Grilling, Smoking, Cooking Out: Variety is the Spice of Life

Disclaimer: This post is written for carnivore consumption. Omnivores and pescatarians are also permitted. No vegetarians allowed. Vegans don’t even...

“Join us for a cookout!” “Come on over, we’re grilling out tonight!” “We’re gonna smoke some ribs on Saturday, y’all come eat!” “We’re hosting a barbecue this weekend.”

Where I come from, which is Tennessee, barbecuing does not equal grilling. If you are going to “have a barbecue,” you had better be smoking your meat for hours—low and slow. If you’re firing up a hot propane grill to churn out hot dogs and hamburgers, we’re going to have to call that “a cookout.” 

With the recent influx of new Nashvillians, you, Dear Reader, might have grown up somewhere up North and think it is just a matter of semantics. However, we native Southerners will not hesitate to challenge you on that. I repeat: in the South, barbecuing ≠ grilling. 

That being said, we at Batch have created a Gift Batch with the best of both worlds: the Six Pack of Sauces and Seasonings. We are in that Southern Sweet Spot between the Fourth of July and Labor Day, when the evenings are light, the fireflies are flitting, and it is hot as Hades. Get out there with a cold beer or a refreshing cocktail, and cook some meat! Whether you are smoking or grilling your dinner, this Six Pack of Sauces and Seasonings has something for your every fiery whim. 

If you’re just interested in trying your hand at smoking a Boston Butt or some ribs, you could order your rub and sauce of choice a la carte. My husband and I taste-tested two Southern City Flavors varieties on smoked chicken breasts recently, and they were both just the right balance of smoky and sweet with a little kick.

Same for grilling. We at Batch have seasoning mixes for burgers, chicken, and fish. At my house, we used this J.M. Thomason Streamside Angler Blend on grilled salmon the other night for a blackened fish dish, and it was a hit. 

So, whether you try the Six Pack of Sauces and Seasonings sampler or create your own custom Grilling Batch box, get out there and cook some meat!