Instructions: The short of it is is that BBQ has been with us since the dawn of man. BBQ as a conscious act, not just as the way to cook, is older than the 40s. The book I mentioned earlier, Housekeeping in Old Virginia (1879)

specifically mentions Barbecue For example:

Lay the rabbit in salt and water half an hour, scald with boiling water, wipe dry, grease with butter, and sprinkle with pepper and a little salt.

Lay it on the gridiron, turning often so that it may cook through and through, without becoming hard and dry. When brown, lay on a hot dish, butter plentifully on both sides, and add a little salt and pepper. Set in the oven, while preparing four teaspoonfuls of vinegar, one of made mustard, and one of currant jelly or brown sugar. Pour this over the rabbit, rubbing it in, then pour over the gravy and serve hot.

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