Every spring, North Americans gear up their grill, stock up on the meat and prepare for many mouth-watering barbecues. But how much do we really know about the art of barbecuing? From the familiar pastimes origins to surprising tips and tactics, this list will provide you with all the information you need to wow your friends at the next neighbourhood barbecue!
1) Whole pigs were cooked and eaten by the crowds in the southern states at feasts before the Civil War.
2) Smoking was used as far as 6000 years ago in order to make meats safe to eat and store.
3) In Australia, a barbecue is commonly referred to as a barbie. The famous statement Ill slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you, which appeared in Australian tourism advertisements, is often used to refer to the country.
4) Today, the method most commonly used is in fact broiling not actual barbecuing: cooking at 475-700*F in much less time than barbecuing.
5) According to the Barbecue Industry Association, half of all marshmallows eaten in the U.S. have been toasted over a grill.
6) For an simple way to check how much propane you have left in the tank, bring your bathroom scale outside and weigh it.
7) The origin of the word barbecue is unclear. Some believe it came from the American-Indian word barbacoa for a wood on which foods were cooked. Others say it came from the french words de barbe queue, meaning whiskers to tail.
To add a smokey flavour to your gas-grill-cooked foods or foods cooked inside the house, use liquid smoke. A condensation of actual smoke, this product can be easily added to your barbecue marinade or sauce.
9) Briskets can take a long time to barbeque! This extremely hard cut of meat taken from a cows chest, takes one to two hours per pound to barbecue. Thats an average 12 hours on the grill for a basic 8-pound cut!
10) Several cities claim to be the barbecue capitals of the world. Kansas City, Missouri, Lexington, and North Carolina are just a few that make these claims.
Now youre set to impress! Want more cooking tips. Competition barbeque secrets revealed here!
