TO BARBECUE OR GRILL

According to my journals, it seems that we have either grilled or barbecued almost every weekend in the Spring and Summer months.

The difference between the two; barbecue is slow cooking over low heat for several hours. Grilling is fast cooking over high heat. I would say that we definitely did more grilling than barbecuing.

I will never say barbecue when I mean grilling ever again.

There are numerous regional variations of barbecue in the United States as well as in many parts of the world.

To sauce, to dry rub, to mop or to smoke.

If you really want to find out your preference, you need to try them all. They’re all different and there’s much debate over which is the best.

From the South to the Midwest, every area has it’s personal style. In North Carolina, it’s a vinegar-based sauce. In the center of Carolina, it’s a combo of ketchup and vinegar as the base. And in the South , it’s all the above plus mustard based.  In Kentucky, the meat is rubbed with dry seasoning (dry rubs) and smoked over hickory wood without sauce. The barbecue sauce is served on the side. There’s pulled pork from Alabama; barbecued pork that is easily pulled apart and shredded after cooking with barbecue sauce on top. Georgia, and Tennessee, always serve a sweet tomato-based sauce.

Kansas City-style barbecue uses different meats in addition to pulled pork. They include pork ribs, burnt ends, smoked sausage, beef brisket, beef ribs, smoked and grilled chicken, smoked turkey and sometimes fish.

When it comes to the ‘Texas barbecue”, you are into primarily beef, cooked in different manners. From slow, “falling off the bone” over hickory wood and marinated in a sweet, tomato-based sauce. To meat rubbed with spices and cooked over indirect heat from pecan or oak wood. In West Texas the meat is cooked over direct heat using mesquite wood. And In South Texas , thick, molasses-like sauces are used to keep the meat very moist.

Around the world there are different versions of barbecue.

From Mexico, the Caribbean, Jamaica, Australia, African-American, Chinese, Indian, Japanese , Korean, Brazilian and Argentina. They all have their own unique taste.

I mix up the different styles and recommend them all.

It’s such a taste treat to try all the unique flavors from around the world whether barbecuing or grilling.

Over the years I’ve barbecued baby back ribs with a dry rub, bourbon flavored barbecue ribs and pulled pork. Grilled skirt steak with chimmichuri sauce on the side. Grilled seafood kebabs, teriyaki chicken, maple barbecued chicken.  Grilled Argentinian –style beef, mixed grill, Florentine-style porterhouse steaks. Grilled whole fish stuffed with herbs and lemon and grilled salmon teriyaki steaks with a gazpacho salsa on the side.

Our friends had us to a cookout last weekend. The weather cooperated and we were able to eat outdoors by the water.

The backyard.

Fun on the little beach.

Frank and his nephew manning the grill.

Preparation of the food...

The shrimp are seasoned and breadcrumbed before grilling.

Clam sauce for the pasta.

Focaccia cooking in the oven.

Finished pasta and clams. Dig in from the bottom where all the sauce is.

Ribs

Peppers

In addition to the above, not shown, the grilled shrimp, grilled beef and broccoli rabe. Also hot dogs and hamburgers.
A great cookout and great day with friends.
See their restaurants at columbusparktrattoria.com/

A menu from 1994 when my friends came to my house for a cook out. The pages are from my journal.

Grilling and other dishes...
starting with an eggplant spread served with toasted pita triangles. Homemade hummus, guacamole and tortilla chips, good old onion dip and potato chips round out nibbles.
In addition to grilling a marinate London Broil, I served a seafood paella and a mesclun salad.

To complete the selection; barbecued country pork ribs, grilled marinaded veggies and corn on the cob. I made so much food, as if it was the last outdoor barbecue. But everything was eaten up and enjoyed.

And for dessert, lemon squares and chocolate chip cookies.

I’m definitely going to check out the barbecue this weekend at the Bridgewater Fair. I remember the first time I went to the fair and had the barbecued chicken, which was basted with a vinegar flavored sauce that I thought was the greatest. I'll report back on our outing to the Bridgewater Fair next week. http://www.bridgewaterfair.com/

Till next week,
As Always,
xxoo Sheila