| What could be more American (other than mom, the | | | | Barbecuing is usually a slow process that uses hot |
| flag, and apple pie) than an outdoor barbecue? Well, if | | | | smoke and/or indirect heat to cook the meat or |
| etymologists are right, the origin of the word and the | | | | vegetables. In the United States when people |
| means of cooking come from the word "barabicu" | | | | barbecue they usually disperse the coals to the side or |
| which is found in the languages of both the Timucua of | | | | have a significant amount of space between the coals |
| Florida as well as the Taino people from the | | | | and the grate. |
| Caribbean. | | | | Sometimes they use a smoker that has a separate |
| Translated the word means "sacred fire pit." It | | | | fire box. When this method is employed the meat is |
| essentially describes a grill that is used for cooking | | | | cooked very slowly as hot smoke is drawn past it by |
| meat. This grill consisted of a wooden platform that | | | | convection. This method is how most restaurants in |
| rested on sticks. | | | | the United States barbecue their meat. Sometimes, on |
| Although, interestingly enough, if you look into the | | | | the menu, you'll see it called "hot smoking". |
| history of the word, it also may be derived from the | | | | Here in the states, when we think of barbecue we |
| term "barbie" that is used chiefly in New Zealand And | | | | usually think of the South. In that region barbecuing |
| Australia, as well as "Braai", a term which originated in | | | | initially revolved around cooking pork. That's because |
| South Africa. | | | | during the 1800s, when food or meat supplies were |
| Both refer to methods and apparatuses used to cook | | | | low, semi wild pigs were a low maintenance source of |
| meat and other food with hot smoke and heat from a | | | | food. |
| fire, hot charcoal or coals, smoking wood, cooking gas, | | | | Back then pigs would be released into the woods and |
| or electricity. | | | | forests to forage for themselves. Then, when it was |
| No matter what the origin, the results are often | | | | coming time to eat, these semi-wild pigs could easily be |
| delicious because they usually involve a basting sauce, | | | | caught and eaten. Prior to the American Civil War |
| a spice rub or a marinade in the preparation of the | | | | Southerners ate approximately five pounds of pork for |
| succulent morsels that are soon to be cooked. | | | | every pound of beef that they ate. |
| In the southern part of the US the term barbecue only | | | | Feasts in the south were sometimes called "pig |
| refers to indirect means of cooking over hardwood | | | | pickin's" and what has become the Southern barbecue |
| smoke. There, direct methods are referred to as | | | | evolved out of these festive gatherings. |
| "grilling". | | | | |