As I learn about festivals around the country I will post them.

International Bar-B-Q Festival: Owensboro, Kentucky

I thought this looked like a fun festival. Here is the link if you want to check it out. The spring is coming soon and you will want to pick your favorite destination.

technorati tags:festival, barbeque, beef, beer, pork, sauce

Can't you just picture the celebration back then?

Being from the South, (Texas that is) I have enough childhood memories to be able to draw a picture in my mind's eye of the type of celebration they describe here. I would have loved to taste these Barbeques!

History

The American South In the Southern United States, barbecue initially revolved around the cooking of pork. During the 19th century, pigs were a low-maintenance food source that could be released to forage for themselves in forests and woodlands. When food or meat supplies were low, these semi-wild pigs could then be caught and eaten.[4] According to estimates, prior to the American Civil War Southerners ate around five pounds of pork for every one pound of beef they consumed.[5] Because of the poverty of the southern United States at this time, every part of the pig was eaten immediately or saved for later (including the ears, feet and other organs). Because of the effort to capture and cook these wild hogs, "pig slaughtering became a time for celebration, and the neighborhood would be invited to share in the largesse. These feasts are sometimes called "pig-pickin's." The traditional Southern barbecue grew out of these gatherings."[6] In the rural south, slaves were given the less desirable parts of the pig, (such as the ribs and shoulders) which they would cook by either smoking or pit barbecue.

Barbecue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

technorati tags:barbeque, south, sauce, pigs, pork, beef, ribs

From A Sacred Fire Pit to Bar, Beer and Cues !

I found this at Wikipedia and am fascinated by the image and the history. "Bar, Beer and Cues" would be my kind of place!

Barbecue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The origin of both the barbecue cooking activity and term are somewhat obscure. The word itself varies in spelling; variations include barbeque, BBQ, and Bar-B-Q. Most etymologists believe that the word barbeque ultimately derives from the language of the Taíno people of the Caribbean"barabicu", which translates as "sacred fire pit".[1] In one form, barabicoa or barbicoa indicates a wooden grill or a mesh of sticks; in another, barabicu, it is a sacred fire pit. Traditional barbicoa implies digging a hole in the ground putting some meat (goat is the best, usually the whole animal) on it with a pot underneath (to catch the concentrated juices, it makes a hearty broth), cover all with maguey leaves then cover with coal and set on fire. A few hours later it is ready. There is ample evidence that the word and technique migrated out of the Caribbean and into and through other cultures and languages (with the word itself moving from Caribean dialects into Spanish, then French, then English in the Americas). This would mean that the word "slowly evolved from barbacoa to barbecue and barbeque and bar-b-que and bar-b-q and bbq."[2] In the Southern United States, the word "barbecue" is used predominantly as a noun which specifically refers to roast pork (which is then chopped, pulled, or sliced, depending on region, and served with a tomato, vinegar or mustard-based sauce). A folk etymology states that the term BBQ resulted from when roadhouses and beer joints with pool tables advertised "Bar, Beer, and Cues." According to the tale, this phrase was shortened over time to BBCue, then BBQ.[3]

Barbecue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

technorati tags:barbeque, origin, sauce, beef, beer, pork, grill

Today I want to talk about rubs

I'm from Texas (5th generation I might add) and so I'm partial to a great tomato (where's Dan Quail when you need him?) based sauce. But, rubs have their place and I found these that I think are worth taking a look at. I found them at TexasBarbeques.com and I'm going to give them a try! Now, I know, cooking fish is not barbequeing, it is grilling. But, I thought you might want the recipe as long as eveyone knows there is a difference between barbequeing and grilling. Big difference! Now that we got that straight, have a look.

Dry Rub Recipes for a Great Start Barbeque Start

There has always been a debate among barbeque pros whether a Dry Rub is really necessary or not. Without a doubt, I would have to say..."I don't know". It seems to be great for some meats and marginal for others. One thing is for sure, however. A dry rub does not "hurt" anything.
I tend to use them myself. You can taste the difference in the meat and if, at the end, it needs more flavor, more seasoning can be added. Needing more seasoning is rare because barbeque that is cooked right can usually stand on its own. I would even go as far to say it never needs much seasoning if done right. But unless you're a bbq pro, go ahead and use a dry rub. It may foolproof your meat.

Here are some basic dry rub recipes that I have found to work best on certain cuts of meat. Give them a try and adjust them to your taste if you like to experiment.

