Popular Styles of BBQ Sauce in the United States

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Pitmaster

Types of BBQ SauceBarbeque is a time-honored tradition in the United States that dates back to the advent of the Colonies themselves. First made popular in the Carolinas, BBQ has since expanded to fit the diverse cultures and ethnic groups that populate these great United States.

Here is a little tour of the most popular and famous regional BBQ sauces found in America today:

Kansas City BBQ Sauce
When you think about traditional BBQ sauce, Kansas City style is the first thing that comes to mind. This is the typical reddish-brown tomato-based sauce that we are used to seeing in supermarkets and on hot summer days at our friend’s afternoon BBQs. This type of BBQ sauce is more a garnish than a marinade. It is thick, sweet and flavorful, and makes a great addition to a smoked chicken or pulled pork sandwich. Because of its thickness it doesn’t penetrate the meat during grilling, so it is more traditionally used as a dipping or finishing sauce as the meat is cooking and once it has been grilled.

Texas BBQ Sauce
Texas BBQ sauce is heavily influenced by our neighbors to the south, and because of this the Texas style includes more traditional Mexican ingredients like onions, fresh chiles and chile powder, and peppers. Texas BBQ has inspired a few different styles from the more Southern BBQ style of the major urban centers to the “cowboy style” — mesquite-smoked BBQ of the countryside.

Always independent, the Lone Star State added its own spin by enhancing the sauce with actual meat drippings to add extra richness and smoke flavor. Be careful though! If you get bottled Texas sauce the meat drippings aren’t included, so for the real authentic stuff grab your cowboy boots, your 10-gallon hat and plan a road trip!

Carolina BBQ Sauce
Carolina barbecue is usually pork served a number of different ways: pulled, shredded and occasionally sliced. It is often dry rubbed before going on the grill and mopped with a sharp vinegar-based sauce as it’s cooking. This type of sauce combines a tangy vinegar taste with a hint of sweet balanced by savory. It goes great with chicken as well as pork.
The Carolina style is usually split up into 3 distinct categories: Northwestern, Northeastern, and Southern.

California
California BBQ originated from Native American techniques of digging BBQ pits, and it has expanded to fit the eclectic and diverse tastes that make California unique. By far, California is best known for their Santa Maria style of BBQ, which uses more direct heat when compared to other styles of BBQ. Santa Maria barbeque is all about simplicity, and very light sauces are used. Typically they contain garlic, herbs, pepper and some sort of acid, such as vinegar or citrus juice.

We hope this article has been helpful, and we encourage you to explore a variety of sauces in the future. Or, even better, offer guests a BBQ sauce bar where they can choose from a plethora of sauces to see what they like best.

 

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The Rich History of Hawaiian Barbeque

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Pitmaster

Hawaiian Beach Photo
Hawaii is a land of diverse and deep history of which food is a major component. In fact much of the history of Hawaii can be traced through the introduction of new foods and new cultures into the Islands. And when you think about the traditional food of the islands, Hawaiian BBQ is the first and most delicious thing that comes to mind!

Polynesian Sea Farers were some of the first people to populate the islands in the early 300s BC. They found an abundance of seafood and shellfish but it became important for them to supplement that diet with a more stable and practical food. So in response to the need for that stability they introduced the sweet potato, the yam, and the taro plant, which is the major ingredient in the traditional Hawaiian dish Poi. Until the 1700s the culture brought by these early explorers reigned supreme and central to that was the noble art of BBQ.

Traditionally Hawaiian feasts, called aha‘aina, took place during ritualistic and religious activity and were meant to mark special occasions. The meat prepared was generally pig or dog, and the animal was roasted in an authentic earth oven. This oven, or imu, utilized superheated rocks and steam to slowly and evenly cook large quantities of meat that would feed the tribe for days.

