In 'Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America,' author Jim Auchmutey explains the origins of home grilling
Barbecue was too good a thing to remain the property of southerners, Texans, and people in a few other pockets of the country. During the suburban housing upsurge after World War II, a domesticated version of the old hickory pit spread across the land and became a familiar part of family life in America. It didn’t require digging a trench in the yard, only some basic building materials.
Yet here was a California-based magazine proudly claiming the word “barbecue” for the Left Coast and its bounty of foods. “Why is it that practically everybody in the West has a barbecue, is planning to have a barbecue, or wishes he had one?” the book begins, going on to suggest that everybody wanted to eat outside because of the agreeable climate, not some ancient tradition transplanted from the East.
The most familiar early cooker came from Weber-Stephen Products of Palatine, Illinois. George Stephen, a welder at the Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago, liked to cook out but wasn’t happy with the open brick pit at his home because he couldn’t control the heat or the smoke enough for his liking. The metal works made buoys for use on the Great Lakes. Stephen cut one of them in half, attached legs, and added a domed lid with vents to regulate heat and smoke.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
From Trash to Treasure: The History of Barbecued RibsFar from being a delicacy that traces its roots to the antebellum South, barbecue ribs are a 20th century innovation that came about due to industrial meatpacking and mechanical refrigeration.
Read more »
You should probably avoid this one dish at your Fourth of July barbecueIf you at least want the option of eating healthy, it helps to know some of the nutrition facts about the not-so-healthy popular barbecue foods.
Read more »
Barbecue Bops: 20 Hot Pop Songs For Your Fourth Of July PlaylistCheck out this playlist of 20 pop tracks to put on while you’re grillin’ and chillin’ over the holiday.
Read more »
Best BBQ Grills: World-Famous Chef Invents Groundbreaking New Brand3-Michelin Stars, the World's Best Rated Restaurant, and Now a New Line of Amazing Gas & Charcoal Grills from Chef Heston Blumenthal
Read more »