What is the #bbqlife? I use this hashtag all the time but I haven't really thought about what it means to me. Now in no means do I think I have the exact definition. I think this is a very personal journey. The very word barbecue evokes many different thoughts and feelings
To some the word means a very specific type of cooking generally using some sort of fire to create heat and smoke. This could mean whole pieces of wood and burning them. Or it could be the use of coals whether it's made from burning down wood pieces or from a bag of charcoal. For others its wood pellets. Each of these methods has there good and bad things and each has a group of devoted followers.
To some people the word barbecue means a party usually held in the spring or summer where most if not the whole party is held outside. Food is usually cooked on a grill, food such as burgers and hot dogs. To many this kind of gathering is what barbecue is all about.
Then there is a group that basically considers any food barbecue as long as it has been coated in what is usually a tomato based BBQ sauce.
A person who is living the bbq life in my book is one who is immersed in everything they can find about barbecue. Someone who is truly into barbecue and the bbqlife can easily find themselves deep in conversation about what kind of wood they use and which kind for what meat. We truly make friends everywhere because we love to talk and learn about how others cook. Anytime is a good time to barbecue to us. If music is the universal language then barbecue is the universal food.
Cooking with live fire is a very primal exercise. There is something about barbecue that emits more emotion than any other type of culinary experience. When was the last time you saw a French food competition, or maybe a spaghetti fest with teams from all over the country competing for best noodle? But you can find a barbecue competition somewhere in this country if not the world basically every weekend.
Those of us that live this bbqlife get a rush from anything at all to do with barbecue. We seek out the restaurants and go there to experience how that pitmaster expresses their bbqlife and journey. The bbqlife can be an amazing journey. Thanks to mine I was lucky enough to meet Mikey the man behind Man Meat BBQ which we got to sit and hang out with the Elvis of the barbecue world Mr. Myron Mixon. Now if you asked me where I thought this whole barbecue thing would bring me four years ago. I would have never ever guessed that I would have meet and made friends with people like Myron or the Bklyn pit rat. To think that I would be sitting here writing about these experiences and sharing them with you would have never crossed my mind.
To sum it up here is the Cowboy Kev definition
BBQLIFE
To enjoy one's time cooking over a fire, to learn all you can about the many aspects of the barbecue world, to share one's passion for the art of barbecue with others.
There is no one definitive answer but I think mine sums it up well. And if you don't believe in the power of barbecue then I will let a truly amazing culinary rockstar that we recently lost Mr. Anthony Bourdain prove it he said “ Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it's a start”
On a side note if you or someone you know needs help please call the the national suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
I would love to hear your definition of the #bbqlife hit me up on Instagram @wile_e_bbq and let me know. Till next month #cowboyup and #keepsmoking