One trick that really brings out the flavor of the seasonings is to put all the dry ingredients from a recipe into a coffee grinder and "pulse" it a few times.
This dry rub recipe seems to work best on either a beef brisket or a beef roast.
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coarse ground pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup dried garlic
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Mix all ingredients together and store in the fridge. It makes enough for 2 or 3 "well rubbed" briskets.

I like this dry rub on pork ribs, either spareribs or baby-back ribs. This will do a couple of racks of baby-back ribs.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Paprika
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients. Apply to meat and regrigerate for at least an hour before cooking. Save any unused portion in a zip-lock back in the refrigerator.

This recipe works well with pulled pork barbeque(bbq pork butt).
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons course ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Same as others. Mix together well. This one makes rub for just one butt, but you can double it if you need more.

Use this one on one whole chicken, or double for 2.
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons course ground pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
Rub on chicken directly or coat in a plastic storage bag. Make sure chicken is dry before putting on the rub. Put on low heat on your grill for about one hour until golden brown.

Here's an interesting one for grilled fish, Cajun Style. Rub onto catfish or any "firmer" fish.
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
Mix well and cover catfish filets or whole fish with this rub. Cook quickly over high heat to get that delicious "blackened" effect.

All of these dry rub recipes are very flexible and adjustable. And the types of meats to use each one for are just general guidlines. Most rubs will work well for just about any meat. Experiment with them and enjoy your barbeque!

American Eats Barbeque

A very informative show that has lots of cool facts about barbeque, the origins of it and the different regional tastes.

technorati tags:barbeque, History, Channel, American, Eats

Barbeque has gone mainstream

I was watching the History Channel today and the program America Eats was on. The entire hour was about Barbeque and how it has evolved to become quite the cultural phenominon and is "hot" now.

Who'd have thunk it? Well, anyway it had some great information about barbeque contests, organizations, the difference between grilling and barbequeing, grills, sauces and much, much more. I thought it was very cool and it gave me some ideas about attending a barbeque contest close to me. It also has me fired up to create my own sauce. Yeah, BABY!

Anyway, here is the link to it.

http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=179885&action=detail

Here are two of the recipes found in the previous post - Now we're talking

If you want to try your hand at making your own barbecue sauce, the following are from Diana Rattray's "Your Guide to Southern U.S.-Cuisine," and were found online at about.com.These recipes have not been tested by the TimesDaily.

MEMPHIS-STYLE-BARBECUE SAUCEThis is a flavorful sauce, on the sweet side. Add the lower amounts of sugar and molasses if you like your sauce a little less sweet. You can always add more while you're simmering the sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter¼ cup finely chopped onion

1½ cups ketchup¼ cup chili sauce

3 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon liquid hickory smoke flavoring

½ teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black-pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

Dash cayenne pepper or to taste

Preparation:In a saucepan, slowly sauté the chopped onion in butter until soft and just beginning to turn yellow. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.Delicious on chopped pork sandwiches or use with chicken.

HONEY BARBECUE SAUCEA flavorful barbecue sauce for grilled chicken pieces.

Ingredients:

¼ cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup vegetable oil

Preparation:Combine all ingredients and let stand for 1 hour before using. Baste broiled or grilled chicken. Makes about 1 cup.

BBQ sauce | TimesDaily.com | Times Daily | Florence, AL

technorati tags:Memphis, Style, Barbeque, Sauce, recipes, chicken, cuisine, southern, guide

Proof that sauce doesn't have to come out of a jar

There's plenty to go around - Times Daily (subscription)

Here are a couple of great recipes for sauce! What I love about this article is that it shows what can happen when you throw out the bottled sauces and create what tastes right to you. The road to Grill Miesterdom is paved with your own sauce.

There's plenty to go around Times Daily (subscription), AL - Dec 13, 2006 When a co-worker and I went looking for items for a recent taste--testing, neither one of us could believe how many national brands of barbecue sauces that ...

technorati tags:Barbeque, sauce, Grill, Miester, recipe, sauces, rubs

Home Barbque Sauce

I'm going to be barbequeing ribs this weekend and will be making my own sauce. Anyone that has a recipe they want to share please let me know. I will be putting mine up and will let you know how it tastes. (Of course, no true Grill Miester tells all his secrets, but I'll do my best :)