Hawaiian Cuisine took a drastic change with the introduction of European foods brought by explorers and colonists who made their way to the islands in the late 1700s. Domesticated animals like cattle, and more traditionally European fruits and vegetables like pumpkin, squash, and melon found a home in the island culture. Interestingly enough, pineapple, a food often associated with Hawaiian culture was not part of traditional Hawaiian cuisine. It was introduced in 1813 by a Spanish botanist named Don Francisco de Paula Marin. It was made popular during American colonization of Hawaii, along with the advent of sugarcane. These are the two crops that Hawaii would become the most well know for, and would also spark the next addition to the diverse Hawaiian cuisine we are familiar with today.

The plantations sparked a need for cheap labor, which inspired a large and diverse immigrant population to flock to Hawaii. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, and Portuguese immigrants all brought the flavors of their native dishes to contribute to the flowering Hawaiian culture.

In today’s world, Hawaiian BBQ reigns supreme as an amalgamation of authentic cultures from around the world. And what could be better than a slab of roast pork cooked to perfection in the traditional imu with a fresh bowl of poke, a side of poi and a cold Mai Tai to wash it all down.

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Grilling a Juicy Steak: Fat & Heat Are Your Friends

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Pitmaster

Grilling a Ribeye Steak
The last thing you want to do is invite friends over for a barbeque only to serve them the driest, toughest steak known to man. Family will be more forgiving, but friends not so much.

To cook the most delicious and juiciest steak, there are two things you need: fat and heat.

First and foremost, not all fat is created equal. The small specks of white fat running within the meat that resemble small cracks in a window are referred to as marbling, whereas the tough outer skin of a tenderloin and other cuts is called silver skin. The goal is select a steak with good marbling, which will end up dissolving when heat is applied. Typically speaking, the better the cut of meat, the more marbling it has (e.g. Kobe beef).

Secondly, a critical part of grilling the best steak is having enough heat. The goal is to cook steaks over very hot coals to melt marbleized fat and provide a much juicier final product. The best steakhouses in the world use broilers with temperatures in excess of 1800ºF, and to achieve similar results on a grill you need the right fuel for the job.

To create the highest pit temperature for cooking steaks, hardwood lump charcoal combined with wood (apple, hickory, etc.) is your best bet. Hardwood lump charcoal burns very hot, especially the larger pieces, and the addition of wood improves flavor and raises pit temperature. Plus, who doesn’t like a flame-kissed steak?

The next time you’re preparing to cook steaks on the grill, remember this article and share you’re experience with us on Twitter! @FrontierBBQ

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3 Exciting Things to Make on Your Grill or Smoker

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Pitmaster

When you think of barbeque, the first thing that probably comes to mind is meat; good old meat. But sometimes it’s fun to step outside of the box and make something out of the ordinary.

In particular, if you really want to wow guests, give the following a try:
1) Homemade Smoked Paprika
Adventurous cooks should start by growing their own peppers (either hot or sweet), let them reach maturity, then smoke the peppers at a very low temperature for around 3 hours. All moisture should be removed from the chiles, and they should be brittle. Finally, grind the peppers into a fine powder, run through a sieve, and store in a jar. Imagine the flavor of a BBQ rub with homemade smoked paprika.

2) Grill-Dried Tomatoes
Those of you with green thumbs should consider making your own grill-dried tomatoes. Take vine-ripened tomatoes, cut them in pieces (size is dependent on size of tomatoes), remove the seeds/pulp, then lay pieces on cookie sheet. Use a small amount of hardwood lump charcoal to bring your grill’s temperature up to 150 degrees, and open all flutes to promote airflow. After a few hours the tomatoes should be somewhat dry and leathery, and can be used fresh or packed in jars with olive oil.

3) Smoked Sea Salt
It may sound crazy, but smoked salt is very easy to make and it adds big flavor to finished dishes. Be sure to start with coarse kosher salt, or you can splurge for fleur de sel, and spread it in a thin layer over a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Smoke at a very low temperature until it’s to your liking (usually around 30 minutes). The flavor and intensity of the salt is determined by the type of wood being used (e.g. apple) as well as the duration of smoke.

In the near future we’ll be writing an article on each of these preparations, so stay tuned. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter for updates: @FrontierBBQ

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Asian Styles of BBQ: Filipino, Japanese & Korean

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Pitmaster

When most people in the United States think of barbeque, American-style preparations come to mind, however BBQ is truly a worldwide phenomenon.

