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  • Barbecue, The History As Told By BBQ Freak, Bill Parlaman

    So the other day you and I chatted about the definition of Barbecue.

    Unfortunately, Barbecue has been coined a catch phrase used to describe any type of outdoor cooking event.


    A barbecue Party with Friends

    Remember, barbecue is not a hot dog or hamburger you throw on your grill over high heat…this is actually called grilling and we'll get into the differences here in a moment.

    But honestly, I find I want to go straight to sleep when "Barbecue Freaks" argue over the differences between traditional barbecue and grilling but for our purposes here– I'll explain the differences.

    Grilling is done directly over the flames at a temperature above 450º.It's primarily used for lean cuts of meat where you're trying to sear or "caramelize" your food giving it the distinctive "grilled" taste.


    Grilling a steak

    Barbecue is done using indirect heat. In other words, the heat source is away from the meat either to the sides or the meat is so far away from the heat source there is no chance it will burn.


    indirect barbecue method
    Notice How The Coals Are On Each Side With The Drip Pan In The Center. The Meat Will Go Over The Drip Pan.

    A good rule of thumb to remember is when you're cooking something for a long time you should use the indirect cooking method and anything you're cooking quick should use direct methods.

    See–I told you it was boring didn't I? We'll lets talk about something a little more fun…Ok?

    So true southern style barbecue is cooked over a wood or charcoal fire, far enough away from the heat so the meat does not burn.

    The wonderful thing about barbecue is the way the meat self bastes. In other words, as the cooking process gets under way, the juices from the meat drip onto the hot coals and embers producing a lovely smoke and just the right amount of steam to keep the meat tender and moist.


    Meat Smoking over a barbecue fire
    Notice How The Meat Is Far Away From The Fire But The Juices Can Drip On The Hot Coals Producing A light Smoke.

    Now there is a ton of debate as to how and where barbecue got started but I'll try to give you the long and short of it.

    Some historians say barbecue started in the south where cooking indoors during the hot summer months without the comforts of air conditioning was unbearable. So the early southern Americans took their kitchens outside.

    Pork was a staple diet to southerns as hogs were easy to care for. They roasted whole hogs all day long in a "Pit" dug into the ground and roasted it over hot embers. They used the entire pig and most of the lesser cuts were reserved for the slaves or lower income families. They soon discovered that cooking these lesser cuts over an open fire for long periods of time produced a tender and tasty cut of meat.


    Old Time Southern Barbecue

    Still others feel barbecue started in Texas where the Cowboys out on the round ups were given only the toughest cut of meat by the Cattle owners. This piece of meat is called a brisket which comes from the chest muscle of the steer.

    The Cowboys soon found, just as their southern brothers and sisters did, cooking the brisket over an open fire for long periods of time would again tenderize and moisten an otherwise inedible piece of meat.

    So there you have it, a history lesson about barbecue.

    Now make no mistake about, while we may argue over which region barbecue started, there is no doubt barbecue is truly an American Family tradition!

    Now go smoke something, Bill Parlaman

    If you enjoyed this post please leave a message in the comments section below so I know what's going through your head.

    If you have any questions about barbecue I also encourage you to ask them and I'll be more than happy to answer you!

    Bill Parlaman is the creator of BBQFreaks.com, an online community of barbecue enthusiasts from all over the world. Through this community Bill helps backyard chefs cook great barbecue and build stronger barbecue businesses. Bill is also a student of emotional direct response marketing and copywriting and is featured in the book, Ultimate Success Secrets Read more on Barbecue, The History As Told By BBQ Freak, Bill Parlaman…

July 14, 2008

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