In the United States, especially in the deep south, the cooking of meat is slow and preceded by marinating and the famous sauce. In Italy it is instead fast and only extra virgin olive oil is used. What will be the best style?
Other than sophisticated recipes. The true fashion gastronomic of these years is, in reality, the reinterpretation of the most ancient cooking methods: grilling. Or rather, the barbecue, whether in the garden or by the lake.
Two schools
However, the term "barbecue" must be understood. Because there is barbecue and barbecue, and the Italian one is completely different from the American one. In the United States, especially in the South, barbecue has been a kind of religion for years with its rituals and strict rules: not surprisingly, the term barbecue derives from "barbacoa", a term with which the indigenous people of the Caribbean called their particular wooden grill that they used to cook meats.
The smoked ribs
Unlike the Italian barbecue, that American consists of one Slow cooking, where thesmoking prevails over the "direct" effect of the embers. To obtain this effect, the charcoal is usually disposed exclusively on the sides, mixing off and on coals to lengthen its duration; and barbecues with a lid are used. Some examples? The smoked ribspork ribs (cooked in one piece) typical of Kansas. Or the pulled pork, frayed pork shoulder and the brisket (beef breast) Texan. The cooking of the meats is usually preceded by a scrupulous marinating: for smoked ribs, for example, a "rub”Based on garlic and onion powder, sweet paprika, black and white pepper, oregano, wild fennel seeds and raw cane sugar. This compound is spread on the meat, using some mustard as a glue. And there are also spicier versions of the rub, which include the addition of chilli and cayenne pepper. With smoke, after 3 hours the rub will become a crunchy crust to be savored. During cooking, the ribs should be wet occasionally with apple cider vinegar. To Americans, however, all this is obviously not enough. And so, at the end of cooking, she arrives, the inevitable barbecue sauce, based on tomato sauce, garlic, onion, concentrated tomato, vinegar, mustard, sugar, chilli pepper, butter, salt, pepper, tabasco and Worcester sauce.
To Florence with love
In Italy the story is completely different. The barbecue with us is most often the simple summer replacement for the fireplace and grill. The barbecue cooking mode therefore coincides with what the Americans call "grilling"(Mainly spread between Boston and New York): fast cooking, both of beef and pork, without marinades nor barbecue sauce. Perfect, for example, for Florentine. To prepare the most famous of the Italian steaks, it is sufficient to prepare very hot embers, place the steak on the grill for a few minutes, turn it over and repeat the operation on the other side. He is alone at the end season with salt and extra virgin olive oil, adding a little pepper and a sprig of rosemary to the limit. The same goes for hamburgers. In any case you need meat with le right infiltrations of fat among lean fabrics to avoid the drying-up effect: this is our race Chianina is undoubtedly the best out there, closely followed by the Piemontese. For the pig instead, more cooking is required slow, spreading the embers more and turning the meat more frequently. For "Italian" ribs, to obtain a drier effect it is possible to sprinkle them with salt before cooking, a practice to avoid in all other types of meat (including pork chops). As regards the sausages, the only precaution is to puncture them to ensure cooking inside without charring the outside. Pork usually does not require seasoning with extra virgin olive oil but only salt and pepper.
The third way
However, "American-style barbecues and Italian-style barbecues are also spreading"third way"Which provides one marinating preliminary meat based on extra virgin olive oil, white wine (or vinegar or beer), salt and spices such as rosemary, wild fennel, bay leaf, chives and juniper berries.
Fish and vegetables
We talked about meat, but let's not forget also other amazing dishes to cook on the barbecue: the fish (tuna, salmon, swordfish, squid, prawns, prawns, monkfish, skewers …), vegetables (courgettes, aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes …) and i cheeses (tomino but also scamorza and caciocavallo). Fish and vegetables are usually sprinkled withextra virgin olive oil before cooking.
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