— One of the truly original cooking or food preparation styles native to our United States of America is the art of barbecue. This delicious genre varies greatly from region to region in so many ways that it would take an entire series of books to cover the many variations of sauces, rubs, woods, meats and barbecuing secrets and techniques. Trust me, I have the barbecue library to prove it.

This column — to publish every other week through the summer — will hopefully enthuse you to fire up your grill or barbecue pit more frequently by giving you greater confidence. You can create world-class barbecue that will make you the envy of your neighborhood.

Why listen to me? Well, I have been barbecuing and grilling for more than 30 years and I am a certified competition judge for The Kansas City Barbecue Society. I also own and manage my own website — www.BBQMyWay.com — which covers all things barbecue and features many recipes and techniques presented in short video format.

In this first column, I want to cover a common misconception in barbecue terminology — and it is the definition of “barbecue” itself. In backyards all over America, a great disservice is done to barbecue, and if noticed or overheard by a true follower or practitioner of barbecue, will cause a conversation that could quickly turn into a lecture.

And here is the disservice: When you are cooking hamburgers, bratwursts, steaks or chicken over direct intense heat, whether it be over charcoal or gas, you are not barbecuing — you are grilling. Now don’t get me wrong, I love to grill and I mean no disrespect to those who love to grill. In fact, we will cover lots of grilling recipes and techniques in this column.

But, true barbecue is defined as follows: Barbecue — or “Q”, or Bar-b-que or BBQ — is a technique of cooking meat at a relatively low temperature (225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit) over an extended period of time with the source of heat being charcoal that has been rendered down from wood. Different wood choices impart different flavors into the meat, and we will cover those choices in future columns.

We will discuss recipes and regional variations for sauces, rubs, side dishes and desserts. We will occasionally discuss barbecue purchase options such as grills, utensils and tools available on the market which will help make your barbecue and grilling adventures more enjoyable and delicious. We will also discuss correct barbecue and grilling techniques, and how to take the leftovers into your kitchen and create fantastic dishes that you have never thought of.

Also, tips will be offered, and here is this week’s tip. Personally, I grill and barbecue year round. I have spent eight hours in the snow and subfreezing temperatures to barbecue a Christmas prime rib. But, I realize many of you pack away your grill when winter hits. So, this week’s tip will be how to properly prepare your grill for the current warm-weather grilling season.

Whether you have a gas grill, a charcoal grill or a barbecue pit, your grate — the area that your food sits on while cooking — has become rusted. Do not wash it with soap! Soap causes food to stick.

Instead, get the grate as hot as you can and then clean it thoroughly with a sturdy wire brush. Then, take a cloth or a piece of paper towel soaked in olive oil and rub it all over the grate. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Using this technique will “cure” the grate, making it somewhat resistant to sticking while cooking. The high temperature will also kill any lingering bacteria. Personally I do this anytime I fire up the grill or barbecue.

As we move forward, it is my hope that this column be interactive, so I encourage you to send me questions or topics you would like me to discuss in this column. Even if your question does not end up being used, I will do my very best to answer it personally. You can e-mail topic suggestions or your questions to me personally by visiting www.BBQMyWay.com.

Thanks for stopping by. Now go fire up that barbecue!

— Dave Lobeck is a Sellersburg resident and barbecue enthusiast.