Barbecue Near Me

In America and abroad, barbecue is both a cooking method and an apparatus. Almost all barbecuing is done in a method known as low and slow. This means meat is cooked slowly over indirect heat, with the food garnishing flavor by the smoking process. Grilling is related process that is generally done quickly over high direct heat. These methods help make possible a smorgasbord of delicious barbecue dishes that are common in every region of the United States. No wonder barbecue is one of the most popular dishes!

Are you interested in finding barbecue near you? Simply browse barbecue near me on the map below and find a list of barbecue joints located in a close proximity to your current location. Need a bit more information on barbecue? Read on for interesting facts, trivia, and history on this popular cuisine.

Barbecue Near Me – Find it on the Map

Barbecue Near Me – Barbecue Trivia

True or false: Barbecue varies regionally in the United States.

This fact is absolutely true! If you’re searching barbecue near me in the United States, then you’ve likely started to realize that the word “barbecue” is not a catch all term for one particular style of barbecue. While all barbecued food is prepared in a similar fashion, barbecue geography can be tricky. Barbecue styles do not conform to the lines present on a map. For example, in the Carolinas, Georgia, and most parts of the Southeastern region of the states, barbecue means pork. Either whole hogs or pork shoulders that are typically prepared over oak wood or hickory. The meat is then chopped, sliced, and pulled, where it is then served on buns. Sauces are typically included, with the variety of sauce varying widely from state to state. In South Carolina, they use mustard as a base for their sauce. Parts of North Carolina and Kentucky use a thin sauce that is similar to the taste of Worcestershire sauce. Throughout the southeast, you’ll find that the most popular sauce is a thin vinegar based sauce that is sweetened with sugar and spiced up with red pepper flakes. The most popular sauce in the US is a thick, sweet, tomato based sauce. While this is popular in parts of the Southeast, it is more prominent in the midwestern states. In areas such as Texas, barbecue means beef brisket or other types of beef which is typically prepared in deep pits. The barbecue here is typically seasoned with a healthy portion of cumin and chili powder. In the Midwest, barbecue includes both beef and pork. The sauces in the Midwest tend to be thick, sweet, and ketchup based.

barbecue near me

A barbecue salt lick pit in Texas.

True or false: Barbecue has always traditionally been prepared by women.

False! If there’s one stereotype that has held true for centuries, it’s that men are typically drawn to barbecuing the food. Sociologists believe that men are more attracted to barbecue because it is cooked outdoors and in public rather than in a closed kitchen. Traditionally, this made it more acceptable for the man to cook the meal rather than the woman of the house. Also, the root of barbecue is a primitive technique that often involved chopping wood, taming a fire, and butchering large cuts of meat to grill. These tasks have always been viewed as more masculine activities, thus the technique is typically passed down from father to son. Though any woman can barbecue just as well as any man, it’s a strange fact that men are drawn to this form of cooking and likely always will be. As you search barbecue near me, consider who has always done the barbecuing in your family? Was it Mom or Dad? Husband or wife? It’s an interesting sociological concept to ponder as you get ready for your next big barbecue meal.

Barbecue Near Me – Barbecue Facts

Origins of the Word

Though America has become the barbecue capital of the world, it hardly invented this method and style of cooking. You may be surprised to learn as you search barbecue near me that the word “barbecue” is actually derived from the Spanish word, “barbacoa.” While it is known that the Spanish are credited with first using the word,, where the word itself came from is still a hotly debated theory. Many historians believe that the etymology of the word itself lies in the word “barabicu” a word that was originally used by the Taino people of the Caribbean along with the Timucua people of Florida. The word literally meant “a framework of sticks upon posts.” While this is the leading theory, some historians also argue that the etymology of the word can be traced back to the French, who are credited with the word “barbe a queue” which translates to “beard to tail.” This refers to the way a whole animal would often be skewered and then placed above a rotisserie for preparation. While the word has had many meanings and takes, most are weary to give credit to the French, often dismissing the theory as folk lore. So where does the word come from? No one knows for sure, but based on history, many civilizations and countries have enjoyed barbecue food for centuries.

A Historic Barbecue

Americans may love to spend their patriotic holidays hosting or attending a barbecue, but what many likely don’t realize is that the founding fathers attended barbecues as well. In fact, history states that George Washington once wrote of attending a “barbicue” in 1769. This proves that the barbecue in America likely dates back to the Colonial era, with even the first president himself attending countless barbecues. In 1769, Washington wrote of attending a great “barbicue” in Alexandria, Virginia. Don’t let the spelling throw you off, according to many historians, Washington was a notoriously bad speller known for prominent errors in his writings. While on the topic of barbecue, maybe George Washington was chopping down that cherry tree to make for some truly great barbecue. Of course, that’s a myth, but in order to make good barbecue, experts say you can’t just chop down any old tree and count on using the word for smoke. Food purists agree, hard words such as hickory, mesquite, oak and pecan make for the best pork and beef because they impart a very strong smoky flavor. Fruit trees such as apple, cherry, and ear are known to leave behind a much sweeter and mild taste, making them better for smoking meats such as fish and poultry. As you search barbecue near me, consider the history behind the American barbecue and how the methods have evolved over time.

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