The Wide World of BBQ

From your email, please click on the title to view the photos and comment online.

I’ve spent most of my summers cooking over fires of one kind or another, and this year, I am looking for some variety in my fire-roasted meals. When the weather is steamy, it’s easy to let inertia kick in and resort to the same old recipes. But there are lots of alternatives to be found in other cuisines. Wonderful barbecue styles exist all over the world. What sets most apart are the different flavors provided by the various traditional marinades and rubs and sauces used in the process. Why not give these ideas a try? Here are some outstanding examples.

I can’t resist starting with jerk chicken, since Mrs. Farmboy and I made our own jerk spice rub to serve at our wedding reception. It not only saved money; it was a big hit with the crowd. I’m also nostalgic for my own experiences in the early 70s with grilling marinated shish-ke-babs over a hibachi, though these days, I’ve moved those skewers to the grill.

South America

Chilean asado (not to be confused with Mexican asado) features a whole lamb. You probably wouldn’t want to grill one, but you might wish to copy the accompanying pinchos and anticuchos (meat on skewers). The condiment served with the meats is a combination of onion, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, olive oil, and cilantro. If you prefer the Argentine asado (in the photo above), the meats are likely to skew toward beef, and the condiment will be chimichurri, a parsley-garlic combination that is one of my favorites.

Asia, Africa, and Australia

Korean barbecues feature guests grilling their own meat such as this Korean Galbi (short-ribs), then dipping it in a sauce of their choosing. These ribs are marinated in a soy sauce/pear/brown sugar sauce with the usual allium aromatics.

Over in Japan, yakitori, usually chicken on bamboo skewers, is a popular barbecue street food. The meat is usually marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar before grilling. On the other hand, in South Africa, the chicken and beef skewers are marinated in a garlic-lemon marinade sweetened with chutney or jam and flavored with curry powder.

If you’re a pork fan, you might try some version of the Philippine lechon, a slow-roasted pork dish. Typically, a suckling pig, a nice fat-studded Boston butt or other pork roast is a worthy alternative. Flay it open and stuff it with the traditional lemongrass, bay leaves, star anise, garlic, green onions, and bananas. If shrimp is your thing, the Aussies are known for their prawns on the barbie. Before grilling, the freshwater prawns (use shrimp if you wish) are marinated in a mixture of minced parsley, thyme, cilantro, shallots, and garlic combined with melted butter, olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper. Then it’s just a matter of placing them on skewers and grilling over hot coals.

India

For a little spicier meal, how about looking at the barbecue of India: tandoori chicken. It features a marinade of yogurt, lemon, garlic, and ginger. The spices include hot chili powder, paprika, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cloves, and garam masala. That should spice up your summer.

The main idea is that life is always a little more interesting when we break out of the same old, same old and try something new. In these cases, it’s still the same proteins. We’re just adding a different approach. And what better time than to enjoy a new dish around the grill pit with an adult beverage and the company of some friends who can share in the fun?

Please click on the headline to view the blog on the website. You can log in and comment at the end of the blog to share your thoughts and start a discussion, or suggest a topic for Farmboy in the Kitchen.

If you’d like to share the blog, click on the Facebook icon or one of the others. Thanks!