Barbecue is an umbrella term for several culinary methods that involve live fire or smoke to cook meat. It can involve direct or indirect heat techniques, with the exact method depending on the dish, the cook, and the cultural norm.
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
How many ways are there to cook meat over a fire? Tons, it turns out. Every continent, barring Antarctica, has a local version (or versions) of barbecue. For instance, in Japan, it’s meat-laden skewers cooked over Japanese oak charcoal. Head down to Argentina, and you’ll find parillas—open-flame grills that impart a smoky char to the ingredients.
Braai—a colloquialism for the Afrikaner word for “grilled meat”—is a South African tradition similar to American cookouts, where communities gather to cook meat over a wood fire.
Korean food, and specifically Korean barbecue, jumped across the Pacific to become one of the fastest-growing international cuisines in the United States. In Korean restaurants, dishes like bulgogi (thin slices of marinated beef) are grilled at the table and accompanied by a wide variety of side dishes.
Direct heat, called “grilling” in the USA, involves quickly cooking ingredients directly over the heat source. It's usually used for hamburgers or Japanese yakitori skewers. Indirect heat, where the ingredients are placed adjacent to the flames to cook “low and slow,” is associated with American barbecue dishes like smoked brisket.
Using ignited wooden pellets and fans to evenly distribute the heat across the cooking surface, pellet grills give food deep flavor and grant cooks more control, offering a newfangled take on barbecue.
Barbecue's distinct flavor starts with an interaction between the heat source and food, which creates a Maillard Reaction—better known to diners as those crunchy, caramelized bits on the outside.
You’ve heard of Memphis-style barbecue, and may know the difference between Central and East Texas styles. But what about North Chicago barbecue versus South Chicago barbecue? Or Kentucky’s preference for mutton? This lively video takes on every American barbecue style they could find, from Virginia to Hawai’i, in 15 minutes.
America's regional barbecue styles include multiple highly specific sauces. From the tart, acidic vinegar-based sauces of North Carolina, to the thick, sweet-spicy Kansas City variation, American barbecue sauces are as varied as the country’s geography.
The cuisine's signature dish is dry-rubbed ribs. Before smoking, the meat gets a spice rub with paprika and chili powder. Some restaurants also offer their ribs “wet” (with sauce) or “muddy” (a mixture of sauce and rub).
Beef brisket, served with white bread and pickles, and sausage—a holdover from German immigration in the 1800s—are two of the most popular dishes. The southern end of the state brings together Mexican barbacoa and fajitas.
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