Page 40 - MAY 2020 Barbecue News Magazine

presidential bbq
Presidential Connections
to Barbecue (P.C.B.)
Sponsored by B&B Charcoal
The office of the presidency was
originally designed to be one of serv-
ice. It is not the place for kings and
tyrants, our founding fathers had
just fought a war to rid this land of
these despots. After the 13 original
colo- nies declared independence
from the monarchy they agreed to be united under a con- stitution because they knew to survive in this world they would need to stick closely together.
In much the same way barbecue was originally designed to be a meal of service. Nobody prepares barbecue for just themself, it’s always for family, friends, church, social or special occasions. And just like our founding fathers origi- nally intended for our country, barbecue brings people to- gether. The history of barbecue is the history of America. It is one of the few traditions that is truly uniquely American. Barbecue is something that we can call our very own. It is simultaneously inclusive and diverse, national and local, complex and simple, individual and communal. Whether you choose to define barbecue as a noun, verb, or adjective you will find the beginnings of barbecue on the shores of our continent. The word ‘barbecue’ is the English transla- tion of the Native American word “barbacoa”. A barbacoa is a raised wooden rack used to slowly roast large pieces of meat over a smoky
By: Ed Reilly
Barbecue is served at military victo- ries, political rallies, church fundraisers, community gatherings, family re- unions, and game day with friends and family. Barbecue brings people together, it always has. We can all use some togetherness at this
time. Food recipes have often been called another form of communication. Bar- becue is not just a food symbol of America and of democracy, it is our language. Every Ameri- can including every U.S. President has a barbecue connec- tion (P.C.B.). We have developed a barbecue quotient (B.Q.) to rank each US President. It is based on a 10-point scale using the following scoring system criteria.
Over the next several months we will be reviewing all the US presidents to get their B.Q. score and highlight their connections to barbecue. We hope you will fire up your grill and enjoy this time-honored American tradition.
Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841 Van Buren was raised in New York in a typical Dutch family. A traditional holiday treat that he particularly enjoyed was roasted boar’s head. Van Buren and Andrew Jackson created the first modern presidential campaign. This included lots of traveling, hand shaking, baby kissing and of course, barbe- cues. He was able to mobilize hundreds of grass root supporters to host
fire. It was first recorded by Christo- pher Columbus in Cuba, but it had al- ready been widely used for over a thou- sand years throughout our country. When you consider all the traditions brought to- gether by the immi- grants, enslaved, and explorers to our coun- try, you will begin to understand the deep roots in the recipes of our country and of our ‘cue.
“The Political Barbecue”, 1834. By H.R.
campaign barbecues and local politi- cal rallies. The populist strategy and accom- panying barbecues kept the team of Jack- son and Van Buren in the White House for 12 years and changed American politics for- ever. For better or worse the “Golden Age of Barbe- cues and Politics” had emerged with this new formula of cam- paign committees or- ganizing rallies, parades and barbe- cues. B.Q. Score: 5
BarbecueNews.com - 40
MAY 2020
2 points- previous BBQ experience
2 points- campaign BBQ usage
2 points- in office BBQ exposure
2 points- out of office BBQ continuance 2 points- BBQ legacy