BBQs make great summer social gatherings, where people invite their friends over and play some backyard games like volleyball, or even just a bit of party poker while the food cooks, then sit outside eating their hot-dogs and burgers in the sunshine. But did you know there is more to a BBQ than just making the meat go black? There are three main ways you can cook food on the BBQ, they are smoking, baking and braising.

Most commercial BBQs use gas to get the wood chips smoking. The type of coal or wood chips you use, gives a totally different taste and smell to your food. Smoking is considered a low and slow method, but the meat tastes more fragrant and is full of flavour. Meats like chicken or beef, soak up the aromatic fumes which enhance the flavour and helps keep the meat tender and moist. However, fish certainly works the best. If you sprinkle brown sugar over a large salmon fillet, wrap it in some tinfoil and smoke it, you will be left with a very moist fillet with a caramelized sweet topping.

You can even bake on a BBQ. The most commonly baked foods are jacket potatos. It is much quicker than the oven, plus, the potato skin has a char-grilled taste to it. Alternatively, why not try baking bananas for your dessert? Simply take a banana, make a shallow split and stuff it with chocolate chunks and nuts. Then wrap it in tinfoil and place on the BBQ. When you open the foil the chocolate would have melted, leaving you with a warm gooey banana covered in melted chocolate and nuts.

If you love casseroles, then you can even braise your meal on a BBQ. By placing your ingredients in a pot and letting it simmer for a few hours over the heat, your meat will come out moist and soft. ?

As we embark upon fall, one thing that is sure to reign supreme on grocery lists everywhere, is charcoal. With football weekends, seasonal parties and holidays in our midst, the grill is sure to get more action that Charlie Sheen himself.

Speaking of Mr. Party Pants, how about some BBQ on the rocks? Many successful marinades contain the same ingredients as your favorite cocktail. As if you needed a reason for seconds…

Today’s Special: Whiskey Grub Rub

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Compliments: chicken, pork or steak

Ingredients:

•    1/2 cup whiskey (any brand)
•    1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
•    1/4 cup olive oil
•    1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
•    1/4 cup soy sauce
•    1 tablespoon salt
•    1 tablespoon pepper

Directions:

Place brown sugar in bowl.
Add whiskey to brown sugar and mix.
Add olive oil to whiskey and brown sugar mixture.
Add remaining ingredients.
Place meat in air tight container.
Pour mixture onto meat.
Seal in air tight container.
Shake container.

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Recipe submitted by Lea Richards of PigOfTheMonth.com

Barbecue is not simply preparing meat over flame for the mere sake of consumption.  It means we must invite others to witness the event.  It means we must painstakingly go through our specific and particular steps to prepare, condition and cook the meal.  It also means that our crowd of witnesses are encouraging us and ensuring we never have an empty beer.

I tend to be a purist as to what truly defines BBQ.  To me it means preparing the meat with a dry rub, slow-cooking it in a smoker, and finishing it by basting with any variety of secret sauces.  It should take all day and it should not involve dunking the meat in boiling water.  But that’s me.  I won’t argue with someone who likes to “barbecue steaks.”  If this past Labor Day you invited friends and family over to “barbecue some hamburgers and hot dogs,” I would defend your decision and choice of words from the top of the Rocky Mountains.  After all, nobody less than my own beloved Father has been known to extol the virtues of marinating a top sirloin in BBQ sauce, grilling it to perfection then enjoying it with a side of, you guessed it, BBQ sauce.  Who am I to tell my Father that he’s got it all wrong?

So if you want to call it a BBQ you’ll get no argument from me as long as it is not done in isolation.  For if a man barbecues alone in the forest, is he really barbecuing?  And is he really a man?

To the BBQ snobs out there I say if it contributes to the collective joy of the Q then it is a good thing even if it’s sideways with your rigid idiosyncrasies.  After all, life is much more tolerable because of BBQ.  I believe God wants us to be happy, and BBQ is proof of that.  Imagine life without BBQ, or as I call it, Hell.

The most obvious consequence of a BBQ-less world is that the earth would be run by two warring factions, Cows and Pigs.  Humans would be the Manatees of that world.  Odd, cute creatures relegated to zoos and shallow waters where we would be given three meals a day of corn flakes or get run over by bovine fishing expeditions.  Sure the pigs would be sympathetic since we share some genetic material, but it wouldn’t be genuine.  We all know swine are incapable of true love.  I would rebel against the patronizing pig captors!  Let’s all throw our feces at them!!!

In a world sans-BBQ there would be a radical geographic and demographic realignment.  Kansas and Nebraska would be known for corn – only.  Texas would be a far less proud place.  The Carolinas would only come up in conversations about March Madness or Senior PGA tournaments.  Memphis would cease to exist.  With no Memphis there would be no Elvis.  With no Elvis there would be no 1960’s counter-weight to the British rock invasion.  The culinary hole left by BBQ would be filled with fish n’ chips and mushy peas.  I would rather be in my cage with a steady diet of corn flakes thank you very much.

