Got Dibs on Those Ribs?

Summer is winding on and for some of you folks - This may be the last time to barbecue. The word BBQ doesn’t just evoke images and memories of food, it tends to make us think of summer and grilling on the patio or the back porch; warm evenings with the crickets humming, or lively afternoons at the beach. Barbecue is one of those cuisines that is strictly American. It’s as varied and as widespread as this country we live in and if you like one type of barbecued food, chances are you like them all.

BBQ Grilling Styles in the U.S.

In the Carolinas, the flavors are primarily vinegar and molasses-based sauces which deliver a unique sweet/sour tang that enhances the flavor of beef, pork or chicken. Louisiana loves dry rub, with curry and cayenne often complimenting each other to make catfish and crawdads into taste adventures. If you are ever in New Orleans, check out the Voodoo Barbecue on St. Lawrence street. You will not believe your taste buds.

The mid-south, places like Alabama and Arkansas, tend to enjoy the smoky flavors in brown sugar-based sauces while smoky, herb-and-seasoning dry rubs on ribs were perfected in cities like St. Louis and Chicago. Bratwursts and grilling sausages come from the northern Midwest, because there’s nothing like a grilled hotlink when you’re tailgating in subzero Midwestern football weather. Chipotle flavored sauces have emerged recently in the southwest region, New Mexico and Arizona are rapidly developing their own unique cuisine based on old and new world flavors.

If you’re not the carnivorous type, a lot of vegetables are delicious when grilled. Eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, bell peppers…and if you like baked potatoes, you should try them grilled. Here’s a tip; boil a potato for twenty minutes, rub it with olive oil and sea salt, then place it on the grill for another twenty with the flame at low or medium. If you’re using briquettes, place them on the edge of the grill away from the direct heat.

Now here’s a question: what do you think of when we say the word ‘mesquite? That’s right, Texas. In fact, Texas has a whole town called Mesquite, so they must really like their smoky barbecue in the lone star state. Texans love their barbecue so much they have schools on the fine art of the cuisine in Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

We'll be sad to put away our barbecues. But some of us keep those coals going through the Winter. We’re just hardcore like that. Be sure to Barbecue and grill safely and remember that if you're in a temporary financial bind in Arizona or Nevada, not quite able to make it to your next paycheck, come visit us online at CASH 1. You don't need good credit for short term loans online.

BBQ Grilling Temperatures

Here's an infographic for food grillin' temperatures. Cook your meat to their proper temperatures.