Santa Maria Grill vs Argentinian Grill

Both grills raise and lower the food over a wood fire, and both come from cattle country. They look alike in photographs and cook quite differently.

The Santa Maria Grill

The Santa Maria grill comes from the Santa Maria Valley in California. Ranchers there cooked beef over red oak coals in the 1800s. Tri-tip, the cut it's famous for now, came in the 1950s. Today's grills raise and lower a flat grate on a chain and crank.

The fire sits directly underneath the food. There's no separate firebox. Flames, embers and food all share the same space. That's the appeal, and it's also the hard part.

The Argentinian Grill

The Argentinian grill, or parrilla, moves the fire out from under the food. Wood burns in a firebox and you rake the embers under the food when they're ready.

The cooking surface is V-shaped. Fat runs along the channels into a tray rather than dropping onto the embers.

Where They Differ

1. Flare-ups

On a Santa Maria the fat drops straight into the fire. Fatty cuts flare, and you manage that by moving the food or raising the grate. On an Argentinian grill the V Grill takes the fat away. You can leave a rack of lamb where it is.

2. Fuel management

A Santa Maria fire is under the food, so adding wood means moving the food or cooking through smoke and flame. On our grills the Ember Maker sits at the back, away from the food. You feed it whenever you like.

3. Heat range

Both adjust by height. You're not cooking over fire, you're cooking over embers, so the Argentinian design gives you a cleaner range. On a Somerset Grill that range is 40–400°C.

Which Suits the UK?

Santa Maria grills are brilliant for big steaks over a roaring fire on a dry evening. British weather and British gardens ask for more than that.

Our grills are inspired by Argentina and built for British gardens. Our Asado adds a full-length Ember Maker and a mount for the Rotisserie. It arrives assembled and cooks all year.

If you want the theatre of open flame under a tomahawk, you can have that too. Rake the embers into the middle and drop the Grill Frame. The difference is that you choose when.

Santa Maria Questions

Can I cook Santa Maria style on a Somerset Grill?

Yes. Turn the handle to raise or lower the grill, the same idea as a Santa Maria crank. Rake the embers into the middle, drop the Grill Frame and cook straight over the heat.