Barbecue Schools Across the United States

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photo credit: tvol

Part of the mystique of the venerable culinary method of barbecue involves closely-guarded secrets passed down through generations, long hours of trial and error to make just the right marinade, and other such practices that evoke images of a place where porches are actually used and lemonade cools the throat on a hot summer day. The fact of the matter, though, is that some people who have a keen interest in the art of barbecue do not have access to closely-guarded secrets and have no clue what makes a marinade good. For better or worse, they were not born into a family where learning the art of barbecue is just as important as learning to read and write. Fortunately for these people, there are plenty of barbecue schools across the country that are perfectly willing to take a budding barbecue neophyte under their wing and teach them the ropes of how to work a grill.

Barbecue, referring to the method of cooking, has been around for several centuries. The process of creating a grill for cooking meat is said to originate in the Taino culture, a tribe of people native to the Caribbean. In their language, this process of cooking meat was called barabicu, also spelled barbicoa or barabicoa. It involved digging a pit into the ground where the fire meat would be cooked in a pot to make a hearty broth. The pot and the hole are then covered with coal and maguey leaves and then set alight, and the whole cooking process would take several hours. Through Spanish interaction with the native people of the Caribbean, specifically the Taino, the native word went through the Spanish lexicon, then the French, and finally the English, where it ended up as the term we know today. Nowadays, the word is predominantly spelled “barbecue”, but other forms of spelling the word are popular, such as “bar-b-q”, “bbq”, or “bar-b-que”. Whichever spelling of the term one may identify with, the idea is the same: meat is slow cooked on a grill, usually marinated with some kind of glaze, and then enjoyed as part of a rich tradition.

Barbecue methods are remarkably regional in nature, with two adjacent states sometimes having extremely different tastes in marinades, cooking styles, and meat types. For example, the Carolinas tend to have tangy, vinegar-based sauces, while Georgia prefers pork served with a sweet tomato sauce. People usually gravitate toward whichever style of barbecue is most familiar to them, either because of where they grew up or which type of barbecue they experienced first, so there is no style that is better than the other. It all comes down to the marinade, the type of sauce it is served with, if any, and the type of meat that is most often served. That is why professional lessons in barbecue differ throughout the country: there is no “standard” method to cook barbecue because of the highly traditional nature of the cooking method. After spreading through the country, barbecue forced people to have their own take on it, adding sauces and marinades that they preferred themselves. It boils down to keeping in mind that when choosing to take professional barbecue lessons, keep in mind that you may be cooking up a meal for people who are totally not used to your style.

photo credit: SanFranAnnie

When one thinks of a “school”, he or she probably imagines a brick building where those who seek education go to learn whatever trade they may desire. Interestingly enough, one of the more prominent barbecue schools is actually a traveling lesson taught a barbecue expert Paul Kirk. Winning seven world championships in barbecue alone, Chef Paul Kirk has won over 400 cooking awards. Whether the student is a backyard barbecue aficionado who wants to become truly skilled in his culinary hobby or if he or she is a budding barbecue entrepreneur looking to open up a quality barbecue restaurant, traveling lessons by the Barbeque School of Pitmasters, featuring Chef Paul Kirk, will certainly do the job. Some of the things that are taught in Chef Kirk’s lessons include the basics of cooking brisket, pork, ribs, chicken, and sausage. He also teaches important lessons concerning fire management, fuels, barbecue rubs and spices, and much more.

In our day and age, featuring the ultimate in interconnectedness via the internet, you can learn how to do almost anything with a simple web search. Barbecue is nothing different, with a dedicated online program housed at bbqcookingschool.com. As they proclaim on the front page, CISC is not a household name, but as an accredited barbecue educational outlet by the American Culinary Federation, they can almost guarantee a successful home study. They are certified to provide 48 hours worth of education credits for ACF chefs, and are rigorously reviewed each year by the ACF in order to ensure that they provide a quality educational experience for aspiring backyard barbecue lovers and hopeful Certified Master Chefs alike. Part of the CISC educational experience is teaching your trusted loved ones how to grade your barbecue creations using the Kansas City BBQ Society’s method of judging by their certified judges. The price for the home-study program is $299, but according to the website’s own credentials combined with glowing testimonials, the money is well worth the amount of enjoyment one can cull from practicing his or her skills for family and friends, or even to become an entrepreneur and use the in-demand culinary talent to turn a profit.

photo credit: Point-Shoot-Edit

For a slightly more traditional take on the schooling systems, the BBQ Fantasy Camp, which you can check out at bbqinstitute.com, offers two-day classes in the Seattle Area for those who are willing to travel out there. People travel from all over the world to take barbecuing classes offered by two members of a world champion BBQ team, experts who have won over 70 awards in their craft. Classes are geared towards backyard barbecue chefs who are looking to hone their skills in order to better entertain their guests with delicious food, but the BBQ Fantasy Camp is quick to point out the amount of former backyard chefs that won competitions almost immediately after taking the course. They are also geared towards cookers from all different equipment backgrounds, from high-tech gadget wizards who use stainless-steel grills to those who use charcoal kettles. Classes are limited to only twenty five people per session in order to ensure that everyone gets a hands-on experience and interaction with the instructors. The course is set up to take people from learning how to make a tasty meat rub to cooking quality meats that is delicious every time. Unless you have a party of people from twelve to twenty five people, you will have to head out to Seattle, but otherwise, the experience is well worth it.

Maybe you did not grow up in a barbecue family where every kid can handle a grill as well as a tricycle, but there are plenty of options all over the country that can help you out. Whether you school comes to you, you travel to the school, or you do it online, there are lots of opportunities to enroll in a barbecue school that will make you the most revered backyard chef in the neighborhood.

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