I have been a long time reader of Bon Appétit Magazine; I read each issue cover-to-cover every month and have over 10 years worth of back-issues on my cookbook shelves. Imagine my excitement when I opened the mailbox yesterday to find "The BBQ Issue" waiting for me amongst the unpleasantness of bills and solicitations for extended vehicle warranties. It was my diamond in the rough and the highlight of the hour. When I walked back inside, the first thing I did was carefully placed it on the table next to my lazy-boy for the next moment I could give it my undivided attention.
While my frustration is not specifically aimed at the fine folks of Bon Appétit, this issue illustrated my great frustration over the misinformation disseminated about barbecue each and every day. With each copy of this magazine printed, more and more people are being misinformed of the true meaning of barbecue. As food writers, I think these people have a responsibility to the culinary community to do their homework and to know the meaning of a term before they plaster it all over the cover of a magazine that is filled with recipes bearing little resemblance to real barbecue.
Most people reading this blog understand and sympathize with my frustration, but for those who can't fathom why I'm so upset, here is a quick primer on barbecue. First I'll start with a list of things that barbecue is NOT:
- Barbecue is NOT meat with a special sauce applied
- Barbecue is NOT food that has been cooked on a grill
- A Barbecue is NOT a machine that makes fire for cooking food.
So, what is Barbecue? Barbecue is a verb, plain and simple. Barbecue is a cooking technique. Barbecue is one of the few things in the culinary world that Americans can call their own. Traditional barbecue is deeply rooted in American culture and history. So again, what is Barbecue? Barbecue is the process of cooking tough, otherwise inedible, meats at low temperatures over a wood fire. This almost magical technique transforms what were once thought of as 'junk' cuts of meat into tender, succulent and flavorful treats. Traditionally, there are only several cuts of meat that meet the standard, but today we are learning that other meats can also benefit from the process and taste absolutely wonderful when cooked this way. In the East, pork rules; shoulders, ribs and the whole hog. Down in Texas where beef is king, the brisket is what is used.
So, in reading the entire July issue of Bon Appétit, was there one mention of real barbecue? Nope. Any recipes for Pork shoulder/butt? Nope. How about Brisket? Nada..... Ribs? One very laughable attempt.
Page 67, features Steven Raichlen's recipe for "Ginger and Honey Baby Back Ribs". The recipe instructs the cook to cut each bone apart BEFORE cooking. The ribs are then marinated in what looks like a perfectly good Asian marinade, and finished off on a grill... get this.... in only 8 minutes per side! I don't know about you folks, but my championship ribs take over 5 hours to cook. It is only this way that one can achieve a tender rib. Garbage like this is why so many people I've met "don't like barbecue". If this were their only exposure to it, I don't blame them for having that attitude. Ribs cooked in this manner must be so tough and gristly that it would be preferable to eat the sole of your shoe.
My final gripe with this issue was that the editors had the nerve to do what they call "A Globe-Trotters Guide to BBQ". Essentially, this means that the recipes were from all around the world. Presumably this issue is published for July because of Independence Day.... one of the biggest grilling days of the year, also one of the most AMERICAN days of the year. Why not one mention of real American barbecue? Virtually every recipe is ethnic! Do we hate ourselves so much as a country that we can't celebrate our own culinary heritage on our country's birthday?
Again, this is not aimed directly at Bon Appétit. I love the magazine, am an avid reader and will continue to be for a long time. This is just an example of what goes on every day on TV, in magazines and in newspapers. Its only fine organizations such as KCBS that work to undo the damage, but unfortunately can only have little impact against these media giants. "The BBQ Issue"? I don't think so. "The Un-American Grilling Issue" is more like it.
