Who is the Master of the BBQ in your house?

[Robert]

How come in most households, the woman cooks the "indoor food", but when it comes to barbecuing, it's commonly the man running the show?

Is it because it's simple enough for a man to throw a slice of meat on the grill and turn it a couple of times? It's not like complicated like a souffle or chicken Cordon Bleu etc!

Or are there other reasons?

 

[Katastrophe]

Is it because it's simple enough for a man to throw a slice of meat on the grill and turn it a couple of times?

WHOA THERE, partner! Barbecuing is an artform deeply ingrained in the culture down here, with traditions passed down from father to son. It can get very complicated, with the selection of the right types of woods and charcoal, in the right amounts, all carefully and lovingly monitored with the essential ingestion of beer in the process.:beer:

Actually, that's a good question. Growing up it was my Dad and the other men outside at the barbecue pit, with the ladies inside, taking care of the side dishes. In Texas in August, the "inside work" is usually the better end of the deal, since the heat can be a bit oppressive. There have been times where my wife has wanted to barbecue, so we switched roles. It works out better timing wise, because I know the approximate times that it takes to get everything ready outside, and can have the sides done by the time the meat is done.

Really, I think it's just a reason for the dudes to get outside and socialize a bit.

 

[oldguy]

I always do the grilling when I'm home on weekends........... and the reason I do it instead of my wife is........ she asks me to.

 

[PAPPY]

All Cooking is done by my wife,both outside and inside. I can't boil water without scorching the pan. I was always outside working in the fields when it came time for meals and I just never learned how. One time between my first and second wife, I tried cooking a meal one night for my son and I. I bought those "minute steaks" and fixed several side dishes. My son ate three or four of those "minute steaks" and when supper was over he said "Pappy, I didn't know you knew how to cook salmon patties". I haven't tried cooking since and that was thirty years ago.

 

[marnold]

Because BBQing involves two of most men's four favorite things: meat and fire. I'll leave it to you to divine what the other two are.

Having said that, my wife does all the cooking including BBQ because she is an excellent cook and I love my children too much to inflict my cooking skills on them. Of course I brew beer, which is kind of like cooking. Oops, I gave away one of the other two things.

 

[SuperSwede]

Marnold, the last thing gotta be guitars... right?

 

[Bloozcat]

It's just one of those guy's domain things. You know, man...cook meat...over fire...kind of a primordial thing. In our house though, it just as likely (or more so), that I'll do the indoor cooking as well. I really love to cook, and create all of my own recipes from scratch. My wife is also a great cook, but she's strictly a "by the recipie" cook. She tells everyone that I'm a gourmet cook. I know I'm good at it, but a gourmet? I'm not so sure about that. Friends of ours own an great restaurant that's close by. Now he's a gourmet chef, and self taught too. I'm more of a "talented amatuer", at best.

Now, those who are really into the artform of outdoor cooking, know that there's grilling, and then there's barbecuing. Grilling is relatively easy and doesn't take a lot of time. Barbecuing takes a lot of time and is very technical in nature, with all sorts of secret recipes, sauces, and methods employed. The southern US is most definitely BBQ country, and the competition is fierce among the practicioners here.

I think that a Big Green Egg might be in the cards for me in the not too distant future. It's one of the best back yard BBQ's I've ever seen. All the convience of a grill, but with the capability for long, slow barbecuing and smoking.

 

[marnold]

Marnold, the last thing gotta be guitars... right?

OK, five things

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Because BBQing involves two of most men's four favorite things: meat and fire. I'll leave it to you to divine what the other two are.

Having said that, my wife does all the cooking including BBQ because she is an excellent cook and I love my children too much to inflict my cooking skills on them. Of course I brew beer, which is kind of like cooking. Oops, I gave away one of the other two things.

Hey, preachers aren't allowed to like that one other thing, are they?

At least that is what the nuns and priests that were my teachers growing up lead me to believe.

 

[SuperSwede]

Hey, preachers aren't allowed to like that one other thing, are they?

Guitars?? I cannot understand why??

