With May being National BBQ Month, it’s time to drag out the grill, clean out the barbecue pit, and pick up some charcoal, because the smell of smoke drifting from your neighbor’s backyard is going to make you want that unique barbecue taste.
“Barbecue” originally referred to pork cooked over a high smoke fuel source like wood or charcoal. The term has now come to include other meats and foods, and refers more to the cooking method, rather than a specific dish.
In history, the term “barbecue” was first used as a noun in western literature by William Dampier, a British buccaneer, way back in 1697. The method is commonly believed to have originated from aboriginal peoples in the Caribbean and Florida, where the word “barbecue” first entered the English language as “barbacoa,” which translated as “sacred fire pit.”
By the mid 18th Century, the term had taken on a more modern meaning, with respect to the cooking of pork. Barbecue then meant “a dressed whole hog,” which exists to this day as a quintessential barbecue dish.
Today, it’s such a popular method of preparing meat that there’s a whole range of barbecue cookers you can get hold of – and plenty of different styles. Small ones can often be seen in homeowner’s back gardens, where they are perfect for catering for small gatherings, whereas large ones seen in commercial settings can be so big that they can cook an entire hog!
If anywhere is most keen on a barbecue, it’s the United States. It’s not uncommon to find that barbecue is not just kept to one season – such as in the UK, where the barbecues tend to only come out during the summer months. All year round, in many parts of the USA you can get hold of deliciously, smoked and barbecued meat. And if there’s a public celebration, you can bet your bottom dollar that there’s going to be barbecues to feed the masses.
Remember, there is also a difference between barbecue and grilling. Grilling refers to cooking with more direct heat, from lower smoke fuels, sometimes having flames licking the meat. Barbecue requires more indirect heat, and higher smoke fuels. Many modern gas barbecues are better described as Grills.
Since barbecuing is not a difficult method of cooking, this is a great month for you to try it out – even if you’re not really much of a cook! Dust off the barbecue and get your friends and family round for a feast.
Make sure to check up on the internet to find some great barbecue recipes, and make sure there’s something for vegetarians to sink their teeth into too! And of course, make sure there’s some homemade BBQ sauce to hand to keep things authentic!
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