BBQ, Barbecue, Barbeque, Bar-b-que… no matter how you spell it, means just one thing… cooking meat slowly, over low heat produced by hardwood or charcoal.

Grilling is cooking whatever, quickly, directly over high heat produced by some sort of flame or outdoor cooking device.

The reason this needs explaining is because the term Barbecue deserves respect as the original cuisine. It has been misused and misunderstood, and continues to be butchered in marketing and in the media. This leads masses of backyard-hot-dog-over-gas-grill-jockeys to think they are barbecuing when they are actually grilling.

Both methods of cooking deserve respect… the only purpose of this explanation is to let folks know that grilling is NOT barbecuing no matter what you hear or believe.

When you're cooking steaks, veggies, hot dogs, etc. over high heat you are grilling, and the apparatus you are cooking on is called a grill.

When you’re cooking brisket, ribs, pork shoulder, whole hog, etc. over low heat (directly or indirectly), you are barbecuing and the apparatus you are cooking on is called a smoker or a pit.

To give you the most basic piece of BBQ history: Barbecue was born because the American poor (starting with the slaves) only had the toughest, non-desirable pieces of meat to eat. It was discovered that cooking these pieces of meat slowly, over low heat for a long period of time, flavoring the meat with the smoke of hardwood, produced some of the most mouth-watering morsels of food to ever hit taste buds. Barbecue was born.

This topic has caused heated debates in the most intense circles of BBQ and grilling fanatics, so I’m not going to get too in depth here… you can battle it out yourself. I ask just one thing… show some respect to BBQ and American History… Know the difference!

~ BBQ 4 Life ~

Keep Smokin',

JF
Pitmaster
$TR8 SMOKIN - Est. 2004
Member CBBQA