 

[Childbride]

although shiner and i split cooking darned near 50/50, he does the outdoor stuff. i do the indoor stuff.

not because i can't; i can.

it's just too dang hot out. :beer:

 

[just strum]

I do the outdoor cooking - things like ordering pizza and Chinese food.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, I am pretty much the griller, though I do cook indoors some and Gwen, my wife, does grill some too. I say grilling because we West Coast style grill rather than southern BBQ like has been described above. My favorite is probably good, wild salmon with some lemon, some thin sliced onions, a little olive oil and spices mixed up and brushed on. I also like grilling chicken, and kabobs of vegetable and chicken. We don't do red meat at our house much.

One reason it is a guy thing I think is because it is outside where there is space and it is portable fire, like Marnold says. We hunter/gatherer types like it transportable and in the open, . . ugh, ugh, :R (cave man guitar guy)

 

[marnold]

Hey, preachers aren't allowed to like that one other thing, are they?

At least that is what the nuns and priests that were my teachers growing up lead me to believe.

"Who loves not women, wine, and song remains a fool his whole life long." --Martin Luther

 

[luvmyshiner]

Here's my contribution for the evening. A couple of one inch thick New York strips.:bravo:

 

[just strum]

Here's my contribution for the evening. A couple of one inch thick New York strips.:bravo:

"Look Agnes, first the guy is taking pictures of his guitars in the yard and now he's taking pictures of his food"

Agnes responds "I told you he drinks too much"

 

[luvmyshiner]

"I told you he drinks too much"

I didn't think that was possible.:beer:

By the way, those beauts were served up with a couple of baked potatoes and some Samuel Adams cherry wheat.:AOK:

 

[just strum]

I didn't think that was possible.:beer:

By the way, those beauts were served up with a couple of baked potatoes and some Samuel Adams cherry wheat.:AOK:

I knew I should have answered the phone this afternoon, but they would have been cold by the time I arrived.:thwap:

They sure do look good.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

"Who loves not women, wine, and song remains a fool his whole life long." --Martin Luther

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Ben Franklin

:beer:

 

[bigoldron]

Hey, preachers aren't allowed to like that one other thing, are they?

At least that is what the nuns and priests that were my teachers growing up lead me to believe.

He AIN'T Catholic, is he? And he ain't dead is he? :thwap:

I agree with Bloozcat's definitions of "grilling" vs. "barbecuing". Both my wife and I like to grill, since we have an electric smoker grill that she can use. She doesn't like messing around with charcoal, even the Matchlight stuff. As for barbecuing, that's my territory. We're both pretty decent cooks and we share the inside cooking.

As to why the women do the inside while the men gather outside, the women are smart enough to stay out of the heat. Whereas the men like to gather outside so they can scratch, sniff, tell off-color jokes and maybe even pee on the back fence when they think no one's looking and other such "manly" things.

Meanwhile the ladies are inside (with the A/C running of course), cooking/preparing/whatever the rest of the meal. All the while, they're blabbing about each other's hairdo or outfit or making comments such as, "Oh lord, my husband's peeing on the back fence again." Ah, life in the good old USA.

 

[mrmudcat]

I am the master of my pit!!!

 

[Bloozcat]

He AIN'T Catholic, is he? And he ain't dead is he? :thwap:

I agree with Bloozcat's definitions of "grilling" vs. "barbecuing". Both my wife and I like to grill, since we have an electric smoker grill that she can use. She doesn't like messing around with charcoal, even the Matchlight stuff. As for barbecuing, that's my territory. We're both pretty decent cooks and we share the inside cooking.

As to why the women do the inside while the men gather outside, the women are smart enough to stay out of the heat. Whereas the men like to gather outside so they can scratch, sniff, tell off-color jokes and maybe even pee on the back fence when they think no one's looking and other such "manly" things.

Meanwhile the ladies are inside (with the A/C running of course), cooking/preparing/whatever the rest of the meal. All the while, they're blabbing about each other's hairdo or outfit or making comments such as, "Oh lord, my husband's peeing on the back fence again." Ah, life in the good old USA.

Fire...gooood...
Meat...gooood...

Besides, we guys are much better at the delicate art of basting meat with beer. And since we're rarely without one in hand during the long process of BBQ-ing, we're always in the zone.

When it comes to BBQ-ing, there's nothing quite like a good Southern pig roast. An all day affair of visiting with friends and family, and feasting like castle lords all day and into the evening. The pig takes most of the day to cook, but along the way there's always plenty of venison, sausages, gator tail, stews (Brunswick's my favorite), chili, and whatever else anyone creates. Mmmm, mmmm, good...:drool: