What To Know As A BBQ Newbie?
New to barbecue? Are you over your vegan diet? Dive into the world of BBQ!
If you don’t know it yet, BBQ has its own subculture — from what determines the different types of barbecue to the different cuts of meat — people are serious about their BBQ!
At Broken Bones BBQ, we make Colorado Springs BBQ infamous — we craft our BBQ from high-quality meats and select hardwoods to achieve the fall-off-the-bone, mouth-watering meals! If you don’t know where to begin or want to up your BBQ game, today’s post is for you!
Is it Barbecue or Barbeque?
Not that the spelling of BBQ has anything to do with the quality of a BBQ joint, but it may drive you crazy when you’re on the hunt for the best BBQ and search barbecue and barbeque, only to find different results.
So, why two variations of BBQ?
Barbecue is a more typical spelling, but barbeque is also seen, and honestly, both are used and we all know what BBQ is regardless of the spelling.
A Little More on The Origin of BBQ…
Barbecue seems to have cropped up in the era of Christopher Columbus and he adopted it from the Spanish. The Spanish used the term barbacoa and the cooking method was born from cooking meats on indirect heat (over a wood fire) for long periods of time.
As expeditions brought people to what we know as the United States, barbecue here rooted early in places such as Mississippi and Virginia.
There has been much more in the evolution of BBQ in the US, but we’ll cover that more in-depth in a future post!
What’s in a Sauce?
A barbecue sauce is the foundation of what makes drooling good BBQ, yet there is always a battle and great debate of who and what makes the best BBQ sauce.
There are secret recipes passed on for generations and it’s been rumored that families actually insure their secret sauces! People are serious and seriously secretive about their sauce!
BBQ sauce begins with key ingredients such as tomato, vinegar, and mustard, and expand from there with different regional flares and styles.
The Mother BBQ Sauces
- Vinegar – Vinegar is one of the most widely used and chosen bases for a BBQ sauce. Pitmasters typically use white or cider vinegar and infuse them with a blend of peppers to help cut through the fat and smoke of BBQ.
- Vinegar and tomato – Then there are vinegar and tomato based BBQ sauces that are a foundation of American BBQ. This type of sauce teeters on the combination of being sweet and spicy.
- Sugar and tomato – This type of heavy tomato-based sauces really coats the meat and produces a flavorful BBQ. The sugar lends itself to what is known as the Maillard Reaction in food science that creates the caramelized, brown crust you devour!
- Mustard – BBQ sauce is sometimes composed of mustard and vinegar, with a mix of seasonings. Mustard creates a nice, flavorful tang, with an edgier flavor than its tomato-based counterpart.
The Nation of BBQ
While we know the best BBQ comes from Colorado Springs, people have been debating where the best BBQ stems from for almost as long as BBQ has been around. Better yet, there are two different cities who claim to be the BBQ Capital of America!
Memphis, Tennessee and Kansas City, Missouri are the self-appointed BBQ capitals and both are extremely competitive and braggadocious, fighting for the right to keep the title!
What’s in a Name?
While there are four different types of pork ribs, baby-back ribs got their name because they are shorter than spare ribs — not because they’re procured from baby animals, how monstrous!
A National BBQ Day Does Exist!
If you’ve fallen for BBQ you’re in luck, National BBQ Day is July 13. Not only can you swing into Broken Bones, but if you’re really a fan, you can travel to BBQ festivals and contests that are held around the nation! One fun fact, the longest BBQ was cooked for 80 hours!
BBQ and Politics Do Mix
While most things don’t mix with politics, BBQ is a presidential tradition. Former President Lyndon B. Johnson held the first White House BBQ that featured none other than Texas-style ribs, while Former President Jimmy Carter was known for his annual “Pig Pickins!’”
Former President Barack Obama was also a huge fan of BBQ and was hailed as the first person ever to skip the hours-long line at Autin’s Franklin Barbecue!
With a nickname of “Old Hickory, “ President Andrew Jackson was known for being as tough as hickory wood, and wood host hickory-fired BBQs in celebration.
The BBQ culture is thick as it is strong and you’ll likely encounter a group of fun-loving people who will argue to their grave about the best BBQ around, and in the process, you’ll get to try all of it!
We can’t wait for you to stop into the best BBQ in Colorado Springs — try us for lunch or dinner today!
