Memorial Day is approaching, the traditional kickoff for the American barbecue season – or for grilling season, depending on where you are in the country.

In some regions – say, New Jersey and northward – if someone asks you to come over for “a barbecue” during the holiday weekend, you’re likely to find a charcoal or gas grill loaded up with hot dogs, hamburgers, or, if the host is really putting on the dog, thick ribeye steaks.

Western-inspired parties took off in the 1930s – though digging a hole in the lawn was kind of a pain

Western-inspired parties took off in the 1930s – though digging a hole in the lawn was kind of a pain

For most folks in the South, calling such fare “barbecue” is painful. Here we call those events “cookouts,” and we would say the hosts are “grilling,” not “barbecuing.” Barbecue for us means slow-cooking large cuts of meat over a wood fire in a brick or metal pit, not grilling brats or chicken breasts.

Some ideologues will even insist that barbecue is a noun, not a verb, and that it refers to a very specific type of smoked meat. If you are at a gathering in upstate South Carolina, where I grew up, and ask the host, “can I have some barbecue?” there will be no question what you mean. You’ll get a plate loaded up with chopped pork dressed in........

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