| Each year, at least 90% of American families go to at | | | | Pork, chicken and beef are all favorites. Who could |
| least one BBQ party or cookout. More than 40% of | | | | deny that the ground beef grilled hamburger is an icon |
| American families host their own cookout or party that | | | | of summertime in America? Unless you are |
| serves barbecued food. Millions of packages of potato | | | | knowledgeable about which cuts of meat are best for |
| chips, popcorn, and crackers with barbecue flavor are | | | | grilling, and how to prepare them for the grill, you may |
| sold every day. Barbecue has been around since the | | | | be better off shopping for packages that are marked |
| Colonial days, and its popularity has never slowed | | | | as "good for grilling" or something similar. |
| down. Wonder if the British Redcoats liked it too? How | | | | All grocery stores will also carry a variety of rubs, |
| did barbecuing become such a deeply rooted | | | | spices and sauces specially made for grilling. You can |
| American tradition? | | | | also check your cook books and search online recipes |
| One reason is that the preferred method of cooking | | | | for the spices, herbs and other ingredients to make |
| meats slowly at low heat in wood flavored smoke has | | | | your own concoctions. Part of the fun of grilling is |
| not really changed much over the years. We have | | | | experimenting on your own. |
| propane grills and charcoal grills now instead of brick or | | | | If you have not yet made a foil packet of hardwood |
| stone ovens but the principle is the same. It's a little | | | | chips to place on your propane grill burners or to tuck |
| more tricky to set up a cold side and hot side on a | | | | away in a corner in your charcoal grill you are missing |
| propane grill but it can be done. And some master | | | | out on a burst of flavor. There are products called |
| backyard chefs do it very well. | | | | liquid smoke that you apply to the meat like a sauce |
| Barbequing flavors cannot be duplicated by any other | | | | but they do not even come close to the real thing. |
| method of cooking. The smell and taste of grilled food | | | | Dried hardwood smoke is part of the tradition. Get with |
| is unique and seems to have a natural rythmn with | | | | it. |
| human tastes. | | | | |