoriously finicky about their barbecue.
“We had been experimenting with making our own rubs and our own seasonings,” Dockstader said. “We just decided to put a little more effort into figuring out the right recipes while keeping it Santa Maria style. We wanted something unique to us that was still honoring the Santa Maria tradition of barbecuing.”
So many factors come into play with Santa Maria style barbecue: the type of wood, how the fire is built, how long the meat stays on the grill, and how often it’s moved. But the trio of aficionados had all that down, so they went to work on their spice mix.
While the three’s seasoning recipe is a closely guarded secret, Dockstader said one tip to perfecting barbecue is to start with a good cut of meat, always.
“The most important thing is getting the right piece of beef,” he said. “That will make or break you. It should be nice and tender and have good marbling through it.”
Since their comeback Elks victory in 2008, Whiskey Bent has won nearly 30 awards, including four wins for best overall, seven wins for best beef, five times for best chicken, and three times for best overall ribs at the Lompoc Spring Festival. They’re basically the Meryl Streep of local barbecue.
Dockstader said the key to their popularity is maintaining a backyard barbecue style and avoiding fancy tricks or additions that turn off tri-tip fans.
“I think it’s because of the time and care we put into everything,” Dockstader said. “We have an issue with serving sub-par barbecue. We always put out what we would want to eat ourselves.”
Get ‘Bent’
To contact Whiskey Bent BBQ for an event or private party, message them through their Facebook page.
If you told Arts and Lifestyle writer Rebecca Rose your secret recipe for anything, she would guard it with her life. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• You can never go wrong with pasta (obviously) and Trattoria Uliveto’s pumpkin ravioli (pictured) is probably one of the best dishes in town. Their Ravioli di Zucca is handmade pasta filled with ricotta cheese and pumpkin, served with a butter-sage cream sauce. I love this plate of food so much I may run away to New Mexico and sell turquoise jewelry on the side of the highway with it. Try it for yourself at 285 S. Broadway, Orcutt.
• In the mood for a short rib, potato, and tomato crepe, or a banana, Nutella, and ice cream crepe? First and Oak in Solvang now has a food truck that serves sweet and savory crepes. Follow them on Instagram to find out where and when the truck will pop up.
This article appears in Jun 29 – Jul 6, 2017.