FOOD + DRINK
BARBECUE REVIVAL !
Get your fix of mouth-watering BBQ in Kent this summer …
Barbecue … What does it mean ? Well , it seems that no one really knows , although plenty have tried to work it out .
It could be from the Spanish who landed on the islands in the Caribbean and found the locals cooking food out in the open . The Spanish named this cooking method barbecoa ( see where we ’ re going with this ?), and it basically meant that the meat was cooked for a long time , outside , so that it was as juicy and succulent as possible . That makes sense . But then again , what about the idea that the term ‘ barbecue ’ actually comes from the American deep south , and that it stems from a phrase that was originally written as ‘ bar , beer , cue ’ ( as in a pool hall that sold liquor and cooked its food out in the open ), which , of course , became barbecue ( or BBQ for short ). Yet another theory suggests that the word has a French origin ( barbe a queue ) meaning ‘ head to tail ’, which is certainly what the very first of these barbecues would cook .
Wherever the word and cooking style comes from , a barbecue is more than simply slapping some ( possibly ) marinated meat on a too hot grill and serving it up before it ’ s properly cooked , hoping that friends and relatives don ’ t get ill from it . No . A real barbecue is all about taking time – sometimes as much as 18 or more hours – to ensure that the meat is cooked in the most delicious , moreish way possible . A barbecue is not a quick meal , but it is a good one .
Although it may be the Southern states of the USA that boasts having the best idea of how to cook barbecue , we ’ re not doing too badly here in Kent – and there are plenty of excellent restaurants around that will prove that point perfectly , and juicily , with just the right touch of sauce and perhaps a side salad …
The Bull , Wrotham The Smokehouse at The Bull offers plenty of excellent reasons to try their exceptional barbecue . They serve traditional , hickory smoked meat and only use the best quality meat ( aged 6 to 8 weeks ) and have a number of craft beers available to add to the experience . The menu includes smoked ox cheek , smoked beef brisket , spicy beef Bull banger and 10-hour smoked pulled pork with apple sauce . www . thebullhotel . com 66