BBQ DenverTips

A Glossary of BBQ Terms, Part 1

By January 9, 2017 No Comments



At GQue BBQ, we have a fire and passion for Championship BBQ and incredible BBQ catering experiences in Westminster and the Greater Denver Area—but we also want you to enjoy and learn about BBQ, too! Here are some common BBQ terms, straight from the pitmasters themselves. Prepare to learn the saucy lingo that comes with saucy BBQ.

BBQ Terms, Part 1


Technically speaking, the act of cooking meat, low and slow, on indirect heat for a saucy, juicy, and amazing result. Contrary to popular belief, BBQ is not the act of cooking meat on mega-high heat and smothering it with Guy Fieri BBQ sauce.

Beer safe

A BBQ meal that can be safely and properly prepared while drinking beer.

Blue Smoke

The optimal time for meat to be tossed on a smoker. The smoke from the flame is tinged blue.


Simmering or stewing a BBQ meal. This BBQ is submerged in liquid, cooked low and slow.


The act of deep frying food in a pressure cooker.


A drum-shaped BBQ cooker with a dome lid. A relatively inexpensive way to cook BBQ that is common at baseball fields, church cookouts, graduation parties, and other events where BBQ must be quick and plentiful (feed the masses).

blog-pic-1Butt Over Brisket

When a pitmaster is cooking pork butts and brisket simultaneously, and places the pork butt atop the brisket so the juices of the pork butt drip and mingle with the brisket. Oof, that sounds delicious.


Oxidation of sugar under heat, which gives foods a rich, caramel or butterscotch flavor.


Smoking meat at a temperature below 100 degrees fahrenheit. A great way to add some sultry, smoky flavor to bacon.

Cowboy BBQ

A style of BBQ involving cooked meat on open coals, open flame, and open air.

Fall off the Bone

When your BBQ ribs are so juicy and tender, they fall off the bone. Can I have some?

Fat Cap

The thick layer of fat between the skin and meat.

Hot and Fast

The opposite of low and slow. This involves cooking over direct heat, like on a basic consumer-styled grill. How your dad makes hamburgers on the Fourth of July.


A well-cooked brisket will tremble, or “jiggle” when touched.

Low and Slow

The act of cooking a meal at a low temperature for a long time. The reason for the saying “don’t be hasty, and it’ll be tasty.”

Maillard Effect

A chemical reaction that browns the surface of BBQ at relatively high heat, creating a complex flavor and a crispy, crunchy texture.

Pig Picking

A whole-pig BBQ feast. In order to eat it, you have to stick a fork in the pig and pick some pig out of there.


Also known as the “Pit Boss,” this is the sweaty, fearless leader of a BBQ team that creates and executes the saucy, smoky, and sensational BBQ vision. Learn about our Pitmaster here.


A piece of exposed bone on a rack of ribs. If you see a shine on your BBQ, you’ve trimmed the meat too close. A “faux pas” of the BBQ world.


A chicken. The term comes from the south, where chickens would often frolic around the yard before being transformed into mouth-watering BBQ chicken.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our BBQ glossary, and check out our BBQ menu!

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