Monday, 27 April 2015

What is barbecue?

A recent post on Facebook got me thinking.  That happens sometimes.

What is barbecue?

For the longest time, for me, the barbecue, was the cooking appliance that was located in my backyard.  When I was a kid, it was some yellow or orange coloured charcoal appliance that someone lit using a half a can of lighter fluid.



Over the years, and mostly with the advent of the Food Network and the Internet (remember when we actually couldn't look up BBQ recipes on Pinterest?), I discovered that BARBECUE, is not that cooking appliance in the backyard (that's the grill).

Barbecue has become a verb to me.  To barbecue.  Generally it means to smoke some type of meat, over low heat for a period of time until the connective tissues have broken down and tenderized the meat to make it succulent and mouth watering.  Barbecuing allows you to take a tough cut of meat and make it edible.  The difference between grilling and barbecuing is essentially the addition of smoke to the cooking process.



All you need is some type of heat source, some type of smoke and time to have a few cocktails while you wait for the food to be done.

I could have gone into much more detail about what barbecuing really is and how it differs from one culture to another, but another online blogger by the name of Meathead Goldwyn has already done it on his website.

A reminder to those who are reading this blog for the first time, that we have at least 2 upcoming amateur BBQ competitions to be held in Northern Ontario this year.  If you read some of my earlier messages, there are a few that explain what to expect at an amateur BBQ competition.  Hopefully you can join us and compete sometime this year.

Leave your questions or comments below.

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