We’ve come a long way since the earliest barbecues. According to barbecue connoisseur amazingribs.com, cave dwellers living about 200,000 years ago in the Carmel area of Israel would barbecue meats such as cattle, deer, and boar by tossing them into a wood inferno. Their cooking implements are thought to have been made of wood and will likely never be found.
These days modern technology has made barbecuing a lot faster, easier and, well you could say, more hygienic. With our Slimfold TG160 twin grill, for example, cooking heat is achieved in less than five minutes and the high pressure burners are unaffected by the wind. The grill is also internal self-cleaning by reflected heat, and excess fat is collected in a disposable ring-pull can.
With all of the amazing technology available, it’s time to move beyond barbecuing like we’re in the Stone Age. No more poking, prodding and scrutinising the meat to determine whether it’s done. The future is temperature-monitoring technology such as built-in bluetooth-enabled digital thermometers, pellet smokers that can be remotely controlled from a smartphone app and WiFi-enabled digital electric smokers.
Then there are all of the complementary high-tech gadgets. Cleaning robots such as the Grillbot make light work of cleaning ever the greasiest grill. Or there are coolers such as the Cooper Cooler Rapid Beverage Chiller that can chill a can of beer in one minute or a bottle of wine in six. There are even high-tech lighters, such as the Looftlighter handheld wand, that ignite charcoal, briquettes and wood in 60 seconds using super-heated air; no more working your way though the best part of a box of matches.
As great as these technological advances are, there’s still something wonderfully primal about gathering around a barbecue. There’s the mouth-watering smell of food as it sizzles away on the grill, that lovely feeling of heat from the fire, and, of course, the happiness that comes with connecting socially and being in a community.
That’s why, all over the world, people love barbequing and have their own special grilling traditions. For example China has exported authentic Cantonese barbecue shops, with their hanging offerings of roast and barbecue pork, suckling pig and roasted ducks, to just about every major city in the world.
Across the ocean in the Unites States, barbecue food is cooked low and slow and there are four main styles: the Carolinas favours pulled pork and pig pickin’, Memphis favours pork ribs and chopped pork sandwiches, Kansas City favours mixed meats served with thick molasses sauces and French fries, and Texas favours beefy, brisket and smokiness.
And of course, not to forget about barbecuing in the UK where, for the most part, we have moved away from preparing tough overdone meat, undercooking the veg and sourcing the cheapest burgers and sausages. Instead, cuts of quality meat, poultry and fish are rubbed with ground spices or fresh herbs, and marinades are used to liven up the taste of the food, tenderise it and keep it moist as it cooks.
While the UK is casting aside some of its more dubious barbecue traditions, Cinders Barbecues have a very strong heritage to be proud of. Not only are Cinders machines of a high quality, they also offer simple versatility and rugged no-nonsense construction.
So, with technology and tradition combined, what are you waiting for? Let’s get barbecuing!
What’s one of your most treasured barbecue memories? Let us know by tweeting us @cindersbbq
Image Courtesy of BBC