It’s time to broaden your horizons! We want you to see what contributions are being made by other cultures around the world. This first installment of Barbecue Worldwide is going to take a look at the some grilling methods and menu highlights being offered far across the Pacific.

Filipino BBQ
Visit the Philippines and you’ll get to experience a thriving street barbecue culture occupying the sidewalks. In the city of Koronadal, visitors can take the B-Walk or “Barbecue Walk”, a length of street home to 25 different barbecue stands which highlight different meats and cooking methods.

A popular barbecued pork item is Pulutan. Enjoyed as an appetizer, chunks of pork butt are marinated, skewered and then grilled to provide people with a quick and delicious hot bite on the go.

Also considered central to any large event is Lechon. An entire hog is prepared and then skewered on a rod, slow roasted for hours over a bed of hot coals and basted with a sauce made from ketchup, pineapple juice and 7up.

Japanese BBQ
The Japanese enjoy barbecue as an integral part of most outdoor activities. If invited to a barbecue in Japan, you’ll find more fish and vegetables on the grill than beef or pork. But don’t fret, there’s more than enough meat to go around!

A common barbecued food is Yakitori, a chicken shish kebab grilled over charcoal and either salted or glazed with Tare (A sweet, thickened soy sauce.) Or maybe try some Yakiniku, small chunks of thinly sliced beef and veggies cooked on an iron mesh griddle over a bed of hot charcoal.

Of course, if you’re a fan of Teriyaki, the famous Japanese sauce isn’t in short supply. Chicken, steak and ribs are frequently glazed in the delicious sauce and set to cook over the fire.

Korean BBQ
The word for Korean barbecue is Gogigui, which translates into “meat roasting.” Gogigui is a very communal affair involving the grilling of meats, pork and chicken on a charcoal or gas grill positioned in the center of a large table.

The popularity of Korean barbecue extends well beyond the borders of the East. Most malls and dining centers in the United States will usually have some type of Korean barbecue restaurant or vendor. Most people who have eaten Korean barbecue have enjoyed Bulgogi, marinated beef sirloin or tenderloin, thinly sliced and then grilled.

Beef short ribs and chicken are also popular elements of Gogigui, served with Banchan (side dishes) served alongside. The combination of vegetables and meats makes for a delicious and varied barbecue experience.

In another installment of Barbecue Worldwide, we’ll continue our exploration of worldwide barbecue. It’s a big world out there so make sure you save room for seconds!

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3 of the Biggest Barbecue Competitions in the U.S.

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Pitmaster

As barbecue has evolved as a distinct culinary art over time, there are those who swear their methods of preparation, execution and delivery outshine anyone else with a grill, pit or smokehouse. Who reigns supreme?

Naturally this has given rise to a network of regional contests and festival-style competitions where attendance numbers can dwarf some of today’s biggest entertainment acts. We profiled three of the top barbecue festivals taking place today in the United States where grills burn hot, rich wood smoke scents the air and mouths water.

The American Royal Barbecue Contest (ARBC)
Held in October in Kansas City Missouri, “The World Series of Barbecue” attracts an average of over 70,000 hungry attendees over the course of 4 days.

The event is composed of two separate competitions, one by “invite-only” and the other open to the public. To qualify for an exclusive invite to competition 1, a team must have proved their mettle in other competitions throughout the year for a shot at the prestigious ARBC title.

Competition 2 is open to any barbecue team prepared to compete against hundreds of other aspiring grill masters. This secondary competition is one of the largest of it’s kind in the world attracting hundreds of teams every year.

The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WCBCC)
Is pork the name of your barbecue game? Every May, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest goes down in Memphis, Tennessee. Verified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest pork barbecue contest, it’s where you go to get your pork appetite worked up.

Nicknamed “The Superbowl of Swine”, the three-day event is a massive barbecue spectacle where thousands turn out to flaunt their barbecue skill to see who creates the tastiest pork, beef and poultry. Event attendees can take tours of the competition areas to get an inside look at the pros, their techniques and of course each team’s customized grills and smokers.

