Dans Papers - May 18, 2007 -

It's one of the best days of the year - the sunny spring day when you take the tarp off the grill and gas up the propane. For many, the smell of barbecued meat drifting through the backyards of the neighborhood is the official start to the summer. Others are reminded of their childhood, when they used to grill burgers or ribs in the backyard with their family. Hell, some even find the scent downright patriotic. Whatever the smell reminds you of, everyone can agree on one thing - it smells great.

Barbecuing seems innocent enough. You buy some steaks, chicken or burgers and throw them over the grill for a few minutes. Slather them in sauce and, when finished, slap them on a paper plate with some baked beans and an ear of corn. However, the truth is that barbecuing is a much more serious endeavor than most people give it credit for. As casual as it seems, there are serious decisions that have to be made every step of the way, and each can greatly affect the way the meal tastes.

Let's start with the grill. There are two ways to go here - charcoal or propane. Charcoal is like the vinyl of the barbeque world. It's not the most recent technology, but it will never go out of style. Charcoal is still around because it cooks the meat and gives it a full smoky flavor. The major beef with charcoal is that it's messy and the heat is inconsistent. Although the taste is tough to beat, the inconsistent heat in the heat can lead, as you probably guessed, to inconsistent texture and degree of doneness.

With propane, the meat receives consistent heat and cooks more efficiently. It's faster, cleaner and easier, but it isn't tastier. To achieve a real smoky flavor without messy charcoal, try soaking wood chips in water and then resting them between the flame and the meat. The wood should smoke just enough to infuse the meat, but not enough that you'll need a fire extinguisher.

Now, many people get excited over which cut of meat they're barbecuing, but I think this is a waste of time. Any cut of meat can be delicious if grilled properly.

People rarely spend time considering what other things can be grilled to go with their meal. My favorite is corn. Pull the husks back, but not off, and cover the corn in butter, garlic, onion powder, cumin, pepper or whatever you want. Then pull the husks back over the ear and grill. Be sure to rotate occasionally, so the whole ear is grilled thoroughly. Shitake mushroom steaks, asparagus and even sliced potatoes are also great choices.

Regardless of what you choose to grill, the most important part of your barbecue will always be the sauce. There are three major types - tomato-based, vinegar-based and mustard-based. Each has its own unique flavor and regional history. Neither sauce goes better with certain types of barbecue, but each person usually has their own strong preference without even knowing it.

Personally, I like my sauce somewhere between tomato-based and vinegar-based, with a bit more heat than sweetness. Unfortunately, I can't give much advice on what is good and what is bad when it comes to barbecue sauce, because each one has a distinct taste. To figure out what you like best, go to the supermarket and pick up one of each, or check out Townline BBQ in Wainscott when it opens up this June and ask for a small sample of each sauce. You should know pretty quickly which one you like best and which ones just don't taste right. Once you know, you can start looking for your favorite, or try making your own.

No matter how you grill it, you can't go wrong with barbecue. And your neighbors will thank you, because the whole neighborhood will smell like summertime, childhood, America or just dinner.