Talk:Barbecue

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 25 January 2021 and 14 May 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Kelyse99 (article contribs).

Variant Etymology

Mention is made on the following site of the folk etymology ...que le mot barbecue venait du français « de la barbe au cul ».

https://www.culture-generale.fr/histoire/2729-origine-du-mot-barbecue

Which is to say, "from the beard to the arse". Being a folk (or false) etymology, it has dubious provenance; but is of considerable cultural consequence, originating in the very human tendency to explain the unfamiliar in terms of the familiar. Nuttyskin (talk) 18:29, 5 June 2017 (UTC)

This is a variant of a common myth about the word barbecue.[1] Food seems to attract this kind of false etymology, with sirloin and marmalade being other common examples. I'm not sure whether this is notable enough for the article, though.--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 18:54, 5 June 2017 (UTC)

Probably not. An entire collection of those might be notable for a stand alone article on etymology of food. Dennis Brown - 2¢ 19:25, 5 June 2017 (UTC)

On my revert of the revert of my inclusion regarding misuse/broader use of thew term barbecue as published on Southernlivng.com

It was stated that the source Southernlivng.com was not a reliable source. Since Southernlivng.com is the website for the long lived magazine Southern Living owned and published by Time Inc., publishers of Time Magazine, I fail to see how they are not a reliable source. If Ianmacm wants to argue otherwise please do so here first though I can find no previous discussion in which Southern Living Magazine (or their website) was declared a unreliable source for Wikipedia purposes. --Notcharliechaplin (talk) 19:14, 14 May 2018 (UTC)

After looking around, I found this source on CNN which is probably more suitable. There is a tendency to use the words barbecue and grilling interchangeably, and this annoys the purists who argue that they are not the same thing. The CNN article agrees with the Southern Living article and various other sources that the main difference is the speed of cooking. Grilling is much faster and requires a higher level of heat in order to sear the outside of the meat almost immediately. Many gas barbecues are basically gas grills designed to be used outdoors, and the CNN article says "While the terms barbecuing and grilling are often considered to be synonymous, it is more precise to say that barbecuing is a type of grilling."--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 05:52, 15 May 2018 (UTC)

I have written a unified theory and definition of barbecue. As a result I was asked to give the keynote address at the National Barbecue Association two years ago on the definition of barbecue. It is the only trade association in the US. After my presentation the Board of Directors changed the association's name to the National Barbecue And Grilling Association. I could try to adapt it to this page but my first attempt at editing was met with hostility below. Does not encourage me to think that Wikipedia is very interested in accuracy or facts and makes me fear that if I work hard to help, my changes will be reverted. Here is the comprehensive definition https://amazingribs.com/barbecue-history-and-culture/what-barbecue. Quedude (talk) 20:06, 21 January 2019 (UTC)

An offer to help

On Wikipedia I am Quedude (talk). Elsewhere I am known as Meathead. I am the author of "Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling" a New York Times best seller, and called one of the 100 best cookbooks of all time by Southern Living, which I must say is more authoritative on food and cooking than CNN as discussed elsewhere on this page. I also own https://amazingribs.com, by far the most largest and popular barbecue and grilling website. I made a few minor edits last night to fine tune some definitions and they were reversed. So I would like to know why they were reversed before I spend any more time helping correct articles (I understand the rules on conflicts of interest). I think I have a lot to offer, including many good photos, but I cannot waste time. So if you are the person who reversed me, can we engage in a discussion?

Sure. On Wikipedia I am Roxy, but in real life I am a New York Time Top Ten Chef. I am the auther of a Times Top Ten Dogfood BBQ guide, and appear regularly on Dog Radio as an EXPERT. My website is much bigger and better than yours, and has playrooms for owners with access to the internetz so they don't get bored. I'm a much better chef than you, and my Chef Apron has five Michelin stars that I sewed on myself. I have also been contributing to Wikipedia for more than ten years. -Roxy, the dog. wooF 16:41, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

Well then you must know that the definition of braising is incorrect and confusing. Can we agree on wording? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Quedude (talk • contribs) 19:21, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

Have you got any WP:RS reliable sources? Also, learn to sign your posts with four tildes, like this: ~~~~ -Roxy, the dog. wooF 23:47, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

Actually Wikipedia as a pretty good definition of braising. Of course every culinary school textbook has a definition, and certainly a chef of your stature knows that the info on this page is wrong.Quedude (talk) 01:24, 21 January 2019 (UTC)

Americentric bias?

This article is very American. It says at the outset that barbecue "is a cooking method, a grilling device, a style of food, and a name for a meal or gathering at which this style of food is cooked and served," and acknowledges that "Barbecue is practiced in many countries and there are numerous regional variations," but then it describes American barbecue. For example, it says "Barbecuing is usually done outdoors by smoking meat over wood or charcoal" and "[grilling] is one of the least common techniques when cooking classic barbecue foods." However in Aus/NZ and the UK, grilling is the primary technique. A barbecue is essentially an outdoor grill. I think this is the case in many countries.

There is a page for "Regional Variations of Barbecue," I just wondered if it could be made clearer that the "Barbecue" page is primarily about American barbecue. 14.2.137.89 (talk) 19:38, 30 June 2020 (UTC)

See the section Talk:Barbecue#On_my_revert_of_the_revert_of_my_inclusion_regarding_misuse/broader_use_of_thew_term_barbecue_as_published_on_Southernlivng.com above. The food purists argue that barbecue and grilling are not exactly the same technique. It's true that many outdoor grills get described as barbecues, and this doesn't please the purists either. As the article says "The words "barbecue" and "grilling" are often used interchangeably, although food experts argue that barbecue is a type of grilling, and that grilling involves the use of a higher level of heat to sear the food, while barbecuing is a slower process over a low heat."--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 20:45, 30 June 2020 (UTC)

I've rewritten the lead to try and fix some of these issues. I've also moved the material from the traditions section to the Barbecue in the United States article. --Super Nintendo Chalmers (talk) 11:22, 8 April 2021 (UTC)

On the subject of "Barbie"

I'm not so sure the Australians actually use the word "Barbie" as slang for Barbecue. I'm pretty sure it comes from a series of Australian tourism ads, and got popular from there.

PowerfulAtom111 (talk) 18:21, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

Interesting article here. The phrase "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you" comes from Paul Hogan who used it in a tourism commercial for US television in 1984. Shrimp is wrong because an Australian would say prawn, but barbie does seem to be used in Australia.[2]--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 07:05, 25 June 2021 (UTC)

Historical inaccuracy

I don’t have time to track this down now and will probably forget:

> According to estimates, prior to the American Civil War, Southerners ate around five pounds of pork for every pound of beef they consumed.[20] Because of the effort to capture and cook these wild hogs, pig slaughtering became a time for celebration

theres no way that the vast majority of meat eaten was hunted. Either the source is misinterpreted or it’s a bad source. Thesowismine (talk) 19:10, 23 September 2021 (UTC)