If American Idol had a pork-themed counterpart, it could be found at the WCBCC’s “Ms. Piggie” contest. The bravest of men slip on dresses and porky snouts in a barbecue-themed song and dance competition in front of a crowd of thousands. Watch out Simon Cowell!

Naperville Exchange Fund Ribfest
Going on strong for 25 years, this 3-day happening could best be described as the Lollapalooza of barbecue events. Under a hot July sun, competitor and festivalgoer alike munch on ribs, pulled pork, beef, poultry and other tasty treats.

Ribfest is a true American summer experience in which attendees can view a wide variety of pros and aspiring barbecue champions. Ribfest is known for being a family-friendly event.

Besides the quality atmosphere and great food, Ribfest owes some popularity to its musical guests. Bands like Styx, ZZ Top and The Steve Miller Band provide a truly American soundtrack for the afternoon on two huge stages.

The popularity of cookouts and barbecues ensures, in most states, you won’t have a hard time finding a local or regional event near you. If anything, just hop in your car, roll down the window and follow the smell of hickory smoke!

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BBQ Experience: Twitter Follower Chimes In

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Pitmaster

Ever since the Frontier BBQ blog launched, we’ve been receiving a variety of excellent feedback ranging from ideas for articles to questions about cooking on a BBQ. We love it!

Recently, one of our followers on Twitter reached out to us regarding his love for BBQ, including the social element, and shared one of his memorable BBQ moments. Please find Daniel’s experience below.

Daniel P. stated:
There’s no denying barbecue has a strong social element to it. Close your eyes and imagine the smells and taste sensations mingling with good laughs, the swapping of jokes and stories. I’ve seen rigidly antisocial people drop their guard and unwind in the face of the positive vibes centered around a grill loaded up with good eats.

Barbecue is one of the great equalizers in life. I should know, I’ve seen it firsthand.

I used to work an admin job where the work environment resembled a world-at-war from the way the different departments interacted. Taking note of how bad things were getting, the higher ups organized a “team-building” event at a local park on a Saturday. Groans could be heard when the event invite made the rounds over email. Attendance was “strongly encouraged.”

The last thing I wanted to do was spend my weekend with people I worked hard to avoid during the week. But reading into the invite, it turned out this event would be…a barbecue.

Could charcoal and pulled pork melt the icy relations between customer support and human resources? Would operations feel comfortable sharing condiments with the warehouse staff? How many people would “miss” the event and risk a “chat” with the boss on Monday?

Saturday arrived and with my special lady in tow, we approached the park. As we got closer walking across the field of green grass, I saw smiles and heard, of all things, laughter? No, impossible.

A healthy plume of smoke rose from a grill manned by our company’s CEO, who was tending to ribs, sausages, burger patties, ears of corn, bell peppers and more. Individuals normally at odds were suddenly friends. Conversation flowed with ease. No one really seemed uncomfortable or standoffish. I marveled at the easygoing vibe prevailing over what I had assumed would be a social disaster.

Barbecue had come through! For 4 hours, the cookout worked social magic upon all of us. We weren’t co-workers; we were just a group of 60 individuals having a good time, united by a common love for barbecued food.

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Barbeque Woods in a Nutshell

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Pitmaster

Your first instinct may be to reach for a bag of ready-light charcoal when prepping for your next barbecue. Instead, why not be brave and try something a little different? I’m talking about lighting up some unique woods in your grill to give your favorite cuts of meat, poultry and fish a unique and distinct taste.

To follow is a starter list for you barbecue enthusiasts looking to kick your meals up a notch. While you’ll want to experiment and see what works best for you, these woods will give your food a new twist sure to get people coming back for seconds and thirds:

Hickory: One of the most common smoking woods, hickory has a strong smoky taste. It’s typically used for cooking ribs and red meats as well as lamb and pork.

Oak: Another popular smoking wood. Like Hickory, oak will impart a strong smoky flavor.

Mesquite: The wood most commonly associated with barbecue. Mesquite is a strong wood, but has a sweet, down-home taste.

