Barbecue Ingredients: Ketchup

Ketchup. Yes, ketchup is probably one of the most common ingredients on the barbecue circuit. You wouldn't know it from looking around the competition tents, but it is. It forms the basis of many home made and even many store bought barbeque sauces.

Nowadays, most Americans think of ketchup as a tomato based product, but that wasn't always the case. Hundreds of years ago, the Chinese and Malaysians used the brine from pickled fish as dipping sauces. Known as kachiap, the sauce had a savory taste, flavored by the brine spices and fish. Europe in the 1600s, cooks began experimenting with different ingredients—besides anchovies, mushrooms, walnuts, oysters, and even lemons appeared in various ketchup recipes over the next couple of centuries. Throughout the ages, the only ingredient that remained constant was salt.

In the New World, tomatoes were known to be used in ketchup as early as the 1780s, though the first published recipe for tomato ketchup—created by James Mease, a physician and horticulturist from Philadelphia—dates only from 1812.

It wasn't until the late 1800's when a Pennsylvania food producer took tomatoes, added vinegar, sugar, onion and some secret spices and bottled it did tomato ketchup take hold. Now, pretty much all ketchup in America is made the same way. Sure, the seasonings vary from brand brand, but to Americans, ketchup is a thick tomato based sauce.

Now when it comes to barbecue sauce and ketchup, well some would say that's a marriage made in heaven. Do a Google search for "ketchup and barbecue sauce" and you'll get 1,770,000 hits. Thanks to our friends at Kraft Foods, a thick tomato based sauce, aka Kansas City style, has become the definition of barbecue sauce in the US. Even in Texas, when they do use sauce, ketchup is often the first ingredient.

So, the next time you reach for a bottle of barbeque sauce, remember, you're just putting doctored up ketchup on your ribs! Enjoy.

Photo of ketchup courtesy http://www.instructables.com 

The McRib is Back!

For the first time in 16 years, the McRib is back and available at EVERY McDonald's in the nation! Starting tomorrow, November 2nd, the McRib is back! Enjoy.

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Royal Barbecue

One can't call barbecue plebeian any longer. Barbecue has arrived! It's now good enough to line the pockets of the British Royal Family. According to The Mirror.....

The Queen is holding a £30-a-head BBQ to raise funds for Balmoral. But bangers and burgers won't be on the menu next Saturday as posh diners will be eating venison shot on the Scottish estate.

It costs the Queen, who yesterday agreed to cut Royal Household spending, more than £1million-a-year to maintain the 50,000acre estate. It is increasingly being forced to pay its way and already holds tours and safaris.

The sold-out event, held in Pipers Hall, will include a ceilidh. Balmoral's Gary Marsden said: "Venison is a good healthy meat so we're glad to see it's getting some recognition."

Wood: The Soul of Barbecue

"My granddaddy would say, 'I can put enough sauce on a napkin till somebody'll eat it,'"

Samuel Jones, pit master at the Skylight Inn,

"Barbecue isn't the sauce. It's the meat, the wood-smoked meat."

I couldn't agree more. This is the true heart and soul of barbeque. You can read more about it in Wood: The Soul of Barbecue By Jim Shahin and published by The Washington Post

CAPITOL Q from Joe York on Vimeo.

BBQ Events: May is National Barbecue Month

According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), May is National Barbeque Month. And, National Barbecue Month Ignites Americans' Thrill To Grill! Nice idea actually.

“After an especially brutal winter nationwide, people are ready to cook outside and enjoy the outdoors,” said Leslie Wheeler, HPBA’s Director of Communications. “While we are seeing an increase in grilling year round, it still remains the quintessential summer pastime. The warmer months bring people together around the grill for outdoor entertainment and delicious food with the benefits of ease and affordability.”

While grilling is a shared pastime, HPBA’s 2010 National Barbecue Month poll reveals that flavor preferences and grilling styles vary as widely as the people who use them. The nationwide poll shows America’s grilling profile and consumer taste preferences:
Dress up or Strip Down?

When it comes to enjoying a meal from the grill, 65 percent of Americans like to “dress it up” with a sauce, marinade or seasoning, and 21 percent prefer to “strip it down” and enjoy grilled food au natural.

• Some like it hot! Men more than women say they like to turn up the heat with spicy sauce or steak sauce on their grilled meats (42 percent vs. 31 percent).
• When it comes to grill-side manner, most adults report that they are “all about the meat” (29 percent) or “all natural” (24 percent), followed by “spicy or saucy” (19 percent), adventurous (16 percent) and timid (6 percent).

