Top 10 Coolest BBQ Grills (And Then Some!)

By Alex in Food & Drink, Home & Garden, Neatorama Exclusives, Pictures on Jun 8, 2006 at 2:25 am

10. Grills to Go!

Grills to Go makes grills that get up and GO! The one above is the 12 ft. model that uses wood for fuel – it comes complete with the company’s distinctive "red wheel" that moves the grill up or down over 36" so you can fine-tune the cooking temperature. And oh, it also comes with standard installed tail-lights and removable hitch. Link

9. Nexo Fireplace and Grill

Is Nexo a fireplace or a BBQ grill? Why, both of course! This awesome outdoor fireplace is designed and built on the Danish Island of Mors by master craftsmen from "steel-reinforced, pumic-stone refractory core covered with beautifully colored sandstone rock or with stucco." Think about it this way: it’s the BBQ grill that your wife won’t complain about lookin’ ugly in the backyard! Link

8. Backwood Smoker’s "The Competitor"

It’s easy to mistake this Backwood Smokers unit as a safe, since, … well, it kind of looks like one. That is, until you open the behemoth to reveal 8 shelves at about 20"x20" a piece to give a total of 22 square feet of cooking surface! This model shown above, aptly called "The Competitor" (yes, men compete with each other to see who has the best grill) can cook 135 pounds of Boston Butts or 21 Slabs of St. Louis-style ribs at once. A steal at $2,445 list price. Link | Backwoods Smokers website

7. The Bar-B-Q Shack

Is it a mobile home that comes with a BBQ grill or is it a BBQ grill that comes with a house? Who cares? It’s awesome and you absolutely gotta have one! Actually, it’s a Bar-B-Q Shack Concession Trailer with a Cabin and 4 ft. Smoker, built by Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q. The 8′x20′ unit comes with: 8′x11′ concession building 3 sliding windows storage areas 2 wet/dry hot food wells range hood 2 refrigerated food wells refrigerator 1 hand sink and 3-compartment sink with hot & cold water air conditioning 6 stereo speakers water pump fresh and waste water tanks electric water heater Link | Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q website

6. Superior Welding’s BBQ Swing-A-Way Grill

Superior Welding Services’ tailgate BBQ grill is guaranteed to make you the center of attention at tailgate parties. Plus, the grill is convenient to use: no need to pull out the grill or smoker out of the back of your truck – just park your car and start cooking! The unique Swing-A-Way Receiver Hitch also allows you to swing this tailgate barbecue grill away from your car and prevent it from blistering your paint job. Link

5. Traeger’s Novelty BBQ Grills

Ah, the novelty grills – what’s not to like about theml? Like all standard Traeger grills, the company’s novelty lines come with Autostart, EZ-drain grease system, and a variable thermostat control. With 371 square inch of cooking space, you can grill to your heart’s content. With two models to choose from (the Lil’ Pig and the Longhorn Steer), all you need is money. Lots of it, apparently, since they’re $1,495 each! And what is it with pigs and BBQ? Apparently, the irony of cooking pork in a BBQ grill shaped like a pig is irresistible to artists like Joel Haas, who made this Barbee Q. Piglet:

4. Kamado Ceramic BBQ Grill

Kamado’s Ceramic Barbecue Grill is probably the most artistic and beautiful BBQ grill we’ve ever seen (and yes, it’s from California). The hand-made Kamado grill was invented by Richard Johnson, an American pilot who came across a ceramic rice cooker in Japan in the 1960s. He claimed that this method of cooking makes for better flavors of smoked, broiled or baked food. Today, you can order a Kamado grill in various tile colors (so it’ll match your decor, of course!), using various fuels such as wood, charcoal, gas, or electricity. Link

3. HEMI-Powered BBQ Grill

Tim Kowalec built this HEMI-powered BBQ grill for Chrysler’s "What Can You HEMI?" contest in 2005. Tim’s "manly man’s barbecue grill" featured a 5.7-liter V-8 HEMI engine, and can cook 240 hot dogs in 3 minutes! Link | Hi-Res Photos

2. Gator Pit’s Texas Legend

The Texas Legend Smoker and Grill is so big that two adults can stand up in the upright smoker – now that’s big. Texas BIG. This behemoth of a BBQ grill, built by custom builder Ritch Robin of Gator Pit, is roughly 30 feet long by 8 feet wide by 10 1/2 feet tall. It has approximately 27,500 square inch of cooking space. Check out the mind-blowing specs: 3/8" thick-walled, 38" diameter x 8 ft. horizontal smoke chamber, with 12 sliding food trays 1/4" thick-walled, 38" diameter by 48" tall upright smoker, with 5 sliding food trays 3/8" thick x 36" side grill, with 3 sliding food trays and sliding baffle for additional heat source to the upright smoker Dual fish fryers/ burners 15" stainless steel bar sink with cold running water Two bay stainless steel sink with hot and cold running water 3 x 4 ft. stainless cutting/prep table 5,500 watt generator Four custom 18" chrome wheel Dual propane tank holder Refrigerator & Freezer and much, much more… Texas Legend construction photos | completed photo & gallery of other pits.

1. Lynx Professional Grills

It’s. Just. So. Pretty. Oh. So. Pretty. And its the one I want for Father’s Day, OK? Yup, that sums it up – this mouth-watering, budget-busting, jaw-droppingly beautiful backyard set from Lynx Professional Grills has a 42" grill with access doors, double burner, storage drawers, warming drawer, and beverage area with outdoor refrigerator, ice machine, and coctail pro (a bar area with sink and faucet). If you have to ask how much, you simply can’t afford it. Link

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[Update 6/8/06] What did we tell you about BBQ being the object of passion? People have been writing us because apparently, we missed a lot of cool grills, so in the spirit of catching up, here are a few more awesome BBQ grills:

The Ultimate Smoker and Grill.

Trace Arnold designed a true monster of a BBQ grill: The Ultimate Smoker and Grill. The 55-feet long grill is the size of a tanker and is hauled by a semi. The wood-fired grill is huge: 48" by 120 ". It can cook 2,000 pounds of barbecue, 200 steaks, or 1,000 hot dogs at once. The lid is 20 feet long and goes up and down using a hydraulic system. And of course, the entire rig comes with 48-in flat screen TV with satellite hookup and Bose Entertainment system. Best of all, you can rent it for $5,000 a day plus $3 per mile traveled (excluding the cost of food). Link – Thanks DrinkKing!

