TERM 'BARBECUE' DERIVATIONS UNCERTAIN

No one knows for sure where the term "barbecue" originated. Many experts give credit to the Arawak Indians of the Caribbean who cooked meat over a fire on a rack of green wood the Spanish called "barbacoa." C. Clark "Smoky" Hale, who maintains an Internet site devoted to the subject, claims the word is actually of Indian derivation and means "the beginning of the sacred fire father." Rombauer and Becker in the Joy of Cooking (the one cookbook I'd try to save if the house were on fire) prefer to believe that the term was coined by French settlers in Florida who roasted goats "de barbe en queue," or from beard to tail.

Whatever its origin, the word "barbecue" always means great flavor (even if the term is often misapplied to all forms of grilling rather than limited to the slow cooking procedure characteristic of true barbecue). And traditionally there are three major methods for achieving that flavor: dry rubs, marinades and sauces. In today's column we feature recipes for each of these.

We begin with a recipe from Cape Girardeau's barbecuing champions Charlie and Ruthie Knote, whose exhaustive compendium, Barbecuing & Sausage-Making Secrets, is a valuable reference work for any backyard cook. (The section on flavor intensities is particularly "Knote-worthy.") They offer a recipe for a dry rub, a technique which, after 45 years of grilling experience, they are convinced is essential. This rub is perfect for pork ribs and, cleverly, can be used as the basis of an excellent sauce as well.

LELA'S BROWN SUGAR RUB

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground celery seed

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon granular garlic

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and rub into meat 30 minutes to 2 hours before grilling (or let stand refrigerated overnight). To make sauce, mix 5 tablespoons unused rub with 8 ounces tomato sauce, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and apply during last 10 minutes of grilling.

LIME-MUSTARD MARINADE

This marinade recipe, e-mailed by Mary Yoshioka, a former Cape Girardean now living in California, is perfect for chicken or fish. Mary got the recipe from the Charleston, S.C., newspaper when she was living there and says it is one of her favorites.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup light flavored olive oil

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons fresh lime zest

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Directions:

Whisk ingredients together. Marinate chicken 1 to 3 hours, fish no more than one hour before grilling.

TANDOORI-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE

According to the Knotes, 95 percent of Americans think of barbecue sauce as tomato flavored, but there are endless varieties. I even have a recipe for one that calls for peanut butter. No wonder, then, that the recent Fancy Food Show in New York exhibited more than 600 barbecue sauces. The number of ingredients in a barbecue sauce can range from two (equal parts Coca-Cola and ketchup will work in a pinch) to 20 or more. And many available right off the supermarket shelf are perfectly acceptable. But if you're looking for something homemade yet simple and a little out of the ordinary, and if you love Indian food as we do at our house, consider this recipe from a recent issue of Gourmet magazine. Unlike most sauces, which should be applied toward the end of grilling, this one should be used to coat the food beforehand. It is excellent with meat, poultry or shellfish.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large garlic clove, chopped and mashed with 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cook oil, paprika, cumin, cardamom, ginger and cayenne over moderate heat until mixture sizzles. Cook one minute. In a bowl stir together remaining ingredients and stir in spice mixture until combined.

Got a recipe you'd like to share with our readers? Are you looking for a recipe for something in particular? Send your recipes and requests to The Harte Appetite, c/o Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO., 63702-0699.