VOLUME 2: The Steel That Started It All
The Steel That Started It All
How leftover steel from my dream smoker build became a Santa Maria grill that changed everything - the moment I discovered there were depths to live fire I'd never imagined.
The Question That Changed Everything
Standing in the fabrication shop, looking at the leftover steel from my dream smoker build, someone asked the question that would redirect my entire BBQ journey:
"What should we do with this steel?"
It was good steel. Heavy-gauge material that had cost real money. The kind of steel you don't just throw away or let rust in a corner. But I already had my perfect smoker - the 250-gallon reverse-flow beast that represented 25 years of professional kitchen knowledge built into one piece of equipment.
What could I possibly need with more steel?
That's when someone mentioned Santa Maria grilling.
Building the Gateway
We decided to build a Santa Maria grill from the leftover steel. Simple enough project - I'd built complex smoking systems, how hard could a grill be?
The specs were traditional:
- 66x30 cooking surface - massive live-fire real estate
- Heavy-gauge steel construction - built to handle serious heat
- Wagon wheel design - traditional Santa Maria aesthetic
- Adjustable grate system - height control for temperature management
I approached it like any other equipment build - figure out the mechanics, execute the construction, test the results. Just another piece of BBQ equipment for the arsenal.
The build went perfectly. Clean welds, smooth operation, beautiful finish. I was about to discover that building it was the easy part.
The First Cook That Changed My Perspective
For the inaugural cook, I went all in - classic American BBQ spread. Ribeye steaks, ribs, chicken, grilled vegetables. The kind of mixed grill that shows versatility and control.
With 25 years of professional kitchen experience, I nailed it.
The ribeyes had a perfect crust with edge-to-edge pink centers. The ribs were tender with just the right bark. The chicken was crispy-skinned and juicy. Even the vegetables had that perfect char while maintaining their texture.
Everyone at that first cook was blown away. "Best steak I've ever had." "These ribs are incredible." "What's your secret?"
But standing there, watching the fire, managing the heights, working the coals - I felt something I hadn't expected.
This wasn't just successful cooking. This was a completely different relationship with fire than I'd ever experienced.
The Revelation in Success
Here's what that perfect cook taught me: I had the skills to execute, but I was only using a fraction of the grill's potential.
It's like a concert pianist playing "Chopsticks" perfectly. Sure, it sounds good, but the instrument is capable of so much more.
As I watched the fire that day, adjusting grate heights, managing coal placement, I realized:
- This equipment was designed for techniques I didn't know
- The adjustable height wasn't just for temperature - it was for a dance with the flame
- There were traditions behind this design I hadn't explored
- I was cooking American BBQ on equipment built for something more primal
I'd mastered the execution, but I hadn't learned the language.
The Research Begins
That successful first cook didn't satisfy me - it ignited an obsession.
I started researching. What was this Santa Maria tradition really about? Why the specific design? What were the techniques the California ranchers developed? And more importantly - what were the South American roots that inspired it all?
That's when I discovered asado.
Not the Americanized version you see at Brazilian steakhouses. The real asado - the gaucho tradition of Argentina and Brazil where cooking over fire isn't just a method, it's a culture, a philosophy, a way of life.
I found videos of pitmasters in Argentina cooking whole lambs splayed on iron crosses. Brazilian chefs managing walls of fire with nothing but instinct. Techniques that had been passed down for generations that I'd never seen in any American cookbook.
This was fire cooking at a level I didn't know existed.
Building the Second One
The obsession grew so strong that I built a second Santa Maria grill. This time with improvements based on my research:
- Modified grate system for better control
- Improved firebox design based on Argentine parrilla concepts
- Better steel selection for heat retention
- Refined dimensions based on traditional measurements
The first grill? Sold it immediately.
The buyer had been at that first cook, tasted what it could do, and wanted that capability for himself. He didn't just buy a grill - he bought into the possibility of what live fire cooking could become.
That sale was proof of something important: when you execute at a high level, people notice. They want what you have. They trust your vision.
The Gap Between Equipment and Mastery
Having the right equipment is crucial. But that Santa Maria grill taught me that equipment without knowledge is like having a Ferrari but only knowing how to drive in first gear.
I could cook great food on it - my track record proved that. But I knew there were depths I hadn't explored, techniques I hadn't learned, traditions I hadn't honored.
This realization would eventually become core to the OWN THE FIRE™ philosophy - it's not enough to have the tools or even the basic skills. True mastery means understanding the deeper traditions, the why behind the how.
American Excellence, Global Curiosity
That first cook proved something important: American BBQ excellence translates. The fundamentals of meat, heat, and timing are universal. My 25 years of experience meant I could execute flawlessly even on unfamiliar equipment.
But it also revealed something humbling: there were entire worlds of fire cooking I'd never explored.
The Santa Maria grill wasn't just another way to cook - it was a gateway to traditions that went back centuries. Techniques developed by people who didn't have thermometers or timers, who cooked by instinct and observation passed down through generations.
I realized I'd been at the top of one mountain, only to discover there was an entire range I'd never seen.
Setting the Stage for More
That Santa Maria grill started a journey that would lead me to:
- Master cold smoking techniques (Chronicle #3 coming)
- Travel to Argentina and Brazil to learn from asado masters (Chronicle #4)
- Develop relationships with South American craftsmen
- Eventually create NY Fire & Steel Academy to share these discoveries
But it all started with leftover steel and a perfect cook that showed me perfection wasn't the end goal - it was the beginning.
The Philosophy Born from Fire
What the Santa Maria grill taught me became fundamental to everything we do at NY BBQ Guys:
Excellence is the starting point, not the destination.
You don't explore new techniques because you're failing at your current ones. You explore because mastery in one area reveals possibilities in another. That perfect first cook didn't make me complacent - it made me hungry to learn more.
This is what OWN THE FIRE™ represents - not just competence or even excellence, but the constant pursuit of deeper understanding. After 40 years at the flame, you're still discovering, still learning, still pushing boundaries.
Your Equipment Journey Starts Here
Whether you're looking at custom equipment or considering education through NY Fire & Steel Academy, remember this: the best equipment challenges you to grow.
That Santa Maria grill could have been just another cooking tool. Instead, it became my gateway to a larger world of fire mastery. The question isn't whether you can cook on it - it's whether you're ready to discover what it can teach you.
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The steel that started it all wasn't just leftover material - it was an invitation to go deeper. Every piece of equipment we build, every technique we teach, carries that same invitation: come discover what you don't know yet.
"We take the ordinary and make it extraordinary." - NY BBQ Guys
OWN THE FIRE™ - Excellence is the starting point, not the destination.