Texas Lil’s World’s Largest Transportable Smoker.

Did you think that last one was huge? Think again: David Klose built this transportable smoker called Texas Lil’s Monster Smoker. The smoker is 57 ft. in length and 60" in diameter. It has 90,000 sq. in. cooking surface and weighs 25,000 lbs. Link

The King of Barbecues Grill.

And how could we missed David Klose’s The King of Barbecues grill? Uber-Review writes: The extensive list of features includes, (#1) a 160,000 B.T.U. propane burner that can bring 20 gallons of cold water to a boil in 5 min. The entertainment portion of the BBQ has a satellite radio, satellite television, Sony wega flat screen, DVD player and a DVR that are all solar powered. A (#3)low temperate smoker, (#4)a seven foot long, 90 lb door, that is counter weighted, making it a snap to open. The main chamber (#5) can smoke up 100 six-pound chickens, which is enough to feed 350 people. To ensure that everyone knows that you are the king of the BBQ, it comes with 24 karat-gold rims and door handles. Link – via Uber-Review

David Klose’s Baby Carriage BBQ Pit.

That last one was too hi-tech for you? How about yet another one by that talented guy David Klose: a Baby Carriage Pit: This Baby Carriage was originally found in the countryside around Houston, this is believed to be a turn-of-the century baby carriage made in London, England. When David Klose found this baby carriage, it was beyond recognition, totally crushed and completely rusted out. Then, after three weeks of restoration and a few beers. It was discovered to be an Allwyn Pramelator made in London Circa 1906. The hood folds down to complete the smoker effect, for cooking things like brisket, ribs, chickens and of course, Baby Back Ribs. Link | If you like that, you’ll like Klose’s cookers that look like a Continental Airplane, Beer Bottle and Chuck Wagon. David Klose, you’re awesome, dude!

BBQ Under The Hood!

This gives new meaning to the words "check under the hood" – unfortunately, it doesn’t exist (yet, we hope!). via The BBQ Report

Texas Six Shooter BBQ Grill.

This awesome 6 foot 11 barbecue pit shaped was built by Joe Wood of Weimar, Texas: The barrel is 10 feet long and 8 inches in diameter, and the entire rig is over 15 feet long. The pistol’s grips, which cover the firebox, are made of red oak. When cooking, the barrel acts as the grill’s chimney. It took over two years and 1,100 hours to complete, and used more than two tons of red oak, stainless, and carbon steel. Link

Handgun BBQ Grill.

While we’re on the subject of handgun-shaped grill, take a look at this 19-ft long grill made by Spook and J.W. Holtman in Lubbock, Texas, who said "Heck, it’s Texas, what did you expect?" Link [Flickr]

Redneck Pool Heater.

Grills aren’t just for cookin’ meat, especially if you’re a redneck! You can use it to heat up your pool as well! Todd Harrison and his daughter Veronica Harrison (who’s in 8th grade!), modded a gas grill into a working pool heater so he can use his pool in winter (with only $28 cost in propane!): I wasn’t teaching during the spring of 2005 so I spent the time modifying mybackyard barbecue grill into a pool heater. (Redneck, I know but it worked!) Our pool is between two tall homes and is shaded for all but 3 hours a day Normally you can’t swim in our pool until June because it’s just to cold (68F – 75F). I like swimming in about 80F to 85F myself, if it’s sunny and warm out. I created a prototype heater coil that seemed to work for its size. I then create a large heater coil out of 180 feet of copper tubing that connects to my pool pump using a garden hose and fits inside the grill. The hose runs from the pump through the grill heater coils and then into the pool. I heated my pool from 68F to 89.4F in 48 hours using 3.5 tanks of propane. Link – via Make Blog

Q BBQ.

Bucking the trend toward ever-increasingly large BBQ grill is the Q BBQ – a grill that looks like the "cross between the Starship Enterprise and a jet engine": … the Q BBQ can be carried around like a briefcase, but opens up Transformer-style to become a stylish, stand-alone, gas-powered grill. Not surprisingly, the Q BBQ won the Bronze Award in the 2003 Industrial Design Excellence Awards. Link – via Boing Boing

The Table Is The Grill!

With Cook-n-Dine flameless cooking grill/table, you can cook and eat at the same place, literally! The center of the table heats up to form a cooking pit – you simply place your food and cook it there without the use of any pots or pans (the heated portion will turn into a concave pit). The price? $1,600 – worth it considering you will have fewer dishes to wash. Link – via Appliancist

Austin-Healey BBQ Grill.

That old vintage Jaguar Austin-Healey not running anymore? Let’s turn it into a grill! (This is not the automobile "grill" you’re used to seeing, huh?) Found at Classic Jaguar

Jeppe Utzon BBQ Grill.

The Jeppe Utzon barbecue by Electrolux was created by the grandson of the legendary Jorn Utzon [wiki] (the guy who designed the Sydney Opera House). This stylish, minimalist BBQ grill is the perfect outdoor accessory for your ultra-modern house. Link – Thanks Andy Hansson!

Real Grill’s Submarine BBQ Grill

No, that’s not a submarine – that’s Real Grill’s TRG 500 BBQ grill! This custom made oh-so-shiny grill boasts 46 square feet of cooking area with 3 available fuel sources (gas, wood, and coal), diamond plated doors, and … a fire extinguisher! Link

SmokinTex’s Pro Series Electric Smokers

SmokinTex’s Pro Series Electric Smokers look like small dishwasher but they cook like a champ. According to the company, these smokers are so easy to use (just load ‘em up with meat, shut the door, and set the temperature – that’s it!). The food is slow-cooked "gently" over a real wood smoke. Link

Southern Pride’s Commercial Ovens

Unless you’re a restaurant, or you always have really, really hungry friends at your backyard barbecue, you probably don’t know Southern Pride’s ovens. Well, here it is: the XLR-1600-4. I’ll skip the technical details to focus on what’s important – its cooking capacity: Pork Butts (7 lb): 192 total/1344 lbs total Spare Ribs (3.5 lb): 210 total/735 lbs total Beef Brisket (12 lb): 96 total/1152 lbs total Whole Chickens (3 lb): 312 total/936 lbs total St. Louis Ribs (2.75 lb): 294 total/808 lbs total w/ Optional Rib Racks: 432 total/1188 lbs total Turkeys, Hams, Shoulders, Prime Rib (14 lb): 120 total/1680 lbs total I dunno – maybe it’s just *too* small. Link | Southern Pride website

J&R Manufacturing’s Smokemaster

For over 30 years, J&R Manufacturing, Inc. has been making custom heavy-duty wood-burning BBQ pits. This one above is their Smokemaster E Series, a "very serious barbecue machine" and convection oven. According to the company, Smokemaster is very efficient due to its air and smoke control system. The machine can cook over 500 pounds of meat per load, at an energy cost of only 3 cents per pound! Link

Grand Hall’s Monster BBQ Grill

Not satisfied with a regular grill, BBQ enthusiast Alex Komarnitsky got this super-sized "beta model" Grand Hall (which he said is not yet released to the public). The monster grill has ten 20,000 BTU primary burners, a 30,000 BTU infrared burner, and a side burner (yet another 20,000 BTU) for a total of 250,000 BTU cooking capacity. With almost 2,000 square inches of cooking surface, you can surely feed a hundred people (or probably four us fat Americans) at the same time! Link

The Big Green Egg.

