History of Barbecue

 

The origins of American barbecue date back to colonial times, with the first recorded mention in 1697 and George Washington mentions attending a "barbicue" in Alexandria, VA in 1769. 

 

Barbecue in its current form grew up in the South, where cooks learned to slow-roast tough cuts of meat over fire pits to make them tender. This slow cooking over smoke imparts the smoky taste essential to barbecue flavor!

 

Early usage of the verb "barbecue", derived from Spanish "barbacoa", meant “to preserve (meat) by drying or slowly roasting over hot coals”.  It is often referred to as Barbecue, Barbeque, BBQ or just 'Cue. Spain deserves credit for laying the foundation of modern barbecue.  It was their exploration of the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the United States southeastern region, Cuba, Central America and South America, that introduced hogs as a food source. Spanish influence spread through-out the region and Southern cooks, both white and black, eagerly began smoking pigs to serve their families and their guests.

 

THE TECHNIQUE:   Barbecuing is NOT the same as Grilling as many people would believe. Barbecuing is cooking over INDIRECT heat with smoke (generally in the 265F-275F range for several hours, sometimes up to 18!)  

Grilling is cooking DIRECTLY over heat in a short period of time (think burgers, brats, hot dogs, or steaks) and is a backyard past-time.

Barbecue is LOW & SLOW while Grilling is HIGH & FAST.  

 

THE MEAT:  Generally whole hogs, pork shoulders, pork butts, and pork ribs.  Chicken, beef brisket, and sausage are also smoked frequently. Meat should have a nice layer of fat or marble to it.  The fat slowly melts when it is heated, providing tender, juicy, smoky barbecue.

 

THE WOOD:  Hickory, Pecan, Mesquite, Apple, Cherry, Pear, Alder, or Maple woods are used to provide the distinictive smoke flavor.  

When you burn wood, it creates a gas known as nitrogen dioxide. The gas dissolves on the wet surface of the meat, binding with the myoglobin, to create that prized pink color.  The pink smoke ring occurs only on the outside edge of the meat because the nitrogen gas absorbs from the outside in. Typical smoke rings will be 1/8 to 1/2 inch deep.

 

THE SAUCE:  The last, (and in some cases optional), ingredient is the barbecue sauce. There are no constants, with sauces running the gamut from clear, peppered vinegars to thick, sweet, tomato and molasses sauces to mustard-based barbecue sauces, which themselves range from mild tangy and sweet to painfully hot and spicy. The sauce may be used as a marinade before cooking, applied during cooking, after cooking, or used as a table sauce. An alternate form of barbecue sauce is the dry rub, a mixture of salt and spices applied to the meat before cooking to enhance flavor and tenderize the meat.

 

THE BARBECUE BELT:

There are three main regions of barbecue, known as the Barbecue Belt. The are the Carolinas, Memphis, TN, and Texas barbecue.  Each region has a distinct cut of meat and sauce or dry rub that is used to provide exceptional flavor.

 

CAROLINA:  generally characterized by a thin, peppery, vinegar-tomato base sauce basted during smoking and also put on the meat after cooking. It is usually smoked with a lighter wood like Pecan. 

 

MEMPHIS:  The most famous style- Memphis barbecue uses a dry rub of sugar and spices before smoking and then sopped with a traditional thick tomato-base molasses sweet & tangy sauce.  It is usually smoked with pecan, apple, maple or other fruit woods. ("Kansas City style BBQ" was originally Memphis style and brought to KC by a Memphian in the early 1900s, and is generally seen as a copy-cat BBQ by true barbecue lovers.)

 

TEXAS:  Cowboy Texas barbecue is generally made from beef brisket or beef tri-tip (the bell of the steer), or beef ribs, instead of pork.  It also uses a spicier, more peppery dry rub and heavier-smoking woods like mesquite or hickory. 

 

These three styles remain the dominant epicurian forms of barbecue, however, barbecue has spread across the country and many states have their own "version" of barbecue and barbecue sauces.  Barbecue is truly an American cusine and has become one of the most popular dining options for families and friends in the nation!  
Barbecue also has become synonymous with "get-together", "family reunion", "outdoor or backyard party".  It is a time spent with friends and family enjoying great food, cold drinks, and good company.