Pecan: Known for burning cooler than other wood types, which makes it a good choice for larger cuts of meat like pork roasts and briskets. Pecan imparts the smoky goodness of hickory but adds a slight fruity flavor.

Alder: If your meal plan has plenty of fish on your grill menu, you’ll want to choose Alder. This is a delicate smoking wood with a slightly sweet taste perfect for grilling the delicate meat of fish and poultry.

Maple: Maple is known for it’s light sweet taste which imparts amazing taste upon ham and poultry. Correctly applied, maple wood will ensure there are no leftovers once your cookout concludes.

There’s a whole range of barbecue wood types out there, and we suggest seeing what you like best. You can try the above-mentioned woods as well as apple, apricot, almond, grape vines, lilac, and other exotic wood varieties.

It’s all a matter of experimentation to see what works best for your barbecue palate. Good luck and good burning!

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Frontier Charcoal: Buy 1, Get 1 Free at BJ’s Wholesale Club

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Pitmaster

For a very limited time, when customers buy one 34 lb. bag of Frontier 100% Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal from BJ’s Wholesale Club locations in Florida, they will qualify for an additional bag of charcoal free of charge.

To receive your rebate FOR A FREE BAG ($20.00 VALUE):
a) Print and complete this form

b) Purchase TWO 34# bags of Frontier 100% Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal at BJ’s Wholesale Club by February 29, 2012

c) Attach to this form
1) UPC bar code from both packages
2) Cash register receipt from BJ’s wholesale club, with two bags of
Frontier 100% Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal and price circled

d) Mail, postmarked by March 31 2012, to:
Frontier Lump Charcoal & BJ’s BOGO Rebate
Packaging Service Company
1904 Mykawa Rd.
Pearland, TX 7758

The rebate form can be found HERE.

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The Appetite-Inducing History of BBQ

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Pitmaster

Barbecue. The word brings to mind delicious foods cooking in a flurry of heat and smoke as friends and family gather for their share of the feast. As the weather takes a turn for the bright and sunny, neighborhoods are awash in the smell of charcoal and mouthwatering marinades.

You know and love BBQ, but have you ever wondered how this time-honored cooking method originated? Barbecue has a rich cultural history with roots in simple human survival leading up to its modern day incarnation.

Popular opinion credits the indigenous people of the Caribbean with the development of the “barbecue” cooking method. The word we know as “barbecue” was derived from “barabicu” meaning “sacred fire pit” in the language of the Caribbean Taino people.

As Spanish explorers pushed off from Europe and began to arrive in the new world, they came upon Caribbean natives who built small, smoky fires there were used to cook meat suspended on racks. The process helped preserve meat, especially when slowly smoked/dehydrated, not to mention giving it a delicious smoky flavor.

American BBQ as we know it began in the Southeastern portion of the United States during the pre-Civil War colonial era. For many lower income people, pork was their main meat source, supplied by the reserves of feral pigs descended from stock introduced to the Americas by the Spanish.

These were times when everything was eaten from snout to tail, and pork was no exception. Cooks began using barbecues to slow roast tough, undesirable cuts of pork, like pork shoulders, to break down connective tissue and produce some of the tastiest food on the planet.

While labor intensive, barbecue proved to be exceptional for transforming inexpensive food sources like pork into a delicious meal. Cooking methods began to adapt to the demand with large pits and smokehouses supplanting more traditional, small-scale setups.

As the United States grew, so did barbecue’s popularity. BBQ became a regular fixture at events ranging from church picnics to political rally events. Journalist Jonathan Daniels stated: “Barbecue is the dish which binds together the taste of both the people of the big house and the poorest occupants of the back end of the broken-down barn.”

Today, of the top 100 barbecue establishments, 70 may be found in the Southern “Barbecue Belt” which includes Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi. Within these states, barbecue has generated a vibrant subculture with a bewildering range of regional cooking variations and intense competition for prestigious titles (and lucrative prizes) at BBQ events.

From its humble beginnings as a matter of simple survival to a worldwide culinary sensation, the appeal of barbecue is remarkable. We’re looking forward to seeing how barbecue evolves in the future.

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