When we first saw this BBQ, it seemed like a large dinosaur egg that the Flintstones would adapt to grill meat! If you think this one looks like the Kamado (see above) – you’re right: Our technicians and artisans have carefully retained the nearly perfect cooking characteristics of the Kamado, while creating a stronger and longer lasting Big Green Egg. You can clearly see the Daisy Wheel Top and lower damper that allow you to precisely control the inside temperature. Nearly closed—for lower temperatures and slow smoke flavored cooking, wide open—to quickly bring up the fire to sear meats, and anywhere in between to meet any cooking need you may encounter. Link – Thanks bbum!

Keg-a-Que.

What do you get when you cross a BBQ grill with a beer keg? A Keg-a-Que, the perfect BBQ grill for all beer lovers. The best thing is about this grill is that it’s only $49.95, so have more money to buy meat, and of course, beer! Link – Thanks Ray!

Piet Hein Eek’s Sleek BBQ Grills.

If modern’s your thing, then you’ll like Piet Hein Eek’s Grills. Link – Thanks SMQT!

Pyromid Stove.

No, that’s not the Mars Rover – that’s the Pyromid Stove, "the world’s most portable grill" according to the manufacturer. The grill folds to less than one inch thick when not in use and can be set up in seconds. Moreover, the grill reaches temperatures up to 1,100 degrees °F in less than 10 minutes using only 9 briquettes! Link

Magma Boat BBQ Grill.

Just because you’re cruisin’ on your boat, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy barbecuin’, thanks to Magma Boat BBQ grills. The company makes charcoal, gas, and combination grills for your boat, with optional boat stabilizer. Link

Evo Circular Flattop Grill.

If you like Benihana, then you’ll probably like the Evo Professional circular flattop griddle, er grill. This model sports a 30" cooking surface, and two independently controlled burners for a combined rating of 48,000 BTU. Link

Tool Box Grill.

What do you give for that BBQ-loving DIY weekend warrior? A grill that looks like a toolbox, of course! But don’t let this unassuming grill from Hans Plads fool you: it is built from heavy duty, 20-gauge steel and sports a large cooking surface at only 19-lb. weight. Link

Bradley Digital Smoker.

BBQ Grill goes digital with Bradley’s Digital Smoker: Temperature, time, and smoke are now completely controllable so you can decide how much smoke you want, how long your food is going to be smoked for, and at what temperature. Perfect for entertaining, creating gourmet foods in your own home, or just enjoying the flavor that smoking brings, the new Bradley Digital Smokers offer an easier and better way to automatically roast, smoke and barbecue in the outdoors. The perfect BBQ smoker for the nerd in you! Link

Muscle Car Grill

Muscle Car Grill builder Steve Barker used real car parts to make this V8 engine grill! Neatorama reader Steve Barker of Muscle Car BBQ Grills told us about his awesome custom-made grills, shaped like a muscle car engine block complete with exhaust ports that let smoke comes out, powder coated grill box that can withstand 900 degree of heat, pistons instead of knobs, and of course, diamond plates for side tables! Steve uses real car parts where he can, and can install optional nitrous purge system with remote control, a 671 Blower on top with a power lid, LED lights and switches for night BBQ-ing, as well as CD and MP3 player with indoor/outdoor speakers and remote control. The grills comes in either charcoal or propane. Link

Afterburner – C Fridge Conversion.

No, it’s not just a rusty old fridge – it’s actually a bbq grill! The inside had porcelain on steel inner liner, fiber glass insulation, and an "Afterburner" gas conversion kit. Link

The Supreme – Diamond Plated BBQ Grill

Outdoor Culinary Supply’s shiny grill called "The Supreme" is all decked out in diamond plate! Link – via Fark

Talos Outdoor Cooking Suite

Got a spare $35,000? Then you can get the Talos Outdoor Cooking Suite by Frontgate. This sprawling behemoth of a grill has a 42" grill with 800 square-inch of grilling area, 16,000 BTU ceramic infrared rotisserie, 2 side burners, a warming drawer, searing station with griddle, bartender module and sink. Link

Old Smokey

Ah, a classic: the Old Smokey charcoal BBQ grill, perfect for camping! Link – via Fark

Gusto Ultra-Portable Wood BBQ Grill

Gusto ultra-portable bbq grill by Woodflame uses cubes of hardwood as fuel! Link – Thanks BeTuMan!

Oasis Fire Table

With Oasis Outdoor Furnishing’s fire table, the table is the bbq – or if you want, the fire pit or the ice bucket. Link – via Fark

Kalamazoo Sculpture Gas Grill

Kalamazoo’s Sculpture Gas Grill undulates its way to beautify your garden while kicking butt with a 50,000-BTU gas grill. Link

Cobb Portable BBQ Grill

The Cobb BBQ Grill and Cooking System was an innovation that came out of Africa. The first Cobb grill was designed for rural africa, with fuel of dry corn cobs! Later units use charcoal briquettes … It has an insulated plastic base that remains cool to the touch even while the internal temperature reaches over 500 degrees! Link – via Fark

Barbi Portable Barrel BBQ

Feeling too manly? Well, this pink portable barrel BBQ should take you down a notch! Link – via Random Good Stuff

Weber Smokey Joe Grill – Simpsons Edition

This cute little grill is the Weber 10898 Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill, The Simpsons 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Grill. Not available anymore, I’m afraid (D’oh!): Link

