Barbecue and grilling are very popular cooking methods. People in just about every country in the world love to grill their food, and the USA is no exception — after all, it’s the home of the Texas-style BBQ ribs and juicy grilled burgers, to name just a few of the most delicious grilled items!
Even the White House has made barbequing and grilling something of an annual tradition. Discover about more sizzling facts about barbecue and grilling here:
Checking Propane
If you’re an avid griller, one of the most important things to check up on is the propane. This is what powers most grills, but a low level could be quite dangerous.
So how are you to know exactly how much propane is left inside your tank? Luckily, there are a lot of apparatus and accessories that will help you monitor the amount of propane without needing to lift the tank.
An even better idea is to have a spare tank ready for extra fuel! This way, you wouldn’t have to face embarrassment in front of any guests or your own family.
A Presidential Tradition
Barbeques are usually seen as a fun excuse to mingle with friends, catch up with your social circle, or just have an informal dinner. However, a bar queue party is also a Presidential tradition in the United States at least.
Barbecuing has been an annual White House tradition since Thomas Jefferson. Johnson, the 36th US President and a true-blue Texan, loved his home state’s barbecue so much that it finally made its way into the White House for the first time during his administration.
The first White House barbecue party that features ‘Texas-style’ ribs was thrown by Lyndon B. Johnson, while Jimmy Carter also hosted one for no less than 500 guests. These guests included senior Capitol Hill staff members as well as visiting foreign dignitaries! They were also entertained by a honky-tonk band while roasting three pigs.
Ronald and Nancy Reagan also served BBQ at the White House. However, being a true Californian, President Reagan hired a professional caterer whose specialty was Santa Maria-style BBQ. This was the then-president’s favorite.
The Cost of Charcoal
A natural lump of charcoal is more costly than the more common charcoal briquettes, but it’s also known for producing more heat while burning. You can also re-use a natural lump that’s been only partially burned. As a result, you have to use less of it, which evens out the cost in the long term.
What’s more, natural charcoal also lights up faster and leaves behind less ash for you to clean up afterward. It’s hence no wonder that grilling lovers and purists consistently favor natural charcoal over briquettes.
It lights and heats faster as well as leaves less ash compared to briquettes. No wonder, grilling lovers and purists put their favor more on natural charcoal over briquettes.
Grilling Accessories
According to surveys and statistical research, about 50% of all grill owners in America own at least the basic accessories. These include a cleaning brush, tongs, mitts, etc. In general, Americans love barbecue and grilling and want to have more grilling accessories as much as possible.
The more specialized accessories include a pizza stone, fish or broiling basket, cooking planks (such as cedar), a motorized rotisserie, and grill works. Those who would like their BBQs to be a bit fancier might want to invest in yet more tools such as steak branders.
Americans love barbecue and grilling, and want to have more grilling accessories as much as they can. These accessories include a pizza stone, fish or broiling basket, cooking planks (such as cedar), motorized rotisserie, and grill woks. Some who would like their BBQ’s to be a bit more fancy desire for some more unnecessary tools like steak branders.
The Popular Flavors
Where there’s a barbeque, there’s barbeque sauce. This condiment comes in all sorts of flavors and enhances the taste of grilled meat. The most popular flavor is believed to be hickory, which gives that smoky, tangy side to the barbeque meal. Following this are mesquite, honey, and spicy-hot options.
Another layer of flavor comes from the wood one uses in barbequing the food. These could be hickory, oak, maple, apple, mesquite, alder, peach, pecan, cherry, and several others. Everyone has their own preferences, with some people being able to properly distinguish between the flavors.
Popular Foods
You can grill all sorts of foods on your barbeque, but some are more popular than others. The most popular choice across the United States are burgers, followed by steaks, hot dogs, and chicken, in that order.
Other popular grilled foods also include fish, shrimp, and corn on the cob. If you or anyone else is a vegetarian, grilled vegetables might be a good option as well. With a wide selection of bbq gas smoker available for various methods of cooking, it might be difficult for novices to figure out which one is best for them, buy one which suits your need.
Grilling Holidays
Holding an outdoor barbeque is one of the favorite American pasties, especially during the holidays. When you a day off in the middle of the week or have a long weekend, there’s nothing better than to get some friends and family together, pop some burgers on the grill, and crack open some cold drinks.
The Fourth of July is the most popular holiday for grilling. This is closely followed by Memorial Day and Labor Day. Barbecue is so popular on the Fourth of July that it is even also officially called “National Barbecue Day.” Other popular American holidays for grilling include Father’s Day and Mother’s Day.
Stories About the Briquette
The charcoal briquette is usually what people use for quick and easy barbequing. There’s a myth that the first briquette was actually the invention of Henry Ford back in 1920, with the assistance of Thomas Edison.
However, it was actually Pennsylvania native Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer who created the design of the charcoal briquettes and patented it in 1897.
Common Side Dishes
Simply grilling meat might be an acceptable exercise for some families, but most people require some side dishes in order to have some sort of variety. The most popular side dishes for a barbeque, at least in certain areas, are vegetables like corn and potatoes. Other popular side dishes for the barbecue and grill are sweet potatoes, baked beans, and cornbread.
Convenience of Barbequing
Hauling out the barbeque and grilling burgers for everyone used to be quite a difficult task, but it’s getting much easier with time. Advancements in technology have now made it possible for one to cook easily outdoors, especially with the popularity of fire pits and outdoor heaters.
Add this to the invention of several grilling accessories such as long-handled tongs, smokers, and grilling racks, and it’s no wonder barbequing remains a favorite activity for many. Nowadays, with these improved and advanced grilling accessories, people can entertain their guests at any season, even outside in the cold winter night.
Conclusion
Grilling is also a popular activity in Australia, where many folks even grill their Christmas dinners on the ‘barbie’! Since this tradition is so widespread all over the world, it’s worth reading up on it and trying out new things regarding this cooking method. The best part is that grilling is also a healthy way to cook food, as long as you don’t add too much grease.