Arts & Entertainment
Amuse-bouche: Does barbecue make you smarter?
Published
6 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Scott Mechura EBS Food Columnist
As we have abruptly squashed summer in the way only Big Sky can do, it occurred to me that I’ve wanted to write about a certain topic for the past couple of months.
While other things that get associated with being American can easily be debunked, such as fireworks, hot dogs and apple pie, in a recent debate with a friend he insisted that at least barbecue was “dude, totally ‘merican.” I hated to break it to him, but not even close.
The act of cooking medium to large pieces of meat, historically pig, lamb and goat, low and slow using indirect heat from a fire or green wood that would not catch fire but rather smolder, was brought to us by European explorers Christopher Columbus and Hernando de Soto.
Later, the British of all people, brought modern barbecue as we know it to the New World. And many of them settled along the eastern seaboard and in the south, bringing barbecue pork, now a staple of southern food and culture.
Some use wood, while others use charcoal or briquettes, but either are acceptable. It was E.G. Kingsford and his cousin-in-law Henry Ford that built the first charcoal briquette plant when they realized it could be an outlet for all the wood scrap from the automobile running boards.
Barbecue purists argue that true barbecue is only pork, but I bet several million Texans—where beef brisket is king—would argue otherwise.
The United States has about 20 regions we refer to as belts. Some are more well known, like the Sun Belt, Bible Belt, Banana Belt and Rust Belt, while others are less known, like the Unchurched Belt and the Jell-O Belt.
But there’s another one we seldom talk about. It’s the Barbecue Belt, which loosely stretches from the Carolinas to west Texas and as far north as Missouri.
So, does barbecue really make us smarter? Well, maybe at first.
There is evidence of a clear historical break where early man learned the act of cooking meat low and slow.
There is a direct link between the time when man began to cook meat low and slow and the period when man was getting smarter exponentially.
Scientists believe that initially man charred meat quickly over high heat and flame, leaving the outside hard to digest, but the interior still raw. Both textures were hard to digest and took a lot of the body’s energy. But slow-cooked meat was much easier to digest, and with its arrival on the culinary scene, the body’s energy could be directed to brain development. And more time spent cooking meant more time socializing, which early man also began to do.
Today, the ritual of a social gathering in which family, friends or peers congregate around a smoker or any other barbecue apparatus, debating and learning from each other, is maintained by Americans more so than most other cultures. It is part of our culinary, racial and social cultures likely more so than any other.
As a friend from the South once told me, “just go in to any barbecue establishment and look around. It is one of the most diverse groups you’ll ever see. All enjoying the same thing, and talking about it.”
Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry. He is a former certified beer judge and currently the Executive Chef at Buck’s T-4 Lodge in Big Sky
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
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