Bonus: Liquid Oxygen Lighter

OK, it’s not a grill that’s interesting here: it’s the way it’s lighted. You’re looking at George Goble of Purdue University lighting the 60 lbs of charcoal with 3 gallons of liquid oxygen: Started with 60 lbs of charcoal, and burnt up 40 lbs of it in 3 seconds. Result is a grill ready to cook in about 3 seconds, and all the old grease, etc burned off. Don’t try this at home. WARNING: an ignition source, such as a lit cigarette or one glowing coal, must be present before pouring on the LOX. If charcoal is PRESOAKED in LOX first, an explosion will result. One briquette presoaked in LOX is approx equiv to 1 stick of dynamite. And oh, this goes without saying: don’t try this at home. Please, or this may happen. Link (scroll down) – via Fark

USB Grill

Take 6 PCI USB cards with 5 ports each, connect the 30 USB cables to a hacked USB cup warmer and you get … a USB grill! Link | Translated Page – via Make and TechEBlog

Monster Pitt

Texan grill maker Pitt’s & Spitt’s made this cute train engine BBQ pit for the TV series Monster House (the "Ghost Town" house). Link – Thanks George Shore!

Santa Maria

This grill from Diamond Charcoal Island Grille is actually a new kind of charcoal barbecue unit that starts up fast with a blower and then has a garbage dispoal unit built into the bottom so you can just wash down all the ashes away! Link – Thanks Ryan Guy!

Bruce BBQ Grill

Got a balcony? Then this "Bruce" BBQ grill (that looks like those flower pots hanging off balconies) is perfect for you. Link – via Random Good Stuff. Update 1/5/07: Grilling on your balcony may be illegal or cause you to lose your apt. lease – Thanks Don!

Locomotive BBQ Grill

This German locomotive BBQ grill is awesome! It sold on eBay for over $12,000: Link – via smidigt

Classic Holden Monaro GTS Grill

A classic Holden Monaro GTS, reincarnated as a barbie! Link – via Born Rich

Chevy V8 Grill

This Chevy V8 grill may not crank out 500 HP, but it does produce 60,000 BTU! Link – Thanks Trent Whatley!

RUB Restaurant’s Mobile Barbecue Pit

When Andrew Fishel, the owner of New York restaurant RUB, wanted "the sickest, baddest thing in the world," he commissioned Orange County Chopper (of the American Chopper TV show fame) to create a mobile BBQ pit. We have to agree: that mother is bad! Link – via Make

Dragon BBQ Grill: “Guardian of the Feast”

This is one awesome BBQ grill: a dragon-shaped welded steel grill and smoker called "Guardian of the Feast" by Ed McBride. Link – Thanks SteelisAlive!

Motor Head Grill

Here’s the Motor Head grill by FAB Grills: Link – Thanks Russ Freeman!

Photo: Steve Stealey Is that a 55-gallon drums or a BBQ grill/smoker? Actually, it’s both! Steve Stealey of Steve’s Services – BBQ division in Carthage, Mo. came up with the idea of using a steel drum as a smoker and BBQ grill when he was on his way to a cooking contest, lost his cooker in transit, found a used barrel and the rest is history. Link – Thanks Steve!

Top 10 Mother's Day Recipes

The Most Popular Recipes for Mother's Day

By Derrick Riches, About.com Guidehttp://bbq.about.com/od/seasonal/tp/top_10_mothers_day_recipes.htm

See More About:

It's the one day a year we set aside to celebrate Mom and I promise you she would like nothing better than to not have to cook. Chances are (Dad) that you are more comfortable around the grill than the stove so try fire it up. These recipes, last years most popular, show that at the top of Mom's list are some fancy items including Lobster and Steak.

1. Grilled Lobster Tails

Regarding BBQ, Inc.

This grilled lobster is perfect for any occasion. If you don't have a lot of experience grilling shellfish, then this recipe is for you.

Recipe

2. Prime Rib Roast

This is a classic prime rib recipe cooked on the grill. The secret is to keep the temperature low enough during cooking and to remove it from the grill when done. Be sure to grill indirectly and also use a drip pan to catch the drippings.

Recipe

3. Fresh Corn on the Cob

Derrick Riches

This is the general method for grilling corn on the cob. Remember not to remove the husks, they will hold in the moisture and keep the corn from burning. You might want to pull out as much silk as you can beforehand.

Recipe

4. Beer Can Chicken

Regarding BBQ, Inc.

This basic variation of the "beer in the butt" chicken recipe combines the flavors of a great spice rub with the flavors steamed out of the beer can.

Recipe

5. Grilled Tri-Tip Roast

Regarding BBQ Inc.

Tri-Tip roasts might be hard at time, but if you happen upon it, grilled low and slow, you'll get a great piece of meat with fantastic texture and flavor.

Recipe

6. Marinated London Broil

Regarding BBQ Inc.

This classic recipe for London Broil is marinated in wine and vinegar which makes it extra tender. If you really want to make it authentic try getting a Flank Steak.

Recipe

7. Peruvian Roasted Chicken

Derrick Riches

This great rotisserie chicken recipe became hugely popular along the East Coast of the United States a few years back. Know as Super Chicken, El Pollo Rico, or Peruvian Chicken this is a tasty way to make a bird with enough flavor to satisfy anyone, but mild enough for everyone.

Recipe

8. Beer in the Butt Chicken

Derrick Riches

This is the classic beer in the butt chicken recipe, developed by a couple of guys with too many beer cans and not enough pans. This chicken is moist and flavorful. About the best way there is to cook a chicken. This recipe uses a smoker to slow roast the chicken with lots of smoky flavor.

Recipe

9. Michael Jordan's 23 Delmonico Steak

Regarding BBQ, Inc.

23 is Michael Jordan's famous Chicago restaurant. This is their recipe for the Delmonico Steak. This is a fantastic grilled rib-eye, my personal favorite.

Recipe

10. Carne Asada

Regarding BBQ Inc.

Carne Asada is a Mexican recipe for marinated, grilled beef served in in tortillas. This is not your run of the mill taco. This is a flavorful and delicious meal that is great for any occasion.

Recipe

How do I get a smoky flavor into food when using a gas grill?

How do I get a smoky flavor into food when using a gas grill?

By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide

Question:

Answer: Over the past few years it has become much more popular to try and add smoke flavor to grilled foods. The problem with gas grills is that the only smoke you get is from burning grease. Try selling your next cookout with that slogan, "with the flavor of grease smoke". Yeah, everyone will line up for that. However if you have hickory, mesquite or some other wood smoke flavor, well that's barbecue. Well, actually it isn't but I'm not going into that again here.