And finally, without BBQ domestic beer would be un-drinkable.  I mean really, let’s be honest.  You know it, and I know it.  America’s worst contribution to the world was taking perfectly good beer and watering it down.  Just like real BBQ uses smoke, real beer uses hops.  If you don’t like craft beer because it’s bitter, then you don’t like beer period.  You should stick with malt beverages made for women but inexplicably marketed to men (I’m looking at you Mike’s Hard Lemonade.  You’re fooling nobody).

We all know that BBQ is good, and with my compelling and irrefutable logic I have just proven as much.  So let us soldier on, Brothers in BBQ, and carry the banner high.  Regardless of the region, the sauce ingredients or the method of preparation we should all “Eat more Q!”  As we enter this post-Labor Day period where The Man tells us to put away the grills and smokers I make a bold declaration:  MORE BARBECUE PLEASE!

Colorado Jim is a BBQ Judge and Enthusiast
He lives in Fort Collins with his beautiful wife and lovely children, where he has a job that would bore you to tears
You can visit his website at www.NocoBBQ.com

Colorado Jim is a guest blogger for BBQHub.com

It doesn’t stop with just grills….. they have outdoor furnishings and accessories to make your outdoor kitchen, grill area a place that will be envied by your friends and families.  There is no end to the bbq grill and outdoor accessories available at BBQGuys.com. Be sure to check them out………………..

The Orange County BBQ Bonanza is the largest four day BBQ Extravaganza featuring the WORLD’S BEST BBQ Ribs, Pulled Pork, Tri-tip, Sausages, Chicken and more. ?The competition is fierce and the flavors rich as National Award Winning Rib Cookers of America and local grillers produce the best that their secret recipes have to offer.

Visit the Orange County BBQ Bonanza website.

Other content includes BBQ champs’ picks for the best barbecue restaurants from coast to coast, and how to become a connoisseur of hot coals as Institute of Culinary Education chef instructor James Briscione shares his professional tips and timeless tricks for getting the perfect sear on your steaks. The tips will come in handy for preparing our brand new recipe for Sesame-Soy Flank Steak paired with charred scallions and garlicky sauce.

With a belly full of barbecue, you’ll then be whisked far away to discover what other countries rake over the coals. And to top of your flame-kissed fare, indulge in a smoky-sweet finale in the form of Grilled Peach Sundaes with Salted Caramel Sauce

Embracing its print heritage while reflecting who we are now, Gourmet Live is a reimagined digital food magazine for the 21st century. Combining spectacular graphics, world-renowned voices in food and culture, and the latest in technology and social media, Gourmet Live is a weekly feast for the mind and senses. The Gourmet Live app is available for free from the App Store for both the iPhone and iPad. Additionally, stories from the app can be sampled on the Gourmet Live blog: http://live.gourmet.com.

This article was submitted to us as from Gourmet Live

What kind of guest blog postings are we accepting?

• BBQ tips and techniques
• Barbecue recipes
• Photos and Videos
• Barbecue related stories
• Press releases and news
• Competition results

Basically, if it is barbecue related and you want to share it then we will post it for you.

Why would you want to post on BBQHub you ask?  Well between our three websites (BBQHub.com, BBQ-Festivals.com and GreatBBQRestaurants.com) we get more than one million hits a year.  When  you post here you not only have your article read by thousands of bbq fans, but we will also tweet your posting on Twitter.  We have over 900 followers on Twitter. And last but not least we will link your post from our Facebook page which currently has more than 450 fans.

In a nutshell you get lots of exposure for your article across three major channels and that means people will get to know you.

If after a while you decide you would like to have your own blog, we will help you set that up then export all your postings that  you have submitted to BBQHub to your own blog and then share your new blog address with all of our friends…….

So what are you waiting for? Send BBQHub an email at bbqhub@gmail.com and let’s get started….

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Couple basic rules: no nudity, no vulgarity (unless you have just burnt yourself then that is understandable) and no bashing. Other than that we are pretty free….. just keep it barbecue related.

The BIC Flex Multi-Purpose has a flexible wand, which is perfect for many outdoor uses including grilling, camping, tailgating, and outdoor candle and fireplace lighting.

“As soon as spring arrives, many Americans begin to plan outdoor activities with their family and friends,” said Sherri Gasparon, brand manager — Lighter Marketing, BIC Consumer Products USA. “BIC’s newest introduction, the BIC Flex Multi-Purpose lighter is a dependable high-quality lighter that is an essential element when lighting a grill, outdoor fireplace or campfire, or candles.”

The BIC Flex Multi-Purpose Lighter has a suggested retail price of $4.99.

BIC is a leading international distributor of stationery products, lighters and shavers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more than 50 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands in the world.  Visit BIC at www.bicworldusa.com.

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I like things that make life easier. This Bic flexible lighter is one of those things.  I am forever trying to light my grill or smoker with matches and other lighters but always have to get at odd angles and usually wind up with the flame going out.  I tried this little tool and it is great.  I know, I know…. you’re saying “…it’s just a lighter dude, c’mon”, but I am telling you it is a great thing to have.  I am attaching a couple photos to show size and flexibility.  I recommend getting on and you can order it online at www.bicworldusa.com

Tickets for Bulls, Barrels and BBQ also available at TJ’s Western Ware & Hub City West.

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