Synopses & Reviews
If there is one thing the United States takes seriously (outside of sports), itand#8217;s barbecue. Different in every region, barbecuing is an art, and Americans take pride in their special blend of slow-cooked meat, spices, and tangy sauces. But the US didnand#8217;t invent the cooking form, nor do Americans have a monopoly on itand#151;from Mongolian lamb to Fijian pig and Chineseand#160;
char siu, barbecueand#8217;s endless variations have circled the globe. In this history of this red-blooded pursuit, Jonathan Deutsch and Megan J. Elias explore the first barbecues of ancient Africa, the Arawak origins of the word, and define what it actually is.
and#160;
Traveling to New Zealand for the Maoriand#8217;sand#160;hangi, Hawaii forand#160;kaluaand#160;pig, Mexico forand#160;barbacoa de cabeza, and Spain for a taste of bull roast,and#160;Barbecueand#160;looks at the incredible variety of the food around the world. Deutsch and Elias also discuss barbecueand#8217;s status as a masculine activity, the evolution of cooking techniques and barbecuing equipment technology, and the growth of competitive barbecuing in the United States. Rounding out the book are mouthwatering recipes, including an 1877 Minneapolis recipe for a whole roast sheep, a 1942 pork spare ribs recipe from the Ozarks, and instructions for tandoori lamb chops and Chinese roast duck. A celebration of all things smoky, meaty, and delicious,and#160;Barbecueand#160;makes the perfect gift for backyard grillers and professional roasters.
Review
and#8220;Deutsch and Elias infuse their short, light-hearted history with anecdotes and recipes that will appeal to the more general reader. For example, Cantonese barbecued pork was allegedly invented by a careless young man who burned down a house with nine piglets inside. The destruction was, apparently, a small price to pay for the joy of eating charred pig flesh. . . . While seeking to entertain, Barbecue urges us to undertake a deeper analysis, considering how a subculture of barbecue has transformed the process into a competitive sport played around the world, most notably in the U. S.and#8221;
Synopsis
A mainstay of the Travel Channeland#8217;s
Man v. Food, barbecue is an American institution. It is compelling in that it is an ancient, very simple form of cookery and at the same time a high form of culture complete with juried competitions, and global variations include Mongolian lamb (
khorkhog), Fijian pig, Chinese
char siu, and US Pacific Northwest salmon.
Barbecue: A Global History provides a concise yet comprehensive account of this quintessentially red-blooded pursuit; from the first barbecues of ancient Africa, to the origin of the word itself (the Arawak barbacao), to defining what it actually is (indirect smoke roasting). Jonathan Deutsch and Megan Elias look at the varieties of barbecue around the world, from the New Zealand Maoriand#8217;s hangi, to Hawaiian kalua pig, Mongolian boodog, Mexican barbacoa de cabeza, and Spanish bull roast, as well as discussing why barbecuing is seen as a manly activity, the evolution of cooking techniques, the technology of barbecuing equipment, and competitive barbecuing in the USA.
A perfect gift for backyard griller and professional roaster alike, Barbecue is a celebration of all things primal, smoky, meaty, and delicious.
About the Author
Jonathan Deutsch is professor and founding director of the Center for Hospitality and Sport Management at Drexel University in Philadelphia. He is the author of many books on food culture and history, including They Eat That? A Cultural Encyclopedia of "Weird" Foods from Around the World.Megan J. Elias is assistant professor of history at Queensborough Community College, City University of New York, and the author of Stir It Up: Home Economics in American Culture and Food in the United States, 1890-1945.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Smoke and Meat
1. Barbecue Beginnings
2. Man and Feast
3. Poles, Holes, Racks and Ovens: The Technology of Barbecue
4. A World of Barbecue
5. Competition and Connoisseurship
6. Sauces and Sides
Recipes
References
Select Bibliography
Websites and Associations
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
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