 
 
The first thing you need to know about adding smoke when grilling is that it takes time for foods to absorb smoke flavor. If you are not planning on grilling your food for more than 20 to 30 minutes it probably won't be worth the effort. If on the other hand the dish you are preparing is going to spend more than 30 minutes on the grill with the lid down, then you can consider adding smoke to your grilling. You may notice it.
 
 
So how to you do it? First you need wood, real hard, dry wood like hickory, oak, mesquite, cherry, etc. Now you need to soak it in water until it is damp. Drain so it isn't dripping, and put it on the grill.
No, don't just throw wood chips or chunks on your gas grill. It doesn't make good smoke that way and it doesn't do any good for your grill. What you need is something to hold the wood in so that it can smolder and produce smoke while not dropping ashes every where. You can do either of two things. You can go out and buy a smoker box for your grill (these can cost as much as $20) or you can wrap the chips loosely in aluminum foil and punch a couple of holes in the top. This lets the smoke out. You can decide which is more economical.

One trick to get presoaked wood chips quickly is to take moistened wood chips or chunks, place them in resealable plastic bags and put them in the freezer. Next time you need wet chips for the grill all you have to do is take them out of the freezer.

Recipes - Chicken

Recipes - Chicken
Kent’s Famous Root Beer ChickenSubmitted by Kell Phelps, National Barbecue News

6-8 chicken leg quarters
2 liter bottle root beer
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
Dash salt & pepper
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Place the chicken quarters in a pan or bowl large enough to hold them. Pour root beer over chicken. (I usually use about 3/4 of the bottle.) Add garlic and onion; cover with cling wrap. Place in the fridge overnight, and place on the smoker the next day (reserve the marinade). (You can also use a grill with high, direct heat.) As you are smoking the chicken, pour the root beer marinade in a saucepan. Add a dash of salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Boil it down for about 30 minutes and use as a baste on the chicken.


Classic Drunk Chicken
One 3 1/2 - 4 pound whole chicken
1/2 of 12 oz. can of beer
BBQ Rib Rub
Finely chopped garlic
Olive oil
Beer can holder (recommended)

Pre-heat grill to 300°. Wash chicken inside and out, pat dry with paper towel, add a tablespoon of garlic and another of rub in the can, and place the can in the holder. Coat chicken lightly with oil, rub on an even coating of spices and put cavity of chicken down over the beer can and press down firmly.

Put the chicken on the grill and balance evenly, cook at 300º for two hours or until chicken is done. Use a meat thermometer — DON'T GUESS! Temperature must be at least 180°in breast and thigh. When done, remove from grill, cover with foil, and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve with light bread, potato salad, and sweet iced tea.


Drunk Chicken Gravy:
6 oz. beer
One tablespoon chopped garlic
One tablespoon spice used above

Combine ingredients in sauce pan, reduce heat and cook until sauce thickens. Season to taste. Use for dipping sauce, or make lots and use for basting the chicken. Works for any recipe — use same spices used in your recipe. If cooking multiple chickens, make sure they all weigh the same, so the cooking times will be the same.
You can substitute vegetable oil for olive oil, and use any spice you like. Also, most any liquid will work in the can, even water. Try some of these:
- Lemon pepper and white wine
- Rosemary, sage and apple juice
- Pineapple marinade and beer
- Mesquite rub and beer

If cooking in the oven, use a drip pan with about 1 inch of water in the pan. This keeps the grease from popping, and keeps the oven clean. And, since there is no smoke, the spices used on the bird really come through!


Honey-Fried Chicken
1 (3 to 3-1/2 lb.) chicken
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons fruit vinegar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons cayenne powder
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 c. vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut chicken into six serving pieces, reserving the backbone, neck and wings for stock. Stir the honey and vinegar together and pour over the chicken. Marinate at least two hours, stirring occasionally. In a bowl, combine flours and cayenne; set aside.

 In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 300ºF, cook at a low temperature to keep the honey from caramelizing too quickly and burning.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and drain on paper towels. Dip the chicken in egg mixture, season with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour mixture, coating thoroughly. Strain the marinade and reserve one tablespoon for the sauce. Gently drop the dark meat into the pan for five to six minutes on the first side until browned. Turn, add the white meat and continue cooking, adjusting the heat so the chicken browns evenly on both sides and is tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 18 minutes for dark meat, and 10 to 12 minutes for white meat. Serve hot with vegetables and bread.


Turduchen
1 Turduchen
2 to 3 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
3 tbsp. olive oil
Apple wood chips

Allow two days for the Turduchen to defrost in the refrigerator. Soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes, drain. Lightly coat the Turduchen with olive oil and season with Cajun seasoning. Pre-heat the grill to 350° F.

 Using a large roasting pan, roast the Turduchen, tented with aluminum foil, for five hours with the cover down, replenishing the apple wood as needed throughout the cooking process and siphoning the juices from the pan.

After five hours, remove the foil and continue roasting the Turduchen for another hour, again with the cover down.
The internal temperature of the Turduchen should be 180° F in the thigh and 170° F in the breast when completely cooked.

The stuffing should be at least 165° F. (If the stuffing didn't reach the recommended temperature when the Turduchen is ready, remove the stuffing from the Turduchen and reheat the stuffing, covered, in a preheated 350° F oven.

Remove the Turduchen from the roasting pan using heavy-duty turkey lifters and transfer it to a carving platter. Tent with aluminum foil and allow the Turduchen to rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving. Carve the Turduchen lengthwise into two halves and then slice it across the body so each slice has the three meats and stuffing. Leftovers may be frozen for up to three months.


Chicken Casserole
4 large chicken breasts, cooked and torn into pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 tube Saltine crackers, crumbled
1 stick margarine, melted

Mix soup and sour cream together, then add the chicken and blend together. Place in a casserole dish. (This can be refrigerated up to two days before adding the topping and baking.) Mix crackers and butter together and pour over top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

Charcoal Bar-B-Que Chicken
8 chicken quarters (leg and thigh, breast and wing, or a combination of both)
2/3 cup olive oil
7 tablespoons All-Purpose Red Rub
2 cups Mutha Sauce

PREP the chicken by breaking the joint between the leg and thigh, and trim away any backbone attached to the thigh. Tuck the wing tip under the spot where the wing joins the breast. Mi up the oil and All-Purpose Red Rub, and massage it into the chicken pieces. On the breast pieces you can even lift up the skin and massage the rub right into the flesh.

