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Barbecue season is upon us in all its mouth-watering glory. What's your BBQ IQ? Find out with this quiz.
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Question 1 of 10
What's the difference between barbecuing and grilling?
They're the same thing.
Grilling is on a low fire, while barbecue is on a hot fire.
Barbecue is on a low slow fire, while grilling is hot and quick.
Barbecuing and grilling are often mistakenly thought to be the same thing but they're not. Barbecue takes place on a low fire for a long period of time ( a technique called "low and slow") while grilling refers to a quick cook on a hot fire.
Question 2 of 10
Where did the term "barbecue" originate?
Caribbean cooks using a wooden platform to slow-cook meat
The origin of the word "barbecue" is not definitively known, but the best guess is that Spaniards, upon arriving in the Caribbean in the 15th century, used the word "barbacoa" to describe the cooking method they observed.
Hawaiian luaus, complete with roast pig
Southern plantations
Question 3 of 10
There are four main styles of American barbecue named after the region they came from. What type of meat characterizes Memphis barbecue?
pork
Memphis barbecue often features pulled pork (pork cooked over a low fire until it is tender enough to shred into strips) and pork ribs. The other regional styles are Kansas City, Texas and Carolina.
beef
chicken
Question 4 of 10
What side dish was an early staple with Southern barbecue?
potato salad
cornbread
Although you're likely to find any and all of these sides at a modern cookout, cornbread was an early pairing with Southern barbecue because corn grew better than wheat, and was more readily available.
macaroni and cheese
Question 5 of 10
What characterizes Alabama barbecue?
a mustard-based sauce
a molasses-based sauce
a white sauce
Alabama barbecue is a lesser-known barbecue style from Northern Alabama, involving a white sauce made with mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice. South Carolina barbecue is the one with the mustard-based sauce.
Question 6 of 10
According to standard etiquette, what should a guest NOT do at a barbecue?
bring a side dish
tend the grill if the host seems busy
Barbecue etiquette says that you don't touch the host's grill, unless a fire is about to go down. That also goes for offering advice to the host on his barbecue technique.
offer to help clean up
Question 7 of 10
What type of smoke is advised for successful barbecue?
thin, blue smoke
Many BBQ rookies think more smoke is better, but that's not the case. White smoke is known as "dirty smoke," and will affect flavor. Instead, maintain the barbecue to produce "clean smoke."
thick smoke, white in color
no smoke at all
Question 8 of 10
True or False: Meat drippings that build up over time improve flavor of future barbecues.
True: The more drippings, the better the meat will turn out.
False: Dripping build-up only increases risk of grease fire.
Smokers should be cleaned after every use. This isn't necessarily a total scrubdown, but make sure that ash and fat are removed. For best flavor, season the smoker like you would a cast iron skillet by coating the interior surface with oil.
It doesn't matter -- the drippings will burn off over time.
Question 9 of 10
Which tool can add extra flavor to meat when used during the cooking process?
wood chips
Flavored wood chips can really amp up flavor, and are a good trick for grilling, too. For example, hickory chips work well with pork and ribs, and apple-flavored chips with pork and poultry.
barbecue sauce
different brands of coal
Question 10 of 10
Which jazz musician recorded "Struttin With Some Barbecue"?
Wynton Marsalis
Miles Davis
Louis Armstrong
Yes, that was Armstrong, who loved good eating. (He once released a record album with a booklet of recipes.) However, music writers believe he wasn't talking about the tasty dish in his 1927 recording. Apparently "barbecue" was also slang for an attractive woman.
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