Tour du monde du BBQ #1 - In 2020, Kokko transforms itself into a globetrotter and offers you a "tour du monde du BBQ" to discover the history of grilling, smoking and roasting through different gastronomies. Our first stop is the United States. Put on your gloves, heat up the charcoal and set up the grills: off you go!
1- The origin of the word barbecue
We're starting our world tour of the art of barbecuing in the USA, and as you'll have gathered, it's not by chance. Although the Anglo-American word "barbecue" only entered the French language in the 1950s, the term had already existed for centuries across the Atlantic. To explain the etymology of the word, linguists agree that "barbecue" comes from the Arawak word "barbacoa ". It appears in written documents dating back to the early 16th century, meaning "a device for roasting meat in the open air". The word became "barbecu" or "borbecu" in English, and also appeared in 1697 in "A New Voyage round the World", a work by navigator and explorer William Dampier. In his account, it is used to describe a wooden frame used as a bed frame, in other words, a device for smoking or roasting meat over a fire.
Today, the word "barbecue" is still used to describe the appliance used to cook food, the cooking method and also the type of meal or festive, convivial outdoor event organized around it in the summer months.
2 - The rise of the barbecue
In addition to the origins of the word, the origins of the barbecue tradition are more commonly attributed to the Caribbean Indians, who used this method of slow cooking meats over an open fire to optimise their preservation. The Spanish conquistadors brought this cooking method back to America.
Barbecuing, as we know it today, didn't become popular until the 1950s in the USA, particularly in the south of the country. At that time, American manufacturers designed and created barbecues with movable grills, powered either by gas or charcoal. Since then, "barbak" aficionados can be found all over the world, and it's fair to say that in the USA, the BBQ is a veritable institution.
3 - Barbecue culture in the United States
The art of barbecuing in the USA isn't just about grilling hamburger steaks - quite the contrary. In American gastronomy, barbecuing is used to prepare recipes based on meats, mainly beef and pork, which are marinated for a long time before being cooked slowly at low temperatures. The aim is to smoke the meats and cook them over several hours to melt the collagen, making them tender and juicy. The ideal cooking temperature is around 100°.
Barbecuing in the U.S. is an art in itself, requiring many hours of work to control temperature and cooking time, refill coals, ensure proper air circulation... It has even become a competitive sport in which "pitmasters" compete for the title of barbecue master. A reality TV show on the subject has even been created, which just goes to show how dear barbecue is to American hearts!
4 - Iconic American barbecue recipes
While each region has its own speciality, one thing is certain: Americans don't skimp on preparation. Good meat needs to be marinated for varying lengths of time before being cooked and smoked slowly.
In Tennessee, the queen is thetapered pork shoulder, rubbed with spices and garlic and served with a sweet tomato sauce and coleslaw. It's served either as a main course or as a sandwich.
Enjoy our recipes for :
In Kansas, ribs and the famous smoked beef brisket are honored with a spicy tomato sauce, sweetened and tangy with vinegar.
Discover our interpretations of American-style ribs:
Grilled pork chops with whisky and barbecue sauce
In the Carolinas, pork is also slow cooked in huge braziers. It's accompanied by a different sauce depending on the region: tomato and sweet in the north, mustard in the south and peppery in the northeast.
In Texas, beef or pork ribs and brisket are smoked over oak wood. Slow-smoked meat should fall off the bone when cooked thoroughly. Here's our recipe for Kokko-smoked pork belly.
To vary the pleasures, we offer several hamburger variations:
You're ready to embark on a real American-style barbecue, but you still have a few doubts: hot or cold smoking? Shavings or sawdust? Discover our guide to successful Kokko smoking!