Cover and refrigerate the chicken until you're ready to grill it. BUILD a medium coal bed in your grill. It should register 325º to 350º with the lid down.

Open the lid and position the rack as high above the coals as possible. (This keeps the skin from getting too charred before the chicken is cooked through.) Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, directly over the coals.

Close the lid and cook for 25 to 30 minutes; then give the chicken a flip, skin side down and cook, covered, for 20 minutes more, or til it has an internal temperature of 160º to 165º. Check the chicken, and push the pieces that look the most cooked to the cooler edge of the grill.

Keep cooking the thicker pieces, moving them to the hotter spots on the grill til they reach the same amount of doneness.FLIP all the pieces skin side up and slather on the Mutha Sauce. Close the lid of the grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more to glaze the chicken. Serve with more Mutha Sauce for ladling. Feeds 4 to 6.

Recipes - Pork

Smoked Pork Chop
Submitted by Melissa Cookston, Yazoo’s Delta Q
1 6-8 lb Bone in Pork loin
2 Tablespoons Yazoo’s Ultimate BBQ Rub
1 cup Yazoo’s Original BBQ Sauce
Smoker heated to 250 degrees
Fruit wood chunks

To prepare pork loin, rinse and pat dry. Using a filet knife, carefully remove silverskin from loin. French the bones by trimming meat from between bones and then scraping away any meat/silverskin from bones. Season loin liberally with Yazoo’s Ultimate BBQ rub or your favorite seasonings. Allow to marinate covered for a minimum of four hours or overnight.

Prepare smoker and preheat to 250 degrees. We like to use fruit wood chunks such as cherry or apple when we smoke pork along with a base of charcoal. Cover bones with aluminum foil to keep from darkening, then place in smoker for 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 155°. Remove from smoker and allow to rest loosely covered with a sheet of foil for at least 15 minutes. Slice between every other bone to get a show-stopping double-cut pork chop that will rival any you can get in a restaurant. Lightly glaze each chop with Yazoo’s Chipotle Bold BBQ Sauce or your favorite sauce and serve.

Chops can also be wrapped individually in clear wrap, then refrigerated. When you are ready to serve, fire up the grill and sear each side to warm up and get an impressive grill mark for your guests, then lightly glaze with sauce and serve.

BBQ Beer-Brined Pork Chops
Submitted by Daddy's BBQ Sauce
• (4-6) thick, fresh pork chops
• 4 tsp. Daddy's BBQ Sweet Love Original Rub
• (1) 12 oz. Lazy Magnolia Indian Summer spiced ale
• Daddy's BBQ Brown Sugar & Honey sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons pure cane syrup
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• handful ice cubes
• 1 gallon-size resealable plastic bags
• meat thermometer

Set aside pork chops & Daddy's BBQ Brown Sugar & Honey sauce. Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve, pour into the resealable plastic bag; add pork chops & ice.

Allow to marinate in fridge or in an ice chest for 4 hours. Sprinkle a light amount of Daddy's BBQ Sweet Love Original Rub on top side of chops. (for more heat, add more rub) Cook on the grill (you'll need to turn about every 10 minutes) or in the oven until chops reach an internal temp of 145 degrees.

Allow meat to rest 3 minutes before cutting. Serve with Daddy's BBQ Brown Sugar & Honey sauce and your choice of sides and additional Lazy Magnolia Indian Summer beer!


Barbecued Spareribs on a Charcoal Grill

2 full slabs pork spareribs (about 6 lbs. total)
3/4 cup dry rub for barbecue
2 (3-inch) wood chunks or 2 cups wood chips
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Brown paper grocery bag
2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

Rub both sides of the ribs with the dry rub and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. For stronger flavor, wrap the rubbed ribs in a double layer of plastic and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Soak wood chunks in cold water to cover for 1 hour and drain, or place the wood chips on an 18-inch square of aluminum foil, seal to make a packet, and use a fork to create about six holes to allow smoke to escape. Hickory is the traditional wood choice with ribs, but some like mesquite as well.

Meanwhile, light a large chimney filled a bit less than halfway with charcoal briquettes (about 2-1/2 lbs. or 40 coals) and allow to burn until covered with a thin layer of gray ash. Empty the coals into one side of the grill, piling them up in a mound two or three briquettes high.

Keep the bottom vents completely open. Place the wood chunks or the packet with the chips on top of the charcoal. Put the cooking grate in place, open the grill lid vents completely, and cover, turning the lid so that the vents are opposite the wood chunks or chips to draw smoke through the grill. Let the grate heat for 5 minutes and clean it with a wire brush.


Position the ribs over the cool part of the grill. Turn the ribs every 30 minutes until the meat starts to pull away from the bones and has a rosy glow on the exterior (2 to 3 hours). The initial temperature inside the grill will be about 350 degrees; it will drop to 250 degrees after 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the grill and completely wrap each slab in foil. Put the foil-wrapped slabs in a brown paper bag and crimp the top of the bag to seal tightly. Allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Unwrap the ribs and brush with barbecue sauce if desired, or serve with sauce on the side.


Grilled Barbecue Pork Steaks
4 pork blade steaks with 1 inch or more thickness
1 half cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 third cup of natural honey (may substitute brown sugar or molasses for variations).
1 tablespoon of Worchester sauce
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1 half teaspoon of favorite mustard


Bring barbecue grill to acceptable cooking level. Place steaks on the grill grate about four inches just above the medium to slow coals and cook for approximately 5-8 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer indicates about 150 degrees internal temperature.


As the steaks cook, combine remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl, then continue to brush steaks with marinade sauce until cooking is complete (about five minutes). With cooking adjustments, pork chops will also work.
Serve with a mixed salad and foil-wrapped sweet potato or fresh corn for a southern taste delight.


Easy Citrus Pork Chops
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 c. orange juice
Dash of ginger
Salt and pepper
Place your chops in a shallow baking pan and top with the pineapple and orange juice. Bake in a 325° oven, or covered grill for about 1 hour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.


