CALF_News_December_2021_January_2022

38 CALF News • December 2021 | January 2022 • www.calfnews.net Continued on page 40  GRILL H O T O F F T H E A C A L F N E W S B B Q P A R T Y THE HISTORY GUY TALKS GRILLING By Lance Geiger Contributing Editor A s barbecue traditions developed, so came the products that have become part and parcel of backyard grilling, barbequing and tailgating. While the production of wood char- coal for industrial uses like producing metals has existed since ancient times, the invention of a machine to press charcoal briquettes, patented by Ells- worth B.A. Zwoyer of Philadelphia in 1901, made a convenient fuel for outside grilling. Zwoyer built several factories to produce the product. But the credit for marketing charcoal briquettes goes to auto manufacturer Henry Ford, who used the press process on wood byproducts from automotive manufacturing. Ford acquired significant timberland in Michigan for the wood used in automobile parts like the frame, dashboard and steering wheel. Look- ing for a way to monetize byproducts like tree stumps and sawdust, he had a plant designed by Thomas Edison installed at his lumberyard to produce pillow-shaped charcoal briquettes. In the mid-1930s, he started marketing “picnic kits” that included Ford Charcoal and a portable grill through his dealerships, capitalizing on the idea of a motorcar as a means of outdoor adventure. Eventually Ford Charcoal was bought and named after the man who managed the operation – Edward Kingsford, who was married to Ford’s cousin. Today, Kingsford Charcoal is the largest maker of charcoal for outside grills, with an 80 percent market share. While barbeque sauce was initially homemade, a commercially produced sauce was marketed by the Georgia Bar- beque Sauce Company as early as 1909. The Heinz Company started marketing sauce in bottles in 1940. Today, commer- cial barbeque sauce is a $2 billion dollar a year industry. The U.S. barbeque culture took a significant turn after the Second World War, when increased prosperity and sub- urban living combined with the millions of GIs who had gotten used to cooking on a fire to create the suburban tradition of the backyard barbecue. Many sub- urban homes had elaborate brick grills installed in the backyard, and barbeques became a primary method of bringing neighbors together. The tradition changed further in 1951. A Chicago metalworking company was filling contracts to make marine buoys for the U.S. Coast Guard. A company sales- man named George Stephen, an outdoor- grilling aficionado, cut a buoy in half and used the top for a lid. He mounted three legs to it and invented the kettle-shaped portable grill. Eventually, he scraped together enough money to buy a control- ling stake in the metalworking company –Weber Brothers Metal Works – renam- ing it Weber Stephen. He began selling Weber Grills, which is still the nation’s best-selling brand. Competitors Hasty Bake and Char-Broil also produced por- table grills, although they did not quite match the popularity of the kettle design. In 1932, Louis McGlaughlin started the Chicago Combustion Company, focusing on burners fired by gas. He adapted the burners for commercial cooking, creating a gas-fired boiler called Broilburger for use in restaurants. By 1954, he had adapted the design to create a portable gas cooker that was fueled using a 20-pound propane cylin- der typically used by plumbers. Today, gas grills represent about two-thirds of U.S. household grills. The industry flourished. In 1952, commercial barbecue device sales amounted to $1 million. By 1959, sale totaled $75 million. In 1958, one-third of American families had a backyard grill or fireplace. Magazines representing Ameri- can life started including grilling recipes, and new regional styles were born. The institution facilitated other social changes. Since grilling was generally seen to be a man’s provenance, grilling allowed the 1950s housewife to take a break from cooking on the weekend. Even though gender roles have changed in America, a 2015 survey still found that men are twice as likely as women to describe themselves as the household’s “grill master.” While the percentage of U.S. adults who own grills has remained relatively steady for decades, the variety of grills and tools available has increased sub- stantially. In addition to charcoal and gas cookers, wood pellets and infrared cookers are gaining popularity. High-end grills can be operated remotely by smart apps and send texts when it is time to flip your meat. The U.S. market for backyard grills is expected to reach $2.6 billion in 2021, even though U.S. manufacturers photo from www.pitmasterandthecook.com