Cookin' with Hoss ; Some Traditions Are Too Tasty to Change

Summary

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Barbecue, or Bar-B-Que, or BBQ. It doesn't matter which version you see, the phrase conjures up different images for each of us. There are probably as many interpretations of barbecue as there are counties in the United States.

My first recollection of this American ritual was as a youngster at my grandparents' home. Grandpa Koetting would be situated in the backyard, generally with a beer nearby, puffing away on a cigar and dutifully tending to the evening's entree on the "pit." The "pit," as it was called, was an early '60s vintage grill that was circular, and the grate rotated on a central axle that was set in a hub, sort of like a wheel on its side. The deluxe version had a handle that would allow you to adjust the height of the grill over the coals and also had a sort of hood that covered half of the grill. This hood not only functioned to keep some of the smoke in but also as the mounting points for an electric rotisserie, which, as I recall, was more trouble than it was worth, but that's another story. Anyway, there were coals covering half of the bottom of the "pit," and the other half was cooler, thus necessitating constant attention and periodic rotation of the grate so the meat could cook slowly and at a moderate temperature. This also required several cold beverages to keep the cook hydrated, much as is the case today.

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Extract

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Cookin' with Hoss ; Some Traditions Are Too Tasty to Change

This was how it was done in the "olden days," before the advent of the stainless steel, multi-thousand BTU, complete with ...

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