Cuban Barbecued Pork Shoulder with Pineapple Mango Mojo and Sweet Potato Coconut Hash
Submitted by Robert Meitzer, Palace Arms Restaurant

Pork Shoulder:
Pork Shoulder - 4-6 lbs.
Olive Oil - ¼ cup
Garlic minced - ¼ cup
Cumin ground - ¼ cup
Cilantro chopped - 1 cup
Jalapeno minced - 3 each
Lime juice - 1 each
Ginger minced - 2 Tbsp.
Salt and pepper - 2 Tbsp

Mango Mojo:
Olive Oil - ¼ cup
Yellow onions small dice - 2 each
Fresh pineapple small dice - 4 Cups
Mango diced - 2 Cups
Limes juice and zest - 3 each
Oranges juice and zest - 2 each
Garlic minced - ¼ cup
Parsley fine chop - 1cup
Cilantro fine chop - 1 cup
Red Chili Flakes - 2 Tbsp
Red Bell Pepper small dice - 1 each
Salt and pepper - To taste


Sweet Potato Hash:
Sweet Potato medium dice - 2 cups
Melted Butter - ¼ cup
Yellow Onion diced - ½ each
Shredded Coconut - ½ cup
Cinnamon - 1 tsp.
Allspice - 1/2 tsp.
Brown Sugar - 3 Tbsp.
Salt - To taste


For Pork Shoulder:
Preheat grill and oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl place all ingredients minus pork and stir to a paste. Place pork on grill and cook for 45 minutes turning often. Remove from grill and place in roasting pan. Rub herb paste all over pork and place in oven. Cook coved with foil for 2 hr. Remove from pan and place in paper grocery bag and seal end. Let stand in bag for 1 hr. then remove. Take two forks and shred off meat. (Serve just about any way)


For Mango Mojo:
Caramelize onions in a saute pan and place in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
For Sweet Potato Hash:

Blanch sweet potato and chill. In a medium saute pan on medium high heat and add onions. When caramelized add sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and saute till potato is brown.
Orange Marmalade Pork Tenderloin with Smoked Red Onion Confit
2 lb. Pork tenderloin, well trimmed

Brine:
1/4 Cup salt
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Qt water

Glaze:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 Cup orange marmalade
1 TBS fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Prepare pork tenderloin by trimming the silverskin and excess fat. Mix brine ingredients using water hot enough to dissolve the sugar and salt. Cool and place in a resealable plastic bag with the pork tenderloin.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat grill or prepare a good bed of coals. Remove tenderloin from brine and pat dry. Mix glaze ingredients. Coat tenderloins thoroughly with glaze and cook over high for 7 minutes.

Turn, baste again with glaze and cook for 7 minutes. (A thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat should read 155° to 160°)
Smoked Red Onion Confit:

This can be made a day or two in advance and kept covered and refrigerated.
2 LB red onions, peeled and quartered
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1/4 Cup red wine
1/4 Cup brown sugar

Prepare a bed of coals in the smoker. Soak a couple of handfuls of hickory or apple chips for at least 20 minutes. Set up the smoker. Put the onions on the grill and smoke for an hour. Use a grill basket or grill wok to make sure the onions don’t fall through the grate. Meanwhile, heat the wine vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and thoroughly dissolve. Set aside until onions are smoked. When onions are ready, put them in a food processor with the wine, vinegar and sugar mixture. Pulse until you have a marmalade texture.
These will keep for several days, covered and refrigerated.

Pit Stop Bratwurst
1 pkg. Bratwurst
1 onion sliced
1 bell pepper sliced
1 can your favorite beer
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. barbecue sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and cover. Chill for as long as possible. Cook on a hot grill with the sliced onions and bell peppers and remaining sauce in a sauce pan. Cook until bratwursts plump up. Serve on a bun or French style roll and top with your cooked onions and bell peppers. Add hot sauce if desired.

Recipes - Beef

Brisket Benedict

Submitted by Roy Slicker, Slick Que Co.

If you’ve ever traveled around The South, and even if you haven’t, there’s nothing like the traditional and smoky heartiness of a Sunday morning Brisket Benedict with some garlic, red bell pepper and onion fried red potatoes. If you don’t have the ability to slow smoke a brisket, and we only use Angus Choice Brisket for the flavor and moisture, head to your favorite BBQ joint and ask ‘em if they will sell you a pound.
4 English muffins, split and toasted
8 slices slow smoked beef brisket, cut in half and warmed
8 eggs poached (or fried if you like)
2 cups cheesy béchamel sauce (hollandaise)
hot sauce (optional)
Place English muffins on a plate and top with two pieces of beef brisket. Add one poached egg per muffin and pour over 1/4 cup of cheesy béchamel sauce. Add a few dashes of hot sauce if so desired.

Smoked Prime Rib (aka Lip-On Rib Eye)
1 lip-on Rib-Eye (9 to 12 pounds)
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried chopped garlic
1 tablespoon coarse or cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
Rub the roast all over with the balsamic vinegar and season with each of the seasonings to taste. Smoke at 230ºF to 250ºF for about four hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 140ºF for medium rare or longer if desired. Slice to order and enjoy.
Ultimate Tailgate Beef Kabobs
1 lb. stew cut steak
Steak sauce
Steak sauce
Hot sauce
1 can sliced pineapple
1 lg. onion
1 bell pepper
Steak cut French fries
Marinate the steak cubes in the steak sauce, hot sauce, and juice from the pineapples as long as possible. Place the steak and remaining ingredients on the skewers. Make sure the French fries are still pretty solid. They cook faster than regular potatoes. However, if they are too thawed, they will crumble and fall off the skewer. Brush with extra marinade while cooking over high heat.
Mustard Short Ribs
4 pounds of ribs
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves of crushed garlic
4 medium onions, sliced

Steak sauce
Hot sauce
1 can sliced pineapple
1 lg. onion
1 bell pepper
Steak cut French fries
Marinate the steak cubes in the steak sauce, hot sauce, and juice from the pineapples as long as possible. Place the steak and remaining ingredients on the skewers. Make sure the French fries are still pretty solid. They cook faster than regular potatoes. However, if they are too thawed, they will crumble and fall off the skewer. Brush with extra marinade while cooking over high heat.
Mustard Short Ribs
4 pounds of ribs
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves of crushed garlic
4 medium onions, sliced

Place buffalo ribs in shallow baking dish. Mix mustard, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic; pour over the ribs. Top with onions. Cover and refrigerate, turning ribs occasionally, for 4 to 24 hours.

Place ribs with marinade and onions in Dutch oven or any other oven proof baking dish, and cook at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Check for tenderness. Cook longer, if necessary, for 10-minute intervals until the ribs are tender.

