Whether you spell it barbeque, barbecue, Bar-B-Q, or just BBQ, outdoor events really cook when grilling is on the agenda. It's as American as apple pie. Barbecue, which can be loosely defined as meat plus fire plus a secret sauce, can include a variety of meat cuts and types — including pork ribs, a side of beef, a half chicken, lamb chops, or shrimp kabobs — but be sure to choose your meat with care. For example, barbecued ribs can be pretty messy, so they should only be served at casual events. I once attended a black tie closing event at a convention where barbecued ribs were served on a buffet. A black tie barbecue buffet?

Pick Your Method

There are two cooking styles in barbecue: Grilling and slow cooking. Grilling, where the food is cooked by direct heat and flame over a grill, is perfect for hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, and steak. Chicken and ribs can also be grilled, but they should be pre-cooked, either by oven baking or boiling. This will keep the outside from overcharring and becoming crusted while the inside is allowed to tenderize. Vegetables, and even pizza, can be grilled.

Slow cooking is done with indirect heat and smoke, usually inside of a cylinder-style smoker. Ribs and chicken are normally cooked using this method. Most areas, particularly in the South, have vendors that can supply portable smokers.

Get Saucy

People are passionate about their barbecue sauces! The earliest known barbecue sauce was a vinegar dip used in the 1800s in Virginia and North Carolina. Many versions are still based on vinegar, but gradually other ingredients such as tomatoes, mustard, sugar, peppers, herbs, and spices have been added.

Vinegar-based sauces tend to absorb more readily into the meat and act as a tenderizer when marinated. Red meats also marinate well in red wine and olive oil with garlic and other spices. Barbecue sauces can be thick or thin, sweet, sour, spicy, or any combination.

Mopping sauces are slopped on the meat while it is cooking. Avoid tomatoes and sugar during the cooking process because they burn easily and can affect the taste of the meat. Finishing sauce is used as a condiment when eating barbecue and is not used during the cooking process.

If your event is going to be held in the Southwest, a popular option is the fiesta-type receptions. These types of barbecues call for grills and smokers (which generally require a 110v outlet, gas, Sterno, Bunsen burner, or propane).

Patti J. Shock, CPCE, is director of distance learning, Tourism and Convention Administration Department, William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Visit tca.unlv.edu/shock.html or send an e-mail to patti.shock@unlv.edu.

State of the BBQ

Every area has its own style: Georgia: thin, tomato, vinegar, and mustard sauce Florida: lemon and lime juice added to a tomato base North Carolina/Virginia: thin vinegar sauce with sugar, black pepper, and crushed red pepper South Carolina: sweet mustard and vinegar Texas/Southwest: hot peppers in a tomato-based sauce Midwest: barbecue sauce with tomato base that is thick, sweet, and sometimes quite spicy.

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