Contents
Introduction
This is a book about grilling, not just about barbecue.
In the American South, barbecue is a noun not a verb. By American definition, barbecue is a tough cut of meat cooked slowly over a wood-fired grill. The meat is basted with a simple vinegar - or sometimes tomato-based sauce. The result is meltingly tender, smoke-infused meat. But, if I can generalize, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And where there’s fire, there are men. And where there are men, there’s competition. In America, whole states, cities, neighbourhoods and families are divided by barbecue. Take North Carolina, for example. Texas generally unites behind beef brisket, South Carolina is devoted to its mustard-based pork, while Kansas City loves its ribs. In North Carolina, however, things aren’t so simple. On the western side of the state (Lexington or Piedmont), barbecue means a hog shoulder basted with a red, tomato-based sauce. Over in the east, on the other hand, they follow the old, North Carolina adage – use every part of the pig except for the squeal – with a little vinegar-based sauce to help it along. Both claim to have the best barbecue, and neither will budge. This debate isn’t new; it is a controversy that has been simmering away for years, but recently there was a major development. In the spring of 2005 a city by-law was passed naming Lexington, with its pork shoulder and tomato-based sauce, the “Barbecue Capital of the World”. Vinegar purists were up in arms. Friendships died, fists were drawn and reporters gathered. I caught the breaking news in my kitchen in Halifax, Nova Scotia as I innocently prepared a marinade for my pork ribs. I was listening to a North America-wide live radio programme, and I could feel the heat right through the radio.
At least the people of North Carolina agree on one thing – the use of the word “barbecue”. Roger Dennis, a North Carolina newspaper columnist and barbecue devotee, set his readers straight when he wrote the following: “Barbecue – for the thousandth time – is a noun. It is not a verb or an adjective. You cook a pig and you get barbecue. You grill steaks and burgers. You do not “barbecue” anything. So shut up about it”.
We’re passionate about cooking anything alfresco. We love the way aromas waft through the garden, calling guests to gather by the flame. We crave the effects of a smoky charcoal, especially when accompanied by a handful of aromatic wood chips. We appreciate the ease and immediacy of a gas grill, and value the versatility of the griddle pan. They all capture the essence of casual dining, regardless of the weather, the season, or the time of the day. We’re girls who are devoted to the grill. With this devotion comes strength and wisdom. We are strong enough to grill with the guys, but wise enough to avoid the competition that shrouds all things “barbecue”.
We’re not certain why competition follows flame. Maybe it’s the primal action of meat to fire. Perhaps it’s the over-sized tools. Regardless of reason, grilling not only tears up towns, it divides friends. When people get together for barbecues in New Zealand, the guys elbow their way to the barbecue with beer and raw steaks in hand, while the women casually toss salads and sip wine in the kitchen. Thousands of kilometres away in Halifax, Nova Scotia, you’ll find exactly the same scenario in their back gardens. But history, as they say, is meant to be broken. Women can grill, men can make salads, and anyone can turn a noun into a verb.
The word barbecue is much older than the dish. The Tainos (a Haitian tribe obliterated by European explorers) used the word barbacoa to describe a framework of sticks used for sleeping on or cooking over. The word was borrowed by the Spanish, and worked its way into the English language as barbecue at the end of the seventeenth century, still referring to a wooden framework. By the early eighteenth century, barbecue was exclusively a device upon which to roast meat; by the end of that century, its meaning was extended to any dish that was cooked upon such a device.
Many say the word derives from the French barbe à queue, literally “beard to tail”, referring to the practice of spit-roasting whole animals.
Regardless of provenance, however, it’s safe to say that the word “barbecue” has had a chequered semantic history. But we’re laid back folks – we don’t care whether we grill, barbecue, or barbecue “barbecue”. What we do care about is taste. Flavour. Fresh ingredients. Global influences. Straightforward methods. Casual gatherings. Friends. Family. And, most of all, the relaxed feeling that only comes from cooking food over fire.
Successful barbecuing
Barbecuing can be a breeze if you follow our simple guidelines. Successful barbecuing calls for thought and planning: remember to think like a scout and BE PREPARED. How often have you sunk your teeth into a suspiciously pink chicken leg or been served a slightly over-charred sausage? These all too common occurrences can be easily avoided if you follow our easy instructions. Our marinating and food safety tips apply as much to indoor grilling as they do to outdoor cooking.
Marinating tips
■ For mess-free marinating and an even, all-over coating, place your ingredients in a strong plastic bag. If you have no large plastic bags or are marinating meat on skewers then always use non-corrosive dishes such as Pyrex, glass or stainless steel and cover tightly with clingfilm to avoid other foods tainting the flavour.
■ If you are marinating your meat for longer then 30 minutes always do so in the fridge. Remove it only 30 minutes before cooking to bring it back to room temperature.
■ In some recipes we heat the marinade. This speeds up the marinating time. Do not, however, heat marinades containing milk products such as yogurt and do not use hot marinades on fish, because they will begin to cook it immediately on contact. Hot, not boiling, marinades should be poured over the meat and left for no longer than 30 minutes at room temperature just prior to cooking.
■ Never mix raw foods such as fish and chicken in the same marinade – for maximum safety, keep foods separate.
■ Never combine cooked meat with your uncooked marinade. Instead, use the uncooked marinade during cooking for basting the meat.
■ If your marinade has a high sugar content it will burn more easily. Always hold off basting with these marinades until at least halfway through cooking. Always ensure that the last basting has had sufficient cooking. A low-sugar