Instead of the mustard marinade, you can also use your favorite BBQ sauce and spice it up with onions and garlic.
Ain't Momma's Meat Loaf
As with a hamburger, smoking can raise meat loaf from the mundane to the sublime. We like this version, but if you or your momma have a favorite recipe, it can be modified for barbecuing by making the meat mixture extra moist and by adding plenty of Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, or other sharp flavor to cut the richness of the smoke.

Meatloaf:
1 Tbsp. oil, preferably canola or corn
1/2 c. minced onion
1/2 green or red bell pepper, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/4 lbs. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground pork
1-1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/4 c. stock, preferably beef
1 tsp. Tabasco or other hot pepper
sauce to taste
Basic Beer Mop (optional):
12 oz. beer
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. oil, preferable canola or corn
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. savory season blend (your favorite rub)
Spicy tomato-based barbecue sauce

Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200 to 220ºF. In a heavy skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, pepper, salt and cumin, and sauté until the vegetables are softened. Spoon the vegetable mixture into a large bowl. Add the remaining meat loaf ingredients and mix well with your hands. Mound the meat into a smoke-proof loaf pan. If you plan to baste the meat, stir the mop ingredients together in a small sauce pan and warm the mixture over low heat. Transfer the loaf to the smoker. Cook for 45 minutes or until the meat has shrunk away from the sides of the pan. Gently ease the meat loaf out of the pan and place directly onto the grate of the smoker. Continue cooking the meat for an additional 1-1/2 hours, dabbing it every 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit, or as appropriate for your style of smoker. When 30 minutes of cooking time remain, apply the barbecue sauce to the top of the meat loaf. After removing the loaf from the smoker, allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serve warm or refrigerate for later use in sandwiches.
Bad weather? Use the same recipe, kick it up a notch with a little liquid smoke (not too much) and cook in the oven for about 1 hour. Not bad, and it gives you that outside taste inside!

Hot vs. Cold Smoking

Key Cooking and Smoking Temperatures


Cold Smoke: Smoking occurs at 70°F to 100°F, imparting flavor without firming proteins. Items may be cold smoked, then finished in the oven. 80 degrees is average in a smoke house. There will be slight dehydration but very little actual cooking.


Hot Smoke: Smoking occurs at 160°F to 225°F, imparting flavor and cooking the product. Temperature of smokehouse 160°F for all sausage (casings), 185°F for all solid meats. Final internal temperature of uncured hot smoked items Beef (suitable cuts) 130°F to 135°F for rare

Barbecue habits around the world

Posted by macmodi in Entertainment, Environment, Guests Posts


The word ‘barbecue’ is a synonym to any kind of outdoors social gathering where food is being cooked and served fresh. People around the world tend to think that it has been their country, nation, race, or ethnicity that invented barbecue. The truth, however, lies elsewhere as different people from different cultures have been cooking their meat with the high heat of a fire, usually lit outdoors, since thousands of years ago. Smoking, baking, braising, grilling using would, charcoal, natural gas or electricity, barbeques have always been popular in every corner of the planet.



Argentina ‘Gauchos’, the traditional inhabitants of the vast Argentinean plains (Pampa) have a long tradition in ‘asado’ (grilled meat), accompanied by a piece of bread so they don’t get burnt. Argentines claim they are blessed producing ‘world’s best meat’, which may be true given the size of the country in relation to its population, as well as the free lifestyle of their cattle. Using high quality meat is half the secret, though. What makes the real difference is how the meat has been cut, which putting it in simple words is ‘as thick as possible’ but it is much more complicated. The seasoning is always quite simple, as good quality meat doesn’t’ need any kind of special sauce, apart from a generous amount of salt.


Australia Barbecues a.k.a. ‘barbies’ are so popular, especially during the summer, that free or coin-operated gas or electric BBQs are available in many city parks. Apart from barbecuing meat, the use of prawns is increasingly popular. So, phrases such “I’ll slip an extra prawn on the barbie for you” are not uncommon…


Brazil In Southern Brazil, ‘Churrasco’ is very common as Brazilian ‘gauchos’ from Rio Grande do Sul, residing in the extensive region of natural pasture (Pampa), developed similar habits to those living in neighbouring Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. Living mainly outdoors, grilling the meat was the easier food to prepare given the circumstances, as there was plenty of cattle and wood in the surrounding environment. Again, salt is the only ingredient used in the BBQ preparation.


Greece In ancient Greece, religious festivals were consisting mainly of roast meat and wine, as only the rich could afford eating meat regularly. Today, unlike most Catholic dominant countries where Christmas is the most important annual event, the biggest and most celebrated religious Greek-orthodox festival takes place during the Easter, and it is on Easter Sunday and Monday, when the whole country is in flames. The custom of turning the spit (‘souvla’) by hand for four, or even more hours, over an outdoors fire, comes along with the arrival of spring and the rebirth of nature. Those days come after a 40-day fast, where no meat or fish is supposed to be consumed. Seasoning is a combination of sea salt, oregano, pepper, and lemon juice, which adds to the flavour.

 Mexico ‘Barbacoa’ traditionally consists of a one and a half meters deep hole, dug in the ground, where the meat, placed in a pot, is being grilled over maguey or banana leaves. It is believed that both, the word barbecue, which means ‘sacred fire pit’, as well as the cooking technique, come from the neighbouring Caribbean islands. Even though the method dates back to the pre-Columbian era, there are many common European-introduced ingredients used such as oregano, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, lemon juice.

South-eastern Asia In Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia it is called ‘Satay’ and consists of marinated diced pieces of meat, fish, or tofu, skewered on a bamboo stick. It can be served with various spicy seasonings, with turmeric and spicy peanut being the most common ones. Satay, is quite popular in the US and Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, who in the past, used to occupy Indonesia.

 USA Barbecues vary from place to place, not only in the way they are being prepared and served, but also in the type of meat used. For instance, in the southeast the preferred meat is pork, while in the southwest they mainly use beef and in the state of Kentucky they use sheep (mutton). There is a great variety of different ingredients for the sauce, based on vinegar, tomatoes, horseradish, mustard, mayonnaise or ketchup. The most common devices used to prepare a ‘cookout’ include barbecue grills and portable barbecues. The most well-known barbeques outside the country are the Texan ones, and many restaurants around the world claim to specialise on that. The biggest annual events are ‘The American Royal Barbecue Contest’ in Kansas City and the ‘The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest’ in Memphis. If you enjoyed reading this post, then please remember to post a comment, Subscribe to my RSS feed.