Top Toppings

For hamburgers and other grilled meat or vegetable sandwiches:

• In the battle of the bottles, consumers report they use ketchup most often (66 percent of respondents), with mustard (62 percent of respondents) close behind.
• Two-thirds of Americans say, “add cheese, please!”
• Overall, 74 percent of Americans add lettuce, onion and/or tomato. Women lean towards the veggies more than men (80 percent of respondents vs. 68 percent).
• Seventy percent of adults say they are all about the buns, and prefer a traditional bun to complete their grilled sandwiches.

No matter the preference for mustard or ketchup, bun or none, Americans agree that grilling provides an easy, cost-effective way to get out of the house and enjoy better tasting food during the warmer months. Specifically, Americans say the top pay-offs of grilling versus eating out or oven cooked meals include:

• More flavorful food (81 percent of respondents)
• Inexpensive compared to eating out (76 percent of respondents)
• Easier clean up (67 percent of respondents)
• Healthier (64 percent of respondents)
• Less cooking time (53 percent of respondents)

“Now with more accessories and products for grilling on the go, people are taking the benefits of outdoor cooking beyond the backyard and making any event into a special meal,” adds Wheeler.

The new poll reports that most adults plan to enjoy barbecuing outside of the home this summer:

• 74 percent plan to enjoy grilled food at a friend of relative’s house,
• 42 percent while picnicking
• 39 percent while camping
• 20 percent while tailgating.

Grillin' On The Bay 2010

Some pictures from NY BBQ Lover's Meetup Group founder Kevin Lincoln of Grillin' On The Bay 2010. I really love these pictures. You get a real feel for what the day was like while not focusing on the food.

Clint Cantwell from Smoke in da Eye

Brother Mark BBQ

An unknown cook working his meat

The Two Fat Pollacks returned to the circuit at Grillin' On The Bay. Hey, where's the meat?

Doug Kieles from Ribs Within gets grilled by the media. Get it? Grilled? I'm such a card.

More pictures, including pictures of food, comments and links to come.

Grilin' On The Bay - An Update

Grillin' On The Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is currently taking up all my free time. Not that I mind. It's less than a month away and as of today we have commitments from 22 teams. We max out at 30 and I think we're going to hit that mark. That would be fantastic.

The teams are a nice mix of competitive barbecue veterans, newbies and some of New York's top restaurants. It seems that even the non-bbq centric chefs want the chance to play with live fire in Brooklyn. If you're thinking about competing - GET YOUR APPLICATION IN NOW. Don't get shut out. You can download the team application here.

With that many teams signed on, we're still looking for judges. Certified BBQ judges get preference, but if you're a foodie with a good palate and feel that you could judge the food as presented without any pre-existing notions, we'd love to hear from you. Download the judge's application and drop it in the mail. We'll let you know if you've been selected to judge this amazing event.

And of course, we still have room for Chili cooks. The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is a huge part of this event and attracts cooks from all over. Unlike the barbecue portion of the event, the chili does not need to be cooked on-site. Make it at home and schlep it to Sheepshead Bay. We'll have volunteers a plenty to help you heat it up and present it at the contest. You can download the chili cook's application here. Remember, The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is a "people's choice" contest, so bring your friends to vote for your amazing chili!

Yelp! has just signed on as a sponsor and RUB BBQ will be vending their award winning barbecue at the event. We're still seeking out sponsors and working on building the prize pool. If you're interesting in sponsoring the event, drop us a note at Grilin' On The Bay and we'll talk.

The Meat Show

WhiteTrash BBQ takes on the media once again. Take a listen to my interview withKyle and Emily O'Brien over at the Meat Show while they talk with George Williams, Kansas City Fiorella's BBQ Expert, and Iron Works BBQ Catering Manager and little ol' me.

Listen in Live at The Meat Show

The Show starts at 6:30 Eastern, but can be downloaded starting tomorrow - 3/31.

Want To Judge?

You've seen those happy folks on the Food Network stuffing their faces allegedly judging food at all the barbecue contests. You've wondered, how do I get in on the free chow? Well, if you're in the NYC tri-state area, here's your chance...

The BBQ Brethren and the Sayville Chamber of Commerce announces..

2009 KCBS BBQ Judging Certification Class

Held at the Sayville Fire House

Saturday April 11, 2009

$55 for KCBS Members $90 for Non KCBS Members. Non member fee includes 1 year membership in KCBS.

Class is limited to about 42 people. First come first serve.

For information send email to: Eric Devlin.