The world is in upheaval, and that doesn’t stop at private life either. People used to go to the casino, now you play online at National Casino online. People used to go to restaurants, but today barbecuing is even more popular. True barbecue fans can expect these four major trends in 2022.
1. African Barbecue: It was only a matter of time. That our insatiable hunger for worldwide grilling takes us to where grilling began: Africa. It is here – perhaps in present-day Kenya or Ethiopia, but more likely South Africa – that a distant human ancestor named Homo erectus first put food on the fire. I predict there will be a lot to read about and sample about African barbecues in the coming year, from yassa (senegal grilled chicken or seafood marinated with vinegar, lime and Scotch Bonnet) to suya (Nigerian peanut and chilli beef skewers); from sosati (South African apricot and beef or pork skewers seasoned with red wine and curry powder) to dibi (mustard-coated grilled goat or lamb from Senegal). And of course there’s also “stick meat” – West African beef skewers seasoned with powdered bouillon cubes and cayenne pepper. Small skewers? Perhaps, but brace yourself for outsized tastes and a delicious array of flavors.
2. Frozen Meat Goes Chilly: Oh what a long-held prejudice pandemic can do! Before Covid I almost never ate frozen meat or seafood and when I couldn’t get fresh I ate tofu. Opening the freezer before firing up the grill always felt like cheating. Well, thanks to Covid-imposed shopping restrictions and the rise of online meat retailers, frozen meat has gone from being stigmatized to downright chic. In fact, frozen beef is pretty much the only way to get Japanese A5 Wagyu beef, or New Zealand Lumina lamb, or grass-fed steak from one of the hundred small family farms scattered across North America. It can certainly be argued that high-quality meat that is frozen directly at the processor is in better condition than fresh meat that has been in a supermarket’s refrigerated section for a week. Just take the time to thaw it slowly, i. H. 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator. Rapid thawing results in the mushy consistency formerly known as frozen meat.
3. Rolled, Stuffed, and Grilled: Long before we had cookware, we had food and fire. Originally, food was wrapped in leaves, such as banana leaves or cabbage, to roast in the embers. This kept the filling moist and gave the casing a delicious smoky flavor. Over the centuries, we’ve created an entire family of wrapped, rolled and grilled dishes – from German spit roast to Italian porchetta to belt-free Cajun turducken. I bet we’ll be seeing a lot of two South American rolled, stuffed and grilled dishes this year: pamplona and matambre. The former is a chicken breast stuffed and rolled with salty ham, sweet prunes, crisp red peppers and hard-boiled eggs – all grilled over a wood fire. Matambre, literally “hunger killer” in Spanish, consists of a butter-seared flank steak stuffed with sausage, ham, cheese and vegetables, and rolled and wrapped in bacon (OK, the latter might be my take on this traditional Argentinian recipe) and then is grilled. So get ready to wrap, roll and grill – using techniques as universal as fire and almost as old as grilling itself.
4. Barbecue will survive and thrive – everywhere: Covid 19 has taken a toll on the hospitality industry – and that applies to grill restaurants as much as fine dining. Labor shortages, rising meat prices, mask polemics and social distancing – it’s a miracle that anyone still wants to work in this industry, let alone open a new restaurant. But American Barbecue isn’t just surviving, it’s expanding—not just in the United States, but around the world. From a barbecue superstore in the Czech Republic (see www.grilovani.cz) to a perfect restaurant called Smoke Texas Barbecue in Tours, France. From a popular barbecue society with a large membership in Mexico (https://soyparrillero.mx) to a booming barbecue retail empire, BBQ Quebec, run by my French-Canadian friend Maxime Lavoie. Closer to home, expect shorter hours, smaller staff and more limited menus as American barbecue restaurants continue to steer the Covid recovery. Look out for more ethnic barbecue influences, from Mexican to Korean to Vietnamese. But rest assured, barbecue restaurants are alive and well and only getting better!
