Nothing signals the beginning of British summertime more than an alfresco supper of charcoaled (yet somehow also raw) sausages. Elouise Hobbs looks at the biology behind the BBQ.
Around for thousands of years, the barbecue has evolved from an easy way to cook large pieces of meat to a summertime event, which encompasses socialising, drinking and gathering around to eat together. Originally from the Spanish word barbacoa, traditional barbecues involved placing a large quantity of meat – frequently a whole lamb – in a pot above a hole in the ground. Coal would be added, and it would be set on fire to cook. Then, the juices from the meat would be used to make a broth.
Since then, a lot has changed. Range grills have increased in popularity, permanent barbecues have become a fixture in gardens and parks across the UK and although many people still use coals to cook with, gas is also very popular. Yet, despite the innovations, the basic idea behind barbecuing food has remained essentially the same – making it difficult to deny there is something special about the barbecuing method that has allowed it to stand the test of time, and emerge as a superior way to cook in the summertime.
Is it the happy memories, the alcohol or nostalgia that makes barbecue food taste so universally amazing? No. It’s good old chemical reactions. When we taste different foods, we use all our senses, from sight to smell, touch to taste. The act of cooking food on a barbecue gives us a sensory overload that is irresistible. The smells from the barbecue activate the saliva glands in your mouth, making your mouth start to water.
Different to traditional cooking, the intensity of the heat of the barbecue allows the outside of the meat to slightly burn, creating a crisp outer bite. This distinct reaction – known as the Maillard reaction – is the chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavour and helps to develop and deepen the flavours. Similarly, when cooking vegetables over the heat of the barbecue, it begins a caramelisation process. This is where the sugar in the vegetables oxidise, turning the outside a golden brown. This creates a unique flavour usually associated with a rich, nutty aroma that is typically connected to barbecue cooking.
As barbecues use consistent heat over time to cook food, it helps to create distinctive reactions that only usually occur when slow cooking. This is especially evident when cooking meat with high-fat content. The fat inside the meat melts when heated and helps to create an amazingly rich flavour and smooth taste that mimics the texture of butter or chocolate. That’s why marbled meat is so highly valued.
A barbecue, unlike a grill, heats food from below. With meat, this causes the melted fat to slowly drip onto the hot coals. As the fat burns, this causes the barbecue to create more smoke, which then rises up, enveloping the meat. This helps the meat to develop a richer aroma and taste. And, as the smoke has such a long-lasting flavour, it helps to prolong the flavour release, creating a stronger, fuller aftertaste.
So next time you get the barbecue out for summer, remember that it is not only your amazing cooking abilities that bring that burger from packet to plate – rather, a rich history of cooking, and chemical reactions that create a quintessential summer meal.