FOOD
Know your BBQ styles
The word "barbecue" is thought to have derived from the Taino and Carib peoples of the Caribbean and South America who slowly roasted meats over a bed of coals called a barbricot, which the Spanish pronounced barbacoa. In his book "Savage Barbecue," author Andrew Warnes theorizes that Europeans who encountered this way of cooking mixed the word "barbacoa" with "barbarian," and the word "barbecue" was born. It's not always easy to say what barbecue is, but purists will say what it is not: It is not grilling meat over an open flame. Barbecue is a slow method of cooking -- low heat, lots of time, lots of patience. Sauce may play a part, but might not be part of the cooking process. Here's a look at some of the regional differences.
Kansas City barbecue: The sauce tends to be tomato-based with molasses or brown sugar. It doesn't soak in; it sits on top. Meat may be beef, pork or poultry.
South Carolina barbecue: This is pork (shredded or pulled), and the sauce might be yellow, because it's mustard-based. Coleslaw is part of the picture.
Memphis barbecue: Relies on spiced rubs; sauce may be an afterthought.
 Should we take offense, order a drink, or what? That depends, of course, on